Pacific Orca Lodge Eco Tour Expedition Overview

Our Pacific Orca Lodge eco tour is fantastic! Grizzly Bears, Orcas, Humpback whales, Eagles and Dolphins are just some of the amazing creatures you will have the opportunity to experience on this expedition.

Your tour starts in Port McNeill on Sunday night with a pre-departure orientation session with our friendly, helpful guides. On Monday morning we will board our water taxi for an exciting journey through the emerald green waters of the Inside Passage, to the cozy Pacific Orca Floating Lodge. Our private lodge provides accommodation for a maximum of six people in an intimate and comfortable setting. There are bathroom facilities, a fireplace and other creature comforts that will ensure your stay is not only memorable but comfortable as well.

Using Pacific Orca Lodge as our home base we will spend three of our five days focused on paddling with the killer whales of Johnstone Strait and marine wildlife viewing. With a resident population of close to 300 Orcas, the Johnstone Strait area is quite simply the best place in the world to view Orcas, or killer whales, in the wild. Many of our past guests have described kayaking with the Orcas as spiritual!

Our wildlife eco tour wouldn't be complete without a visit to Glendale Cove. Glendale Cove, located approximately 40 miles up the majestic coastal fjord of Knight Inlet, is home to one of the largest concentrations of Grizzly Bears in British Columbia. It is not uncommon to see up to 30 bears in this area making for superior photographic opportunities throughout the season. Although the fall season is considered peak season for viewing the bears as they feed on migrating salmon,

they are also present throughout the spring and summer as well. In the spring and summer viewing is done from the boat which allows you to get very close to the bears without disturbing them. An experience not to be missed!

Our last day, Friday, will be spent with one of the preeminent whale watching operators in the area, Mackay Whale Watching. After a hearty breakfast we will return to Port McNeill to board one of the most advanced whale watching boats in British Columbia, the Naiad (pronounced Ni-ad) Explorer. These educational and entertaining tours are approximately four to five hours in duration and lunch is provided. You will learn the latest information about the killer whales and be able to listen in on the whales’ vocalizations with our on-board hydrophone

(underwater microphone). Launched in April 1999, the "Naiad Explorer", holds up to 48 passengers in comfort, with heat and washroom facilities. This stable vessel offers an excellent opportunity for photographers!

Pacific Orcas Lodge

Our floating lodge was built specifically for our orcas and grizzlies eco tours and was then carefully located in a quiet bay in the heart of killer whale viewing territory. Our lodge was designed to provide a comfortable home base for people that would prefer not to camp while they enjoy this pristine, remote area. The lodge provides comfortable accommodation for six people in three rooms.

>>>Click here for more information on Pacific Orca Lodge.

>>>Click here to see a map of the lodge location and common travel routes of marine wildlife.

Kayak with Orcas - A Typical Day

We start off the day with a hearty breakfast prepared with great care by your guides. Every day we plan our kayak routes taking into consideration the movements of the orcas, the always-present tidal currents, combined with varying wind and weather conditions. A typical kayak day involves a full day of paddling separated by a lunch break (usually 1 hour) and the occasional stop to stretch legs. We are usually away from the lodge for the

full day. Using our VHF radios we stay in contact with a network of researchers and operators to ensure our best chance to kayak with the orcas. Our guides do carry a hydrophone (underwater microphone) so that we can listen to the voice of the orcas as they pass our kayaks.

>>>Click here for a more detailed itinerary.

Pacific Orca Lodge Kayaking Tour Information

Price:

Price: $1849.00 CDN Per person
Plus Goods and Services tax of 5%.

The package price includes:

• Four nights at Pacific Orca floating lodge.
• All meals from lunch on day one to lunch on day five.
  *Special dietary needs can be accommodated.
• Return water taxi transfer from Port McNeill to the lodge.
• Kayaking equipment, paddling jacket, dry bag.
• All guiding and park user fees.

2008 Dates:

In addition to the above dates, we will run special weekend four day trips at the lodge for groups of four or more people. These extra trips will run from Friday to Monday only, please call for pricing and more details.

Custom Trip Dates
Don’t see a trip date on our calendar that works with your holiday schedule? Call us at 1.800.434.9346 to discuss the options. We often add additional trip dates to accommodate individual schedules. Book your custom expedition date early as our available space fills up fast!

Group Bookings
We do offer group booking discounts up to 5% on this tour, based on your group size. If your group members want to pay individually that is no problem. They just need to mention your name as they call in to reserve and we'll add them to the group booking. The discount will be reflected in each individual's final invoice based on the number of people in the group.

Experience rating:

Novice and up.

Minimum Age:

12 years old.

Duration:

5 days/4 nights.

Accommodation:

4 nights at Pacific Orcas Lodge

Meals:

All meals and snacks from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 5.

Inclusions:

Escorted Grizzly bear tour to the Glendale River, three days of sea kayaking with Orcas (killer whales) and a day of boat based whale watching from Port McNeill.

Bonus:

Free WeGo Kayak logo coffee mug!

Includes free return water taxi transportation from Port McNeill to the Pacific Orcas Kayak Lodge.

Please note: Flights into the Port Hardy airport are within $4.00 of the price of flying into Campbell River. The benefit, as opposed to departing from Campbell River or Quadra Island, is that when you fly into the local Port Hardy airport you do not have to take a long (nearly 80-mile) water taxi ride through Johnstone and Chatham Straits. Our 40-minute water taxi journey from Port McNeill takes you through calm waters that are rich with an abundant array of marine wildlife and the trip often provides incredible viewing opportunities. And beside that, we like to support the local economy by using local companies that have the best area knowledge.