COASTAL Safari - ECHO BAY & the Broughton Archipelago 

Deep in the British Columbia mainland fiord of Tribune Channel lies Echo Bay on Gilford Island in the traditional territory of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation. It is a region of breathtaking beauty, where the coastal mountains drop into the emerald sea. Departing from Farewell Harbour Lodge, our full day Coastal Exploration tour heads up the narrow, intricate waterways of the Broughton Archipelago towards Tribune Channel taking in the marvellous scenic beauty along the way. We will keep an eye out for Orca, Humpback whales, Pacific White Sided dolphins, porpoises, Steller sea lions and sea otters along the way.

At Echo Bay, we'll visit the wonderful pioneer museum operated by the inimitable Billy Proctor. Billy was born in 1934 just outside Farewell Harbour and his family soon moved to Echo Bay where he has spent a lifetime hand logging and fishing. When not working, Billy was a beachcomber extraordinaire and he has filled his museum with a dizzying array of coastal treasures. With luck, Billy will be on the porch to greet us and charm us with tales of a remarkable life lived in this very remote stretch of the BC coast. 

We'll make a number of other stops during the day to lightly explore some remote and beautiful rivers where we might get lucky with some black bear sightings. We'll also make a lunch stop at one of the area's secluded beaches.

Who is this tour for? We've created this tour for guests who are interested in combining a marine tour in search of marine mammals with a scenic coastal exploration spiced with some colourful, local history. We'll stretch our legs on a series of shorter shore excursions to break up the time on the boat nicely. In boating terms, this tour is a classic 'gunkholing' tour. Gunkholing  means to explore hidden bays, creeks, coves and waterways in a languid and relaxed manner without a clearly defined mission or purpose other than to explore and take in the sights and sounds along the way.