Grizzly Bear watching and sea kayaking  in British Columbia: A Kayak tour to the Xwemalhkwu First Nation’s grizzly bear sanctuary in Bute Inlet.

Join one of our rare and exciting Grizzly bear kayak tours to the ancient Papknach village site in the traditional territory of the Xwemalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation . Each autumn grizzly bears congregate in this British Columbia river estuary to feed on spawning salmon; the Xwemahlkwu have shared home with the bears for millennia.

This is this an amazing Grizzly bear watching and sea kayaking in British Columbia adventure, an unforgettable wildlife tour in Canada:  an opportunity to view grizzly bears in their natural setting and to meet indigenous native people working to maintain culture and identity while making a place in the modern world. We admire the challenging and exciting vision being pursued by this coastal First Nation!

Our kayak tours begin at Quadra Island (near Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia) with kayaking practice, trip preparations, safety protocols and first night at Discovery Islands Lodge, our comfortable wilderness lodge accommodation.

Beginning our sea kayaking journey, we'll paddle through the Quadra Island outer Archipelago towards the dramatic skyline of Bute Inlet, magnificent Coast Mountain watershed of British Columbia’s highest mountains. After 3 days kayaking in the fjord, paddling and camping in the wild, we'll arrive at the PapKnach River camp where we will be the guests of the Xwemalhkwu people. We'll have comfortable but simple bunkhouse accommodation and opportunities to watch grizzly bears from platform-blinds. If conditions permit, we’ll paddle into the estuary and watch the bears from our kayaks.

While at the First Nation’s camp, we will join the Xwemalhkwu for meals, visit the Xwemalhkwu salmon hatchery, and learn about First Nation history and culture.

Second morning we will depart PapKnach by kayak and begin the homeward journey. Our Coast Mountain Expeditions’ boat, Chico Mendes, will meet us in the inlet and return us to Discovery Islands Lodge on Quadra Island for our final evening together... another scrumptious dinner, more tall tales, and one last sleep in the backcountry.

Note: Special thanks to Ken Baker for letting us use his awesome Xwemalhkwu bears photos!

Xwemahlkwu Grizzly Bear Expedition

A Grizzly bear watching kayak tour in  British Columbia: A  journey to the Xwemalhkwu First Nation’s PapKnach grizzly bear sanctuary in Bute Inlet

TOUR DATES 2008:

• Sep 6 - 12

• Sep 13 - 19

• First & final nights at Discovery Islands Lodge, Quadra Island
• 2 nights kayak camping,
• 2 nights at Xwemalhkwu First Nation’s PapKnach river camp
• Maximum 10 participants, 2 sea kayak guides
• $1585 CDN plus GST

Click here to download the Xwemahlkwu Expedition Chart (pdf 3 mb)

ACTIVITY RATING: MODERATE TO STRENUOUS

For energetic and fit people with a good sense of adventure!

Kayaking: 4 to 6 hours of kayaking per day in single and double kayaks. Average distance: 9-18 km (6-12 mi) per day. Sea conditions: mostly calm but Fjord may become locally windy creating. 3-1 m (1-3 ft) manageable waves. Fjord is glacial-fed and water is very cold. Beaches: low sloping sandy gravel and medium boulders or rocks, slippery when wet. Weather conditions: usually sunny, sometimes hot. Extended periods of rain  possible but unlikely. Average temperatures: 8-25 C (40-75 F).

Getting to Quadra Island British Columbia Canada

For information about getting to Quadra Island and British Columbia Canada please select HOW TO GET HERE in the navigation bar.