A trip of a lifetime, all expectations were exceeded, thank you for the lasting memories.
Gaang.xid is a Haida word that translates to “to the south,” while Gwaayaay means “island.” Situated between the Pacific Ocean and Hecate Strait, this tour will be limited to six experienced kayakers as we explore and circumnavigate the southernmost island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago – Kunghit Island.
The Kunghit Haida had a different dialect than the northern clans and were known to be home to some of the fiercest Haida. With plentiful food and towering evergreens on Haida Gwaii, the Haida would have time and resources to develop a boat like no other in the region. Their canoes were the only ones capable of crossing the 60 miles of Hecate Strait between Haida Gwaii and the coast, allowing them to raid and trade with mainland villages – without fear of counterattack – and range from present day Alaska to Vancouver.
In 2026, Ocean Sound Kayaking will be adding a new tour called The Kunghit Warrior, following the legacy of these fierce warriors.
The tour will start with a visit to the village of SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is one of the highlights of the trip. One hundred and twenty years after being abandoned, a row of standing poles remains as evidence of the once-flourishing culture. This island jewel boasts the largest number of original standing totem poles in the world!
Gaang.xid Gwaayaay (Kunghit Island) is a paradise for birdwatchers and is one of the largest seabird islands on the British Columbia coastline. It is a site of global significance for the Ancient Murrelet and of national significance for the Pigeon Guillemot and Peregrine Falcon. Furthermore, Peregrine Falcons nest in the area, while more than 300 breeding pairs of Tufted Puffins call the island home. At the southern tip of the island lies the abandoned lighthouse – Cape St James, which has recorded some of the most horrific winter storms on our BC coast.
Circumnavigating Kunghit Island offers some of the most nutrient-rich waters on Haida Gwaii and is home to one of BC’s largest Steller sea lion colonies. The unique topography of Kunghit Island consists of deeply cut bays, particularly along the east coast of this steep-sided island, which creates a series of projecting peninsulas. Cliffs are prominent along the island coastline, creating a very dramatic backdrop. The vast white-sanded beaches of Woodruff, Luxana, and Gilbert Bays are welcoming campsites and offer a setting unlike anything experienced in Gwaii Haanas.
The spirit of Haida Gwaii is captured throughout this journey, and is highlighted by the many natural wonders, and cultural treasures found along the way!
Reviewing the Tour Map allows guests the opportunity to get familiar with the highlights, wildlife, and geographical locations of the tour. The goals of our Haida Gwaii kayak trips are to be fun, engaging, educational, and relaxing.
This is a 10-day expedition designed for six people with previous kayaking experience only. Words like flexibility, patience, solitude, vastness, respect, energy, and uniqueness instantly come to mind when thinking about a West Coast paddle like this.
Kayaking Gwaii Haanas – Haida Gwaii is a true wilderness experience and requires a flexible mindset to travel safely in a self-propelled vessel. This is a self-supported kayak tour, which uses a mixed fleet of kayaks for your convenience, confidence and enjoyment. The success of the tour depends on weather, tides, guest interests, and the overall ability of the group. No one person (guides included) can have any control over such variables.
Below is an itinerary, created from over two decades of travel thru Gwaii Haanas, that guests have enjoyed. That said, it is your tour, and you may have your own personal bucket list to check off, so OSK will try to facilitate any deviations from the below schedule.
The tour will begin paddling west through Houston Stewart Channel towards open ocean, where we will visit the The tour will start with a vi the village of SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is one of the highlights of the trip. One hundred and twenty years after being abandoned, a row of standing poles remains as evidence of the once-flourishing culture. This island jewel boasts the largest number of original standing totem poles in the world!
Once you have visited the totems of Sgang Gwaay, you begin your journey southward along the western shoreline of Kunghit Island towards Gilbert Bay. Making camp amongst the dunes and vast white sand, provides a kayaker a welcoming home, as now you are within striking distance to round the most southern point of Haida Gwaii – Cape St James.
Words like colossal, diminutive, exhilarating, accomplishment, and gratitude come to mind when rounding Cape St James. Setting camp on Woodruff Bay, allows one to have a direct view of the Cape, and the Kerrode Islands from shore. The next few days will be spent exploring our surroundings, while fishing, and viewing the bounty of seabirds and marine mammals found in the nutrient rich waters will create a lasting impression of how superior the Haida canoe would have been. Beach-combing for Japanese Glass Balls can be a favorite pastime
Paddling north from Woodruff Bay, one of the many beaches will be our next home within the deep bay of Luxana. While paddling alongside the steep cliffs of Lyman Point, the many Tufted and Horned Puffins can be seen in all directions.
As we complete our circumnavigation of Kunghit Island, a walk amongst Giant Old Growth. Is order where these towering forests offer a kayaker a glimpse of the Western Red Cedar tree (Thuja plicata) which is the provincial tree of British Columbia, and also known to coastal natives as the “TREE OF LIFE”. Woven into the Haida culture, guests can reflect with these massive giants and how over a century ago these Haida had stripped bark and fell trees for cedar ornaments, clothing, houses, totem poles, and canoes.
The spirit of Haida Gwaii is captured throughout this journey, and is highlighted by the many natural wonders, and cultural treasures.
2026 Kayak Vacations
This tour is limited to six experienced kayakers
Review all Haida Gwaii Kayak Tour Dates
Click Here – For details on wildlife, highlights, and geographical locations regarding this tour.
Below is an overview, created from over two decades of travel through Gwaii Haanas, that guests have enjoyed. Kayaking Gwaii Haanas – Haida Gwaii is a true wilderness and requires a flexible mindset to travel safely in a self-propelled kayak. The success of the tour depends on the weather, tides, guests’ interests, and the overall ability of the group. No one person, including guides, has no control over such variables.
This tour is offered to a maximum group of 6 experienced kayakers. This is a very remote tour, where guests must wear drysuits, and have a flