Kayaking Nootka Sound
Picture yourself… HERE!
Your kayaking adventure begins in Tahsis a small Village with services, accommodation and a beautiful location. The Tahsis Inlet is 24 kms (15 miles) long with several spots to camp before you get to Nootka Sound.
Transport is available if you would rather spend your time exploring the Sound instead of paddling to get there.
Nootka Sound has a large marine park that features Bligh Island and numerous small islands that make up the Spanish Pilot Group. This is an excellent area for a safe family holiday as there are numerous beaches for camping and getting out of the weather when the afternoon westerly starts to blow. Yuquot (Friendly Cove) is probably the best stopping off spot in Nootka Sound. The history of this ancient site is phenomenal and the First-Nations residents love to tell visitors about their history. (There is a small fee for touring the Friendly Cove site but the experience is not to be missed!)
Beyond Yuquot are the beaches that border the open ocean. Access to these beaches on Hesquit Peninsula and the west side of Nootka Island is for experienced paddlers who have spent time on the open ocean, but the extra effort is well worth it as at times you feel like you're the first person to set foot on the pristine stretch of sand. During the summer migration, whales can be seen feeding and playing just outside the surf line. Some visitors have commented that they saw whales every day during their visit to the area.
Esperanza Inlet has magnificent scenery with the Nuchatlitz area being a paddler’s delight. Rosa Island has a user-maintained camping area, and the small islands that line the channel into Nuchatlitz give paddlers plenty of spots to haul out and enjoy the views. Unique to the area are the sea otters that spend their days eating, grooming and watching kayaks glide by, and the whales that stop in the area for a quick meal before continuing north on their travels.
For the more adventurous paddlers, a trip outside Nuchatlitz, thru the many rock piles will take you into Nuchatlitz Inlet and the many beaches that line the Inlet and Mary Basin. If you are looking for even more seclusion then grab the flood tide and shoot into Inner Basin. Once in the Basin you will probably forget that there is a world outside the narrows.
If you go west from Rosa Island the beaches of Catala Island & Yellow Bluffs will provide plenty of sand and lots of driftwood to cook your dinner over. If time permits, you could continue north from Yellow Bluffs and follow the coastline to Kyuquot and then on to Fair Harbour. We can arrange transport for the drive from Fair Harbour to Zeballos. From Zeballos you can paddle back to Tahsis or we can pick you up with our transporter, Notorious, and return you to Tahsis.
Rates: |
Single Plastic |
Double Plastic |
Single Glass |
Double Glass |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hrs | $20.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 | $35.00 | |
| 4 hrs | $30.00 | $40.00 | $35.00 | $45.00 | |
| 8 hrs | $40.00 | $50.00 | $45.00 | $55.00 | |
| Weekly | $165.00 | $230.00 | $210.00 | $320.00 | |
| Transport from Tahsis to Nuchatlitz is $375.00 and to Yuquot is $400.00 | |||||