--- title: "Spirit of the West Adventures" kind: "Sea Kayaking Tours" region: "Discovery Islands, British Columbia" canonical: "https://wildernessledger.com/experience/spirit-of-the-west-adventures" author: "Ben Taft" reviewed: "2026-09-14" operator: "https://www.kayakingtours.com" --- # Spirit of the West Adventures > Spirit of the West Adventures: from $1,795 CAD per person for the Johnstone Strait Expedition, 4 days and 3 nights sharing a tent with no single supplement, summer 2027, before 5% GST and a $25 sustainability fee; six of the eight 2027 Whales & Wilderness Glamping departures in July and August were already full in September 2026. - Kind: Sea Kayaking Tours - Region: Discovery Islands, British Columbia (gateway Campbell River) - Season: late June to late September for the British Columbia departures - Sleeps: 12 guests - Access: Ferry, Road, Boat - Rate band: $$, $500–1,000 per person / night - Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/spirit-of-the-west-adventures - Operator site: https://www.kayakingtours.com - Record checked: 14 September 2026 by Ben Taft Spirit of the West has run guided sea kayaking out of Heriot Bay on Quadra Island for more than twenty-five years, and splits its British Columbia programme into two kinds of trip. Glamping trips work from a fixed base camp, walk-in tents with real beds and private bathrooms, an oceanside hot tub, with day paddles into Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound, where orca and humpback move through from midsummer. Expeditions carry everything in the boats and move camp daily, covering Johnstone Strait, the Broughton Archipelago, Desolation Sound, Nuchatlitz on the west coast and an eight-day Great Bear Rainforest route. Trips run four to eight days and prices are published per trip, including kayaks, camping gear, all meals and guiding. There is a dedicated family departure for children under twelve, and a wellness-focused trip. Minimum age on expeditions is twelve. ## From, per person $1,795 CAD, double, sharing a tent, Johnstone Strait Expedition (3 nights on site), july and august 2027. Per person, Canadian dollars, for the whole trip, before 5% GST and a $25 per person sustainability fee. Tents are double occupancy and there is no single supplement on any British Columbia tour: a solo traveller pays the same, gets their own tent on the expeditions, and on the basecamps gets one where the limited solo tents allow. Read from Spirit of the West, British Columbia kayak tours (prices and 2026 and 2027 dates) on 14 September 2026. ## At a glance - Season: 13 Jun to 21 Sep (2027 departures) - From: $1,795 (per person, Johnstone Strait Expedition, 4 days) - Minimum age: 12 (5 on the family trip, 14 for Great Bear) - Guests: 10 (and 2 guides on Desolation Sound; 8 tents at each basecamp) - Meeting point: Alder Bay (water taxi at 12:15 or 2 pm; Quadra Island for Desolation Sound) - Power and cell: Solar (charging at the basecamps; none on expeditions) - Deposit: 25% (balance 60 days before departure) - Sells out: July, Aug (2027 glamping dates gone a year out) ## Seasons - June: 13 to 30 June 2027 (Blackfish Sound camp and Desolation Sound) - July and August: 1 July to 31 August 2027 (every trip runs) - September: 1 to 21 September 2027 (the two glamping camps) ## Rates, 2027 (CAD) Per person, Canadian dollars, for the whole trip, before 5% GST and a $25 per person sustainability fee. Tents are double occupancy and there is no single supplement on any British Columbia tour: a solo traveller pays the same, gets their own tent on the expeditions, and on the basecamps gets one where the limited solo tents allow. | Package | Occupancy | June | July and August | September | |---|---|---:|---:|---:| | Johnstone Strait Expedition (JSE), 3 nights on site | Double, sharing a tent | n/a | $1,795 | n/a | | Johnstone Strait Expedition (JSE), 3 nights on site | Single, own tent | n/a | $1,795 | n/a | | Desolation Sound (DESO), 4 nights on site | Double, sharing a tent | $1,945 | $1,945 | n/a | | Desolation Sound (DESO), 4 nights on site | Single, own tent | $1,945 | $1,945 | n/a | | Ultimate Family Adventure (FAM), 3 nights on site | Double, sharing a tent | n/a | $2,395 | n/a | | Ultimate Family Adventure (FAM), 3 nights on site | Single, own tent | n/a | $2,395 | n/a | | Johnstone Strait Glamping (JSG), 3 nights on site | Double, sharing a tent | n/a | $2,595 | $2,595 | | Johnstone Strait Glamping (JSG), 3 nights on site | Single, own tent | n/a | $2,595 | $2,595 | | Whales & Wilderness Glamping (WWG), 4 nights on site | Double, sharing a tent | $3,295 | $3,295 | $3,295 | | Whales & Wilderness Glamping (WWG), 4 nights on site | Single, own tent | $3,295 | $3,295 | $3,295 | On top: GST at 5%; $25 sustainability fee per person; Gratuities; Rain gear and, on expeditions, sleeping bags, both rentable; $75 for a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free or vegan menu. Two more expeditions were priced but undated when read: Nuchatlitz, 6 days on the west coast, $2,695, and the Great Bear Rainforest, 8 days from Bella Bella, $3,995. Wellness in the Wilderness ($2,395) and the Whales & Wilderness Expedition ($2,695) showed only their September 2026 departures; see 2026. Read from Spirit of the West, British Columbia kayak tours (prices and 2026 and 2027 dates) on 14 September 2026. ## Included - Professional guiding; two guides for up to ten guests on the expeditions - Kayaks, PFDs, paddles, spray skirts, pumps, ropes, sponges and dry bags - All meals and snacks from the first day's lunch or dinner to the last day's lunch, with tea, coffee, juice and water - A glass of wine with dinner on the basecamp trips - At the basecamps, a walk-in canvas tent on a platform with beds, linens, pillows and towels, a private composting toilet and sink, hot showers and the oceanfront hot tub - On the expeditions, tents, Therm-a-Rest pads, camp pillows and tarps - The water taxi from Alder Bay, Tahsis or Bella Bella, except on the paddle-in Johnstone Strait Expedition - Park and land use permits - Parking at Alder Bay and Bauza Cove, paid by the operator; free parking on Quadra Island for Desolation Sound - Headlamps, camp binoculars and a natural history library at the basecamps ## Not included - GST at 5% - The $25 per person sustainability fee - Getting to the meeting point: flights, ferries, transfers, taxis - Accommodation before and after the tour - Rain gear, and sleeping bags on the expeditions; both can be rented if reserved in advance - Alcohol and carbonated drinks beyond the dinner wine at the basecamps; bring your own if you like - A $75 fee for a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free or vegan menu - Gratuities; 10% of the tour cost is the operator's suggestion - Travel and medical insurance - A fishing licence if you want to cast from the expedition campsites ## Deposit and cancellation - Deposit: 25% of the tour price at booking, by card, cheque, money order or e-transfer - Balance due: 60 days before departure, charged automatically to the card on file unless arranged otherwise - 60 days or more before departure: $150 per person administration fee - 59 to 30 days: 50% of the tour price - Fewer than 30 days: 100% of the tour price None for leaving a tour early for any reason, illness included, and none for weather or wildlife that does not cooperate. If the operator cancels for low numbers, which it will say at least 30 days out, you choose an alternate trip or a full refund; for a force majeure cancellation there is no refund and you claim on your insurance. Written notice, by email or post, dates any cancellation. These terms apply to bookings made from 8 October 2025. Strongly recommended, with cancellation, interruption and medical cover; the operator points to cancel-for-any-reason policies as the most flexible. Read from Spirit of the West, Terms and Conditions (bookings from 8 October 2025) on 14 September 2026. ## When it sells out The calendar on each tour page shows what is left. Read in September 2026, six of the eight Whales & Wilderness Glamping departures between 11 July and 12 August 2027 were already fully booked and the other two were low on space, and the Ultimate Family Adventure of 21 July 2027 was full. The office will hold spaces for a few days while you arrange travel. ## Questions people ask **How much does a Spirit of the West trip cost?** One price per trip, per person, plus 5% GST and a $25 sustainability fee. For 2027: the 4-day Johnstone Strait Expedition $1,795, Desolation Sound 5 days $1,945, the Ultimate Family Adventure 4 days $2,395, Johnstone Strait Glamping 4 days $2,595, Whales & Wilderness Glamping 5 days $3,295. Nuchatlitz (6 days, $2,695) and the Great Bear Rainforest (8 days, $3,995) were priced but not yet dated. There is no single supplement. **Basecamp or expedition: which trip is which?** The basecamps stay put: Whales & Wilderness Glamping on Swanson Island in Blackfish Sound, and Johnstone Strait Glamping, the Ultimate Family Adventure and Wellness in the Wilderness at the West Cracroft Island camp across from Robson Bight. Beds, linens, hot showers and a hot tub, day paddles out and back, and you can skip a day. The expeditions, Johnstone Strait, Desolation Sound, Whales & Wilderness, Nuchatlitz and the Great Bear Rainforest, move camp most nights with everything in the boats. No experience is needed for any of them except Nuchatlitz and Great Bear, which ask for prior paddling and camping. **Where do the trips start, and how do I get there?