BC by sea: boating to the best of British Columbia

A large province in a large country, Canada’s British Columbia is almost three times the size of Germany. So how do you begin to wrap your head around this remote, rugged and ravishing region? Just start at the edge, among the nearly 40,000 islands and 16,000 miles of coastline.

If you’re looking for wildlife, adventure or relaxation, you can access it all by boat – whether it’s a giant ferry powering its way up the Inside Passage or an inflatable raft slowly drifting downstream in the Great Bear Rainforest. Put your camera in a dry bag and get your float on. It’s time for an up-close look at the best in British Columbia.

A humpback whale breaching off the coast of Vancouver Island © mauritius images GmbH / Alamy

Whales and wildlife from a powerboat

Mike Willie’s eyes light up when he sees a clump of sea birds rising from the surface of the water. He steers his powerboat toward them as a cloud of spray explodes from the waves just a few yards away. Slowly, the jagged shape of a humpback whale’s body crests.

“He’s going to fluke,” Willie says, and sure enough, the 25-ton animal’s massive tail comes out of the water, flares out and slowly descends below again. One or two cameras click, as a group of about 15 travelers soak in the moment from open-air decks fore and aft.

A man is surrounded by travelers on the back deck of a boat as he goes over some interesting points in front of a large waterfall in British Columbia. — Mike Willie leads a group of travelers on a wildlife and cultural trip aboard his powerboat © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Willie runs , a wildlife-watching and cultural expedition on the northeastern coast of Vancouver Island. In addition to humpbacks, Willie’s passengers can get up close to orcas, otters, seals, dolphins, wolves and grizzly bears. Along the way, he shares stories of his Kwakwaka’wakw ancestors, illustrated in real-time with ancient rock paintings, waterfalls and First Nations settlements.

For Willie, a hereditary chief of his people, running an indigenous tourism business has an important dual purpose. “It’s a win-win for us,” he says. Connecting travelers to the sights and stories of the region “gets us back to reconnecting with our own territory.”

Cast off: Stay in the beautiful town of Telegraph Cove, itself one of the most charming sights in the region, where Sea Wolf Adventures will pick you up for seasonal tours starting from $149 per person.

A row of kayaks are pulled onto a rocky beach as the beautiful scenery of British Columbia stretches out beyond. — The Broughton Archipelago has crystal-clear water and a maze of rocky inlets to explore by kayak © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Explore the coastal islands by kayak

If even the deck of a powerboat is too removed from the water and wildlife, you can’t get any closer than surface-level. The Broughton Archipelago is a sea kayaker’s dream – a maze of crystal-clear bays, inlets and coves to explore. Vast curtains of underwater kelp support a vibrant wildlife ecosystem. It’s hard to know where to look when you’re paddling toward a pod of orcas as a bald eagle takes flight overhead and a pair of ornery sea lions swims under your feet.

A man paddles an orange and white kayak across a very still inlet in British Columbia. — Andrew Jones talks about the local wildlife as he paddles his kayak in still waters off Vancouver Island © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Andrew Jones and his team of guides at lead paddlers of any skill level on a four-day excursion along the majestic coastline. They have everything you need – from kayaks and waterproof jackets to a tent-village base camp with beds for up to 10 travelers in the heart of an old-growth rainforest. Maybe it’s because you’ve been paddling all day, but you’ll swear the cedar-smoked barbecue salmon they whip up there is the best seafood you’ve ever tasted.

Cast off: Kingfisher’s all-inclusive four-day guided tours start at $1450 per person. For a more do-it-yourself experience with kayak rentals, waterfront accommodations and massage therapy, can be reached by water taxi from Port McNeill and Telegraph Cove.

A large ferry is docked in a slip in British Columbia — The Northern Sea Wolf ferry connects Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island with Bella Coola on the central coast of the mainland © Courtesy BC Ferries

Make a connection on the Inside Passage

The long-promised, often-delayed direct ferry route from Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island to Bella Coola on the Central Coast finally opened in September 2018. It was worth the wait. The 10-hour route on ' 150-passenger Northern Sea Wolf vessel will now connect the quirky port towns of the island with the rugged tourism center of the Great Bear Rainforest. It’s a relaxing ride to Bella Coola, certainly better than driving the 280 miles from the next closest town, and let’s face it – there’s no better way to scope out the breathtaking scenery of the Inside Passage.

