Kayak Tour: Wildlife Interpretations and Orca Encounters

Embark on a half-day guided sea kayaking adventure in Telegraph Cove and explore the breathtaking marine life. Get the chance to see orcas, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and more in their natural environment.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • G5W8+J8 Telegraph Cove - Join us for five hours of non-intrusive sea kayaking in the dynamic Johnstone Strait! Our half day trip spends either the morning or afternoon exploring islands, remote beaches, and the rugged coastal shallows of Vancouver Island. This tour is designed to be comfortable and approachable for all.
    Your guide will ensure that…
What's Included
  • Kayaking Equipment
  • Dry Bags Included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Snacks
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

Our tour route allows our guides to impart their expertise about the region, as well as provide insights about intertidal organisms and vegetation. If you’re fortunate, you may witness unexpected explanations regarding orcas, seals, sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, deer, mink, river otters, bald eagles, and black bears in their natural settings.
We…

Location
G5W8+J8 Telegraph Cove
24 Boardwalk, Telegraph Cove, BC V0N 3J0 at the end of the Boardwalk next to the Whale Interpretive Centre
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(24 Ratings)
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1 star
108duncanh
Jul 4, 2025
A really wonderful experience. - I did the 4 day tour with my wife Katie, 30 June - 03 July 2025. We booked the trip months in advance and North Island Kayak were excellent at getting and keeping in touch with us from time of booking to our arrival. They gave us advice on kit to bring right from the outset. Communication was great! The trip itself was awesome. A truly great experience of a Kayaking expedition in a wild and beautiful environment. This was made even better by our guide, Bree. Bree was at the top of her game, helpful and friendly, very knowledgeable on the area and everything in it, and above all ensuring her gusts were safe and comfortable at all times. Bree and her associate Matt, prepared some excellent food for the trip which Bree worked hard to prepare for us. Three great meals a day and there was always plenty. We encountered and saw Humpback Whales (Humpers), Sea Lions, Seals, Black Bears, Mink, lots of Sea birds and endless Bald Eagles and Turkey Vultures. Considering the animals are wild and do not appear to order, we were lucky to see what we did. Whales were the key reason for doing this trip but had we seen none, it would have still been a five Star trip! Thank to Bree for being an excellent guide, lovely person and five star kayak instructor. We had a truly wonderful time, worth every penny.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelownachurro
Jun 30, 2025
Great afternoon on the water in Telegraph Cove - We had a lovely time on our half-day Kayak. Jane our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, concerned with our safety and extremely respectful of the local sea life. We were fortunate enough to see some porpoises in the distance, an otter and and some seals but unfortunately no whales/orca - it was pretty quiet from a sea life perspective. That said it was still a very enjoyable outing and worth the time and cost. One tip, make sure you are comfortable in the rear seat - make sure the rudder pedals fit correctly and if not - adjust of consider switching to the front seat and allowing the shorter person in your party to sit in the rear seat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F5268kvjulias
Jun 9, 2025
Definitely recommend - We had the best time with Scotty! His energy kept us all warm and excited the whole trip. He is very knowledgeable person with a lots of passion for the ocean and the wild life. We will be back! Thank you. :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D2058fabills
Jun 7, 2025
Beauty & Tranquility - Beautiful tour with porpoises, seals, sea lions, and dozens of bald eagles! The scenery was stunning and the solitude was tranquil. Our guide, Ashton, was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and engaging.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer635900
Sep 2, 2024
Fantastic Kayaking Trip - We had a phenomenal kayaking trip with Tobin. He was a really engaging guide who had a huge range of facts and information to share while guiding us through some lovely coastline. We were lucky enough to spot orcas from the kayaks and a sea lion which were incredible!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passenger739619
Aug 29, 2024
Great day experience - I have gone on this adventure two years running and will definitely go again. The guides are excellent and you paddle at a leisurely pace and learn facts about the area as you go. Well worth the money
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorenzo4711
Aug 18, 2024
Wonderful experience - Despite rainy weather we had a great halfday kayak trip with Georgia who showed and explained to us a lot of wildlife from very close, including sea lions, bald eagles, seals, a sea otter and a harbour porpoise. We also saw a humpback whale breach from far. We felt safe all the time in the kayak. When we got cold because of the rain we had a break and time enough to put on warmer clothes And thanks to Georgia's advice where to look for we saw even a black bear crossing the road on the next day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachelmm3787nv
Aug 16, 2024
Spectacular day kayaking with orcas - Bret was awesome! We hoped for orcas and our expectations were blown out of the water! We saw all sorts of wildlife, and although this is not in Bret’s control-he navigated us the best route that was a safe distance. Bret is very informative and personable and we enjoyed such a lovely day with him! Definitely recommend this tour. :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pihe
Aug 15, 2024
Very nice outing in a beautiful location. - Beautiful location and Connor, our Guide, was very professional. Very safe, respectful of wildlife and he knows the history of this region well. Recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Drysparkles
Jun 25, 2025
Fun experience! - Our guides, Ashton and Jane were great! Ashton knew a lot of facts and habits of the local wildlife and terrain, pointing out the areas along the coast where different wildlife could be found. You could tell Jane loved kayaking and spending time on the water, she also cared a lot about us and asked us questions about our life and what brought us to the island. Ashton pointed out areas we could find crabs and fish, Jane pointed out different aspects of the habitats affect each other, starting with the salmon runs and ending with the fertility of the waters in the area. We enjoyed our time out on the water, we used a double kayak, and all the necessary gear was provided. If you go over lunch, pack some snacks and a drink.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $126
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).