Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures
1790A Campbell Way V0N 2R0 Port McNeill, BC, Canada

Late last summer, a team of scientists from the University of British Columbia tracked southern and northern resident killer whales off the B.C. coast using cutting-edge technology that opened a new window into the lives of these charismatic creatures. ‘The Images Took Our Breath Away’ Take a look and listen for yourself.

It's the first warm and sunny week of the year here on Vancouver Island, and we are getting excited for the summer There is still good availability on our 4 day Base Camp tours and 6 day Expedition tours. Join us solo, with your family, partner, friend, or book it as a private tour for your group. Begin your adventure here: https://kingfisher.ca/

Excited to be offering our Whales and Grizzly Bear tours again this season showcasing these fascinating creatures that can be found in the forests, on the beaches and fishing in the rivers. Photo by guest Julie Lovens https://www.instagram.com/p/B2XjKrxoO5J/

Our favourite yearly auction supporting the wonderful and important work of the Marine Education & Research Society is live! Kingfisher is offering a $1000 Gift Certificate for our Vancouver Island tours. Details & bidding at: https://www.32auctions.com/MERSAuction2021

Did you know Eagles can see about 7x better than people? It's no wonder they can catch their meal so gracefully.

Are you following Kingfisher on Instagram yet? "The most rewarding view when you're relaxing in your camp chair with a cup of tea in your hands and looking out over the ocean after a day of exploring in your kayak." Johnstone Strait, BC... by staff @tessamanu https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSbmJ9ndi0/

Canada currently recognizes four killer whale populations on its Pacific coast: salmon-eating Southern Residents; salmon-eating Northern Residents; Transients (or Bigg’s killer whales), which eat marine mammals such as harbor seals and sea lions; and Offshores, which are shark-eating specialists. Underwater hydrophone recordings made within the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site, have picked up on recordings... of Alaska killer whales off western Haida Gwaii The first time on May 2, 2003. We didn’t know what to make of that initial encounter, says John Ford, a whale researcher emeritus with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and lead author of a new study in collaboration with Parks Canada. Was it just a fluke? Four new recordings captured from April 30 to June 4, 2018, show that it was not. Read more about this research here: https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/the-alaskans-are-coming/

More than 20 years after it was last spotted, a celebrated orca family is back in north Vancouver Island's Broughton Archipelago waters. "The A5 pod stopped coming around 1995 when a fish farm company started using acoustic harassment devices to deter seals. The A5 pod has returned to the Broughton Archipelago, their traditional winter hunting ground, with a brand new baby in tow. Department of Fisheries and Oceans researcher, Jared Towers was trailing them on Jan. 5 through ...waters south of the archipelago when the family of nine, led by 40-year-old matriarch Ripple (officially A43) swam up Fife Sound, a place she would have visited as a youngster. Ripple was just a teen when she was last in the Broughton, and Morton joked that maybe she wasn’t watching where they were going. The matriarchs are the ones who lead orca pods and are in charge of remembering their routes, and it seems Ripple was learning well. She brought her family back with her youngest grand-calf jumping alongside its mother, Midsummer (A69), who Ripple birthed in 1997. Both mother and baby look healthy, Towers said." Read about it in: https://www.saanichnews.com//long-lost-b-c-orca-pod-retu/#

As 2020 is drawing to a close, we want to thank the resilient guests that choose to travel with us this year; all guests that had hoped to travel with us this year and decided to re-book for another year; and all guests that have sent us encouraging messages and great memories of trips from other years. We couldn't have gotten through this turbulent year without you! While a lot of things are still uncertain, we look forward to 2021 with positivity and hope! Happy New Year from the Kingfisher Team!

May the holidays fill your home with joy, love, and warmth this year!

Nudibranchs are perhaps the most glamorous of the sea slugs, strutting the ocean floor in myriad shapes, sizes, and colors. Their unforgettable outfits make these creatures a favourite among our guides. Join the Hakai Institute on a walk down the catwalk with the best of what British Columbia has to offer.

