Canada to South East Alaska Coastal Cruising Aventure

9, 10 and 11-Day Trips

Experience Alaska as few can ever do! Watch as a 40-ton humpback whale launches itself out of the ocean in Frederick Sound, turns gracefully in the air, then lands on its back in a thunderous cascade of water; see brown bears fishing for salmon in a rushing river; float among icebergs as a part of a glacier tumbles into the sea. Nothing compares to an enormous whale and her calf surfacing along side your boat and blowing geysers of mist into the air. Visit a bear-viewing platform and watch grizzlies and eagles feed on spawning salmon. Admiralty Island National Monument has more brown bears and eagles per square mile than anywhere in North America, for that matter, the world. In addition to the wildlife, Southeast Alaska has been home to Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian natives for thousands of years, and their cultures will astound, inform and entertain.

Great Bear Rainforest Cruise on British Columbia's Central Coast

8 or 11 Days

On British Columbia’s Central Coast, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains, lies one of the largest temperate rain forests left on earth, and one of the last unspoiled wildernesses. The Great Bear Rain Forest covers over two million hectares of sitka spruce, hemlock and cedars. Many of these trees are hundreds of years old, and some of them have been standing for more than a millennium; some are over ninety meters tall. This great canopy shields a host of pristine waterways and an amazing menagerie of wildlife. Salmon teem in river estuaries; Orcas and humpback whales patrol the deeper coastal waterways; eagles soar among the towering mountain peaks, while wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, and the mythical kermode or “spirit bears,” forage amid the towering old-growth forests. The Great Bear Rain Forest, however, is also home to Native cultures that are far older than the thousand-year-old sitkas spruce trees. And now you have the opportunity to travel along these waterways, venture inside the forest, seeking out wildlife, meeting native guides and learning why the Great Bear Rainforest is one of the last gems on the Pacific Coast.

Gwaii Haanas - Queen Charlotte Islands Sailing Adventure in Canada

8 or 9 Days

Sixty miles off the coast of northern British Columbia, a group of islands emerge from the ocean mist like something out of a marvellous dream. Haida Gwaii, or the Queen Charlotte Islands, have often been referred to as Canada’s Galapagos Islands, and for good reason. They boast an amazing biodiversity, including moss-draped old-growth sitka spruce, hemlock, and cedar forests, one quarter of British Columbia’s nesting sea birds, one third of its peregrine falcons, a host of marine mammals such as whales and sea lions, and some flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world. They also contain a rich cultural legacy that dates back thousands of years and has warranted designation as a United Nations World Heritage Site. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, called “place of wonder” by the Haida First Nation, is the home of an ancient Haida village called Ninstints. Surrounded by towering old-growth forests, its weathered and listing totem poles facing out to the sea, Ninstints is like a world forgotten by time.

Orcas, Totems and Grizzly Bears Sailing Holiday at Canada's Knight Inlet

5 or 7 Days

Travel to a wilderness paradise where snow-capped mountains, flanked by lush old-growth temperate rain forests, plunge into the sparkling Pacific Ocean. Here, in late spring, grizzly bears come down from their hibernation dens to the ocean to feed on the estuary sedges and grasses. This is the only time of year that it is possible to consistently see these incredible animals along the shore. We will travel deep into remote wilderness fiords aboard our 70’ motor-sailor to explore the home of the grizzly. Much of our wildlife viewing will be from our stable zodiac boats, and we will go ashore daily to walk the coastal forests or discover intertidal creatures at low tides. Our focus will be on majestic Knight Inlet, which cuts over 60 miles into the coastal mountains. We expect to see various species of marine mammals, including porpoises, seals, and perhaps Orcas and sea lions. During the voyage, thousands of birds will be migrating north along the Pacific flyway. There will still be snow up on the mountains above and we hope for some beautiful views of the 5000’ and 6000’ peaks.

Sailboat cruise in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia

5 Days

Not far from the urban centres of Puget Sound and Vancouver, lies a group of islands that offer refuge from modern life. The Gulf and San Juan Islands lie in the dry rain shadow of the mountains and create a unique ecosystem typified by Garry oak and the beautiful Arbutus tree (Madrone). We focus on the new Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, walking the trails, exploring the shore, and sea kayaking in the quiet waters. We expect to see Dalls porpoise, sea lions and perhaps, the endangered southern orcas (killer whales). Many sailors consider this the best cruising area in North America .