A dilapidated red-painted building and some old pilings stick out from a rugged coastline on the Inside Passage in British Columbia — The long-abandoned Tallheo Cannery is bathed in golden light from a sudden break in the clouds © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Step out on deck as the ferry powers up a pristine glacial fjord, with mountains covered in massive trees pressing in on both sides. Watch a long-abandoned salmon cannery come back to life for a moment as a sunbeam breaks through the fog and bathes it in a golden glow. Chase the whales off the coast of a temperate rainforest and watch the porpoises gambol through the ferry’s massive wake. It’s a spiritual place.

Cast off: Sailings can have limited space, so reserve early online. Standard one-way fares are $169 for adults and $84 for kids 5-11, plus $336 per vehicle.

Clouds cling to the ridges of a mountain as an inflatable drift boat glides down a river in British Columbia. — An inflatable drift boat glides down a salmon-packed river in the Great Bear Rainforest © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Drift through the Great Bear Rainforest

You’re always at the mercy of nature when you go looking for grizzly bears in British Columbia, but you’re practically guaranteed an ursine encounter in the Great Bear Rainforest, a 12,000 square mile tract of old-growth rainforest on the central Pacific coast. It all starts with at least five species of salmon, which swim up the Bella Coola River system each year to spawn. The waters teem with fish, which means it’s a veritable buffet for grizzlies looking to pack on the pounds before winter.

A brown grizzly bear stands on a pile of logs and limbs in the middle of a river in British Columbia — Grizzly bears are a common sight on the Atnarko River in the Great Bear Rainforest © Richard McManus / Getty Images

The best way to view the bears, without question, is via river drift boat – a non-motorized inflatable raft that holds up to six, steered with oars by a professional guide. This isn’t whitewater rafting; the thrill doesn’t come from high speeds and crashing rapids. It comes from a peaceful glide, lulled by bubbling waves and eddies, until a 600-pound bear and two cubs pop out of the undergrowth to feast, just yards away.

Along the banks, you’ll see plenty of wildlife watchers with huge camera lenses stationed in raised viewing platforms, wishing they were down on the water with you.

Cast off: offers multiple drift boat trips per day on the Atnarko River, starting at $130 per person. The lodge also offers wildlife and nature walks, a covered viewing platform on the river and chalet accommodations. It’s so close to the grizzly action that bears will often lounge on the lawn.

Mist clings to a forested mountain as a man with a giant handlebar mustache gestures from the deck of a boat — Leonard Ellis tells stories about the rugged Central Coast aboard his fishing boat © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

Fjords and hot springs via fishing boat

Leonard Ellis knows more than most about getting close to grizzly bears. As the legendary story goes, he was leading a tour, running toward a massive bear he saw in the distance, when he burst through some brush and came face-to-face with another one. He slammed on the brakes, lost his footing and slid directly between the bear’s paws, under its belly. “Well, this is it,” was all he had time to think before the bear snorted in his face, turned and ambled away.

Ellis is full of these stories. Like the one about the time he hung backward out of an airplane caught in a tornado. Or the time he parked a 15-foot boat between what he thought was the dorsal fins of two sharks but was actually the dorsal and tail fin of one massive shark. He tells them to the astonished travelers around the campfire at his . Somehow, amazingly, they still want to go on tours with him.

One of Ellis’s most popular Central Coast excursions is his eight-hour Glacial Fjord and Hot Springs tour, aboard the 42-foot fishing boat Nekhani. With glaciers and pristine marine wilderness as a backdrop, Ellis regales travelers with the history and lore of the settlers in this unrefined area. “Just a handful of people built this whole enclave,” he says of the old Bella Coola harbor. “No gasoline, no diesel, no nothing. All by hand.”

Blocks of wood, just right for resting a beverage on, float in a clear hot spring in British Columbia. — One of a pair of crystal-clear natural hot springs near Bella Coola, British Columbia © Ben Buckner / �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼

After a day cruising past settlements, waterfalls and fisheries, and with the epic view of Mt. Nusatsum looming over all, the highlight of the trip is a secluded, intimate pair of natural hot springs. Whether you choose the one in a craggy and isolated crevice, or the one in the open looking over the fjord, it’s the perfect place to sit back, relax and retell your own stories: the ones you made on board a boat in British Columbia.

Cast off: The nearby Brockton Bistro at offers delicious upscale takes on regional favorites. Bella Coola Adventure Resort also offers marine, grizzly bear and bus tours starting from $150, as well as log-cabin chalets and a gazebo for nightly group gatherings. Ellis himself made the cabins’ bannisters by hand, out of bent logs from the property. Or so the story goes.

�ϰ��ϲʿ��¼ writer Ben Buckner traveled to Canada with assistance from , and . �ϰ��ϲʿ��¼ contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.

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