Ask our friends at Marine Education & Research Society any questions you have about humpback whales! Jackie and Chloe will be LIVE here on Facebook on Thursday at noon PST (weather depending), while out on the water collecting Humpback data.

One of our guest's favourites: the ochre sea star. Did you know that a few years ago a large portion of sea stars on our coast got wiped out by the mysterious "sea star wasting syndrome"? There have been signs of some recovery of ochre sea star populations luckily! Curious about how they feed? You can see it here in this great short Hakai Institute video.... https://www.facebook.com/hakaiinstitute/videos/652878268980850

"Thanks again to you and your crew (special thanks to Kyle and Zach) for making the trip so wonderful and a great way for us to spend time with our kids. They did an awesome job engaging the kids the whole time. The highlights for them were learning how to make a fire, roasting marshmallows, fishing, riddles, and of course all the wildlife we saw! We felt confident in their abilities to guide on the water. The whole trip will be forever remembered and cherished as a wonderful family adventure! Thanks for creating such a great memory for us!" - Guest Ashlyn on her family tour this year Join us next year with your family on the Family Kayak With Whales tour: https://kingfisher.ca/family-kayak-with-whales-kayak-tour/

"As the fog lifted on the morning of my last trip in the Johnstone Strait this summer, I heard some familiar breathing right off our camp..." Whatch the video by guide Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFNOB27hl5M/

One of our guest's favourites: the ochre sea star. Did you know that a few years ago a large portion of sea stars on our coast got wiped out by the mysterious "sea star wasting syndrome"? There have been signs of some recovery of ochre sea star populations luckily! Curious about how they feed? You can see it here in this great short Hakai Institute video.... https://www.facebook.com/hakaiinstitute/videos/652878268980850

Fellow marine-based tour operators, environmental organizations and First Nations on the BC coast have been engaged in a large scale Marine Debris Removal Initiative this month. On their first expedition they already retrieved over 61,000 kg of debris! This initiative is a collaboration of multiple boats and crew of the Small Ship Tour Operators Association (SSTOA) and the Wilderness Tourism Association and Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC, and funded by the Governm...ent of BC and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as part of the province's COVID-19 stimulus, alongside the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund (CCCW). This fund is helping the SSTOA, Coastal First Nations, and local communities on the BC coast, to not only survive through this global pandemic but also bring awareness to the global problem of marine pollution by mobilizing their idle ships and crew to help rid our local ocean environment of the devastatingly enormous amounts of marine debris. #BCCoastalCleanup Photos by Outer Shores Expeditions See more

We have an amazing and adaptable team! Despite all the changes to their ways of guiding imposed by the pandemic this season, our guides have done a great job finding a workable balance between letting the guests relax and forget about "everyday life" while still following safety protocols. Here is guide Zach leading the way.... https://www.instagram.com/p/CFBptEoDxYu/

"The West Coast at its BEST! We did a four-day base camp with whales tour in September 2020. I have been on many kayaking trips all over Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii but this trip is a highlight. I have never seen so much marine life in one area - humpbacks, orcas, sea lions, porpoise, dolphins, seals, eagles, herons, ravens. Our group has done expedition trips in the past but loved the base camp experience -- a level of comfort that let us enjoy the kayaking even more.... The area in which we did our paddling provided excellent variety. A perfect mix of days." - TripAdvisor Review by guest John You can join us again next season on the Kayak With Whales tour: https://kingfisher.ca/kayak-with-whales-kayak-tour/

Hear Inukshuk the Humpback Whale vocalizing on recordings made by listening underwater with a hydrophone. This includes when he is playing with kelp, and when interacting with Pacific White-Sided Dolphins. Inukshuk is a singer supreme and while both male and females Humpbacks can vocalize at any time of the year and for many reasons, the males may feel a greater urge to practice fragments of song at this time of the year. This is when their energy budget shifts from being la...rgely about feeding to include mating related behaviours. The leading theory for the song of male Humpback Whales, especially in the breeding grounds in warmer waters, is that it may lead to establishing acoustic territory. More recordings of Inushuk vocalizing: www.facebook.com/mersocietybc/videos/358956468174266/ and www.facebook.com/405353226182628/videos/389050945368057 What a repertoire!

