These remote British Columbia islands, also known to the Haida as Gwaii Haanas “Place of Wonder”, are the ancestral home of the Haida people. They are thick with mossy old-growth spruce forests, rugged mountains, rich and colourful tidal pools and ghostly totem poles. The islands’ isolation is noteworthy for it has created a unique set of circumstances that has encouraged local flora and fauna to develop characteristics that set them apart from their cousins on the mainland. Deer are tiny and tame, Hairy Woodpeckers have grey breasts, and the Queen Charlotte Islands races of the Saw-whet Owl and Pine Grosbeak have unique characteristics. The Queen Charlotte Islands are indeed “Canada’s Galapagos Islands”.
Itinerary
(Breakfast - B, Lunch - L, Dinner - D)
Day 1
Arrive Sandspit / Queen Charlotte City
We’ll meet at Sandspit airport, when the afternoon flight from Vancouver arrives. We’ll start our tour with a two-day land program. After loading up the bus, we’ll head for the ferry and the short ride to Graham Island and the community of Queen Charlotte City.
o/n QueenCharlotteCity
Day 2
Massett
We’ll explore some of the communities on Graham Island and stop at good shorebird migration habitats. Then we will make our way to Massett where we’ll visit some of the famous Haida carvers and enjoy a feast (and we mean feast) of local seafood.
o/n Copper Beech House (B, L, D)
Day 3
Skidegate / Haida Gwaii Museum / Board the S.V. Island Roamer
Today we will make our way back to Skidegate, stopping at points of interest including local communities, beaches, and forest habitats. We’ll also visit the Haida Gwaii Museum and enjoy yet another traditional Haida lunch hosted by a local Haida family.
Late in the afternoon, we will make our way by charter bus to Moresby Camp to meet our boat, the beautiful
S.V. Island Roamer, our home for the rest of the trip.
o/n S.V.Island Roamer (B, L, D)
Days 4 - 10
Sailing the Queen Charlottes
Our cruise on the
S.V. Island Roamer is a true wilderness experience during which we’ll be sailing through, and exploring by land, some of the more remote areas of the Queen Charlottes.
There are no specific physical fitness requirements for this tour; however, we should all be able to climb in and out of small boats, with assistance from the crew, and walk moderate distances through wilderness that has no prepared trails. There are no docks and all shore trips involve beach landings. You should also take in to account that we will be travelling in an isolated area, with limited access to assistance in case of a medical emergency.
Prior to going ashore, our naturalist will explain the level of difficulty and physical fitness required for the scheduled shore activities. If any of us feels that, for one reason or another, we would rather not participate in the scheduled activity, we are welcome to remain on board the
S.V. Island Roamer or explore the immediate shore and beach area.
We will visit abandoned Haida village sites, keep a sharp eye open for Humpbacks, Orca, Fin Whales, and a variety of seabirds, and explore fascinating tidal pools for intertidal creatures. If interested in sailing
S.V. Island Roamer, or learning about maritime navigation, useful sailor knots, boat handling and other skills needed to sail a yacht, we will find the crew to be knowledgeable and helpful.
Life aboard the ship is very communal, and we will have, if we choose, a chance to help out with on-board chores and find out how a sailing vessel of this size operates.
o/n S.V.Island Roamer (B, L, D)
Day 11
Return to Sandspit
We’ll transfer to Sandspit in time for us to catch the morning flights south.
(B)
Please Note:
• The voyage itinerary listed is an example only. Due to the nature of this cruise, weather or other conditions may require changes to be made to the itinerary and/or cancellation of certain shore excursions. There is always the possibility that our arrival at Sandspit may be delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
• The volatility in global oil prices may result in fuel surcharges being made.
