Haida Gwaii Sailing

Arrive in Sandspit.

Overnight at the Inn at Sandspit. Most of our guests fly with Air Canada direct from Vancouver. Transportation to The Inn is not required as it’s located across the street from the Airport. It is a quick walk (approximately 150 yards), out the main doors and to your right. There are carts available to help you transport your baggage. In order to facilitate the check-in process, we have reserved a room for you under your name at the Inn’s front desk. Dinner for this evening is on your own. We recommend the Inn’s dining room. If you would like to venture out, Sandspit has two other restaurant choices; Dick’s Wok Inn (Chinese cuisine) and the Orange Roof. Your evening’s accommodation at the Inn at Sandspit and breakfast the following morning are included.

Begin your day with an a la carte breakfast at The Inn’s dining room prior to your journey to Skidegate. Please allow plenty of time to enjoy your breakfast, as the restaurant cooks all meals to order. The group will meet in front of The Inn at Sandspit at 8:30 am. Please be sure to check out of your hotel room with luggage in hand prior to this time. You will be greeted by our shuttle bus driver/guide for your Haida Gwaii land tour. You will be transported to the ferry landing at Alliford Bay to take the ferry across to Skidegate Landing on Graham Island. The ferry crossing takes approximately 20 minutes. Our first stop will be the newly renovated Haida Heritage Centre on Graham Island for a guided tour followed by a traditional Haida lunch at Keenawii”s Kitchen hosted by a local Haida family from Skidegate. Following lunch, we may have time for a short walk around Spirit Lake before catching the ferry back to Moresby Island. Then we are off to meet up with the Island Roamer, anchored at Moresby Camp, and her Crew. Upon boarding the ship you will meet the crew, cabins will be assigned, and everyone will participate in an introductory & safety orientation with dinner to follow. We will spend our first evening anchored nearby and will depart early the next morning into the waters of Southern Moresby Island to explore the Gwaii Haanas Park Reserve.

We will spend our time exploring the eastern and southern shores of Moresby Island. Daily activities include wildlife watching, shore excursions to explore ancient Haida villages, “old growth” forests, beautiful creeks, and colorful intertidal zones. Be sure to keep an eye out and your cameras ready, as we will encounter a wealth of marine wildlife on our journey. We aim to spot humpback whales, porpoise, fin whales, sea lions and orca. We hope to capture the sight of the mighty, Gwaii Haanas black bear foraging along the shoreline for the myriad of intertidal creatures found in these nutrient-rich areas.

Windy Bay is the site of the first pole raised in 130 years honouring the 20th anniversary of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement to protect the natural and marine resources. We visit the old Haida village of SGang Gwaay (Ninstints), a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site to take in the fabulous totem poles. Each evening we will anchor in a different secluded bay with time to discuss the day’s wildlife sightings and opportunity to explore the shoreline by kayak.

The trip will finish mid morning and you will disembark at 11:00am at Moresby Camp. There will be charter bus waiting to shuttle the group to Sandspit airport. The trip by bus takes about an hour. You can expect to arrive in Sandspit by midday. This will give you time to have lunch and do any last minute shopping at the souvenir shop located in the Sandspit Airport, prior to your afternoon flight to Vancouver.