Some beautiful wildlife in and around Johnstone Strait captured by guide Jen last week on tour with a group from Vancouver. One more week of tours until our season wraps up! We hope to see you on the water next year! Bookings for 2021 are open.... Begin your adventure here: https://kingfisher.ca/

Want to start on your 2021 vacation planning or at least start dreaming about where you would want to go? We are looking forward to attending our first virtual travel exhibition next weekend! Come chat with us and many other operators, attractions and destination management organizations on Saturday Sept 12 from 12:00-6:00pm EDT / 9:00am-3:00pm PDT for free. Register here: https://travelandleisureshow.ca/

Lots of sunshine in the forecast! We are enjoying every second of these beautiful late summer days on the water. Two more weeks of creating wonderful memories for our guests until we wrap up this eventful season.

Guide Audrey has been having a great summer guiding our Base Camp tours. Here are a few of her highlights from the water:

Just a few more opportunities to join us on a kayak tour remain for the season: Aug 29 to 31 (3 days) - 20% discount September 5 to 7 (3 days) - 20% discount September 15 to 18 (4 days)... Come kayaking from our Base Camp on Hanson Island in Johnstone Strait with your private groups of close friends and family, up to a maximum of six guests. Beginners and kids from 6 and up are welcome. See humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, porpoises and more! Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/ You can use Discount Code: LOCAL20 when booking online for the discounted tours. This offer cannot be used for existing bookings, and can only be used 2 to 15 days before the tours departure date if one of our camps is still available. Offer may end without notice.

AMAZING - MAGICAL - POWERFUL Adventure "Myself and 5 friends just returned from an AMAZING 4-day base camp "Kayak with Whales" adventure. The adventure was sooo much more than kayaking with whales. We saw and heard lots of different marine and wild life (Orca and Humpback whales, Sea Lions, Seals, Eagles, Porpoises, Otters, Bear). and went for a special hike in the forest. The Kingfisher team did a FANTASTIC job in hosting the trip right from initial contact to the very end o...f the trip. The trip was very organized and well planned. No detail has been left outthey have it all covered! Strict COVID protocol was followed and we felt COVID safe at all times. At no time did anyone feel unsafe on the water or on land. Meals prepared by Chef Julien were delicious and plenty to eat at all times. Our professional and passionate guides Audrey and Dom were the best! They were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and added lots of fun, laughter and adventure to our trip. All together the adventure was a truly magical and powerful experience. I highly recommend going on a Kingfisher Wilderness adventure. I am planning on going on another one!" Thank you and your group for joining us Parm, from Victoria, BC.

Guide Audrey has been having a great summer guiding our Base Camp tours. Here are a few of her highlights from the water:

Such a great memory from two summers ago!

Towards the end of summer, when the salmon runs are in full swing we also see an influx in orcas, sea lions and bald eagles. Humpback whales also tend to be more active and acrobatic towards the end of summer, after spending the last couple of months filling up on herring and krill. Kayaking is such a great way to all of these magnificent animals in a non-intrusive and intimate way. Our guides are ready to take you out on the water on a few more tours this season:... August 29 to 31 (3 days) September 5 to 7 (3 days) September 8 to 11 (4 days) September 12 to 14 (3 days) September 14 to 18 (4 days) Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/

We can watch the amazing OrcaLab footage of orcas on the Strider Rubbing beach every day! Volume Up! Members of the A30s, A23s and A25s enjoying the smooth pebbles at these shallow beaches along Vancouver Island.... Can you spot the big male, A60 - Fife? He has such a distinct dorsal fin and is so giant, it is incredible to watch him every time! Fife can also be adopted through Whale and Dolphin Conservation who do incredible work for whales and dolphins around the world. Check them out! Edited together by OrcaLab's Megan Hockin-Bennett (Vimeo: Wild Sky Productions) For more information about these wild orcas and how you can help protect them, head to OrcaLab.org and become a supporter!