** Most meet at Alder Bay Resort and Marina on northern Vancouver Island, about 5.5 hours' drive from Victoria or 4 from Nanaimo: Whales & Wilderness Glamping at 2 pm for a 40-minute water taxi into Blackfish Sound, back by 11 am to 12:30 pm on the last day; Johnstone Strait Glamping, the family trip and Wellness at 12:15 pm for a 45-minute crossing, back between 12:30 and 1 pm; the Whales & Wilderness Expedition at 11:30 am, back 12 to 1 pm. Your parking at Alder Bay is paid by the operator. The Johnstone Strait Expedition meets at Bauza Cove, outside Telegraph Cove, at 11:30 am and paddles in and out, back by 11 am to noon. Desolation Sound meets on Quadra Island at 8 am, or at Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island at 10:15, and returns to Quadra between 4 and 6 pm; pack a breakfast, as there is little open early on either island. Nuchatlitz leaves from the Tahsis dock at 8:30 am and Great Bear from Shearwater on Denny Island at 9 am. Nights before and after are yours to book; the operator runs a carpool sign-up for guests without a car. **What are the camps and tents like?** Both basecamps have eight guest tents on wooden platforms: large cotton canvas walk-ins with two single beds that push together, bedding, pillows, towels, a lamp, outlets and a headlamp. Each tent has its own composting toilet and sink. Blackfish Sound has two hot showers with ocean views, an AlumiTubs hot tub on the water, a covered lounge and the Blackfish Sound Bistro with an on-site chef; West Cracroft has two hot showers, an oceanfront hot tub, a sauna and a driftwood-style covered kitchen and dining area. Solo tents are limited at the basecamps and should be confirmed before you reserve. On the expeditions the tents and tarps travel with you and campsites are undeveloped: forest clearings, bluffs or beaches, with pit or portable toilets and seawater for washing. **How much paddling is there in a day?** Generally four to six hours in the boats, not counting lunch and breaks, on days 2 to 4 of a basecamp trip; the first and last days are shorter because of the water taxi. On the expeditions it is four to six hours, roughly 6 to 8 nautical miles, to the next camp, at a pace set for the whole group with stretch stops. A mix of single and double kayaks goes on every trip, with at least two doubles; if most people want singles everyone rotates through the doubles for part of a day. No one paddles without a guide, and the group cannot split up on its own. **Will I see whales?** The operator follows the marine mammal viewing regulations, does not guarantee sightings and gives no refund if the whales or the weather do not cooperate. Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait are where most of British Columbia's northern resident orcas return each summer, with humpbacks, dolphins and porpoises; black bears forage the shores at low tide. Desolation Sound is about mountain scenery and warm swimming water, Nuchatlitz about sea otters, sand and sea stacks. **How fit do I need to be, and what about children?** A moderate level of fitness: a few hours of moderately paced exercise a day, uneven and slippery ground, and a hand with lifting the boats. You do not need to be a strong swimmer; PFDs are worn on the water. Minimum age is 12 on most trips, 14 for the Great Bear Rainforest, and 5 on the Ultimate Family Adventure, which is built for children under 12 with child-sized equipment and folding cots so they can share your tent. If you are over 6 ft, over 250 lb or petite, tell the office so the right kayak is on your departure. **What is the food, and can you handle allergies?** Fresh meals cooked by the guides, or by the chef at Blackfish Sound: hot breakfasts, picnic lunches on a beach, appetizers and a glass of wine before a plated dinner at the basecamps. Vegetarian, no red meat, no pork, no fish and no seafood cost nothing extra; gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free and vegan menus are $75. It is not a nut-free operation, and severe or complex allergies may not be possible in a wilderness kitchen; ask before you book. **Is there phone signal or power?** The basecamps run on solar: enough to charge a phone or camera, not a hair dryer, and less after cloudy days, so bring a battery bank. Blackfish Sound has fairly strong cell service through the camp; West Cracroft is just outside it, with a signal to be found on the water. The expeditions have no power at all, pockets of signal off northeastern Vancouver Island, and none at Nuchatlitz or Great Bear; guides carry satellite phones. A CPAP can come to a basecamp with the humidifier off. **What should I pack?** Everything for kayaking and camping is supplied except a sleeping bag on the expeditions and rain gear, both rentable if reserved ahead, plus your clothes and toiletries. Layers for a coast that runs cooler than Campbell River's forecast, sometimes by 10 degrees, with fog most summer mornings; sturdy strapped sandals or water shoes for the boats and closed shoes for camp, and closed toes for the oyster-covered beaches of Desolation Sound. The full list arrives in your guest handbook after you book, with the medical form and waiver due 30 days before departure. Open the sea kayak base camp packing list: https://wildernessledger.com/sea-kayak-packing-list **What happens if I have to cancel?** Cancel 60 days or more before departure and you get everything back less $150 per person; 59 to 30 days, half; inside 30 days, nothing. The 25% deposit is paid at booking and the balance at 60 days. Leaving a tour early is not refunded. The operator strongly recommends cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance. **Do I tip?** Gratuities are not in the price and are pooled for the guides and base crew by the trip leader. The booking terms suggest 10% of the tour cost; the FAQ says 5 to 10% is the industry standard. Cash is preferred; card tips carry a 3% charge. ## Trip tools - What a trip to Spirit of the West Adventures costs, all in: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/spirit-of-the-west-adventures/cost (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/spirit-of-the-west-adventures/cost.md) ## Stories - The realm of the whales, at paddling speed: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/realm-of-the-whales-johnstone-strait (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/realm-of-the-whales-johnstone-strait.md) - Sea kayaking in BC for the first time: what a guided camp actually asks of you: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/sea-kayaking-bc-for-beginners (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/sea-kayaking-bc-for-beginners.md) - Whale watching in Johnstone Strait: when, where, and from which camp: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/whale-watching-johnstone-strait (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/whale-watching-johnstone-strait.md) ## Sources - Spirit of the West, British Columbia kayak tours (prices and 2026 and 2027 dates): https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Whales & Wilderness Glamping: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/whales-wilderness-glamping/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Johnstone Strait Glamping: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/kayaking-killer-whales/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Johnstone Strait Expedition: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/orca-kayaking/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Desolation Sound: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/kayaking-desolation-sound/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Ultimate Family Adventure: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/orca-family-tours/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Wellness in the Wilderness: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/wellness-in-the-wilderness/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Whales & Wilderness Expedition: https://www.kayakingtours.com/kayak-trips/british-columbia-kayak-tours/johnstone-strait-kayak-expedition/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, Terms and Conditions (bookings from 8 October 2025): https://www.kayakingtours.com/booking-info/terms-and-conditions/ (read 14 September 2026) - Spirit of the West, British Columbia FAQ: https://www.kayakingtours.com/learning-kayaking/kayaking-british-columbia-faq/ (read 14 September 2026) Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/spirit-of-the-west-adventures Written by Ben Taft, Photographer and filmmaker, The Wilderness Ledger (https://wildernessledger.com/about). Ben Taft visited and photographed Spirit of the West Adventures in person; the figures above are from the operator's own published material, read on the dates shown. Every photograph and film is his. Publisher: The Wilderness Ledger. Corrections: hello@wildernessledger.com.