An adventure for the whole family. These two families got to join us on a Kayak With Whales Base Camp tour two weeks ago and had the best time seeing orcas, humpback whales, sea lions and more! We still have a few dates left this season to join us: https://kayakwithwhales.com/... Tourism Vancouver Island

We are happy to report that we are fully booked until the end of the month, but still have some spaces left on tours for late August and September. Lucky for you, late August and September are historically the very best times for wildlife viewing as it coincides with the salmon returning to the area to spawn, attracting a plethora of marine mammals and birds. You can still join a multi-day kayak tour on:... August 29 to 31 (3 days) September 5 to 7 (3 days) September 8 to 11 (4 days) September 12 to 14 (3 days) September 14 to 18 (4 days) Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/

It's the BC Day Long Weekend! We're hoping you're able to spend your weekend somewhere beautiful on the water.

Sea Otters are making a comeback in British Columbian waters. Watch this CBC "The National" coverage in which our partner company Coastal Rainforest Safaris and friends at the Marine Education & Research Society played a role alongside researchers Erin Foster and Linda Nichol. After being wiped out by the fur trade in the early 1900s, sea otters are making a comeback off the B.C. coast. But as they flourish, they're also changing the entire underwater ecosystem.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jYXF7HSp9A

We have a few last minute adventures available from August 4 to 7 (4 days), August 11 to 14 (4 days), and August 15 to 17 (3 days). Receive 20% off these private Base Camp tour dates for your group of 2 to 6 guests that are in your "social bubble". Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/... You can use Discount Code: LOCAL20 when booking online. This offer cannot be used for existing bookings, and can only be used 2 to 15 days before the tours departure date if one of our camps is still available. Offer may end without notice.

Happy guests and happy guides on last weekend's tour: "Best guides ever! Thank you for the paddling, the incredible food, the fun, the facts. and sharing the amazing waters and camp of Kingfisher Adventures with us" Thank you for joining us Catriona and family!

Feel like escaping the city to relax on the ocean in a kayak and camp in the Vancouver Island wilderness this summer? Is seeing orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, Dalls porpoises and Pacific white sided dolphins in their natural habitat on the top of your bucket list? Join us for a 3 day or 4 day tour that includes all camping and kayak gear, experienced guides and tasty homecooked meals, from our comfortable base camp off the north-east coast of Vancouver Island.... Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/ We have the following tours still available for this summer: Aug 4 to 7 (4 days) - 20% off Aug 11 to 14 (4 days) Aug 15 to 17 (3 days) Aug 22 to 24 (3 days) Aug 29 to 31 (3 days) Sept 5 to 7 (3 days) Sept 8 to 11 (4 days) Sep 12 to 14 (3 days) Sep 15 to 18 (4 days)

See even more wildlife during your northern Vancouver Island visit! You can now add a Grizzly Bear or a Sea Otter viewing day trip to your kayak tour for the day before or after your tour. We partner up with Sea Wolf Adventures in Port McNeill for the full-day boat based Grizzly Bear tours, and with Coastal Rainforest Safaris in Port Hardy for the half-day boat based Sea Otter tours. ... And did you know that Coastal Rainforest Safaris is a partnership between the owners of Kingfisher and Sea Wolf Adventures, combining years of experience leading world class wildlife tours? Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/

We are offering a last minute discount for our early August Kayak With Whales tours from August 1 to 3 (3 days) and August 4 to 7 (4 days). Receive 20% off our private Base Camp tours for your group of 2 to 6 guests that are in your "social bubble". Begin your adventure here: https://kayakwithwhales.com/... You can use Discount Code: LOCAL20 when booking online. This offer cannot be used for existing bookings, and can only be used 2 to 15 days before the tours departure date if one of our camps is still available. Offer may end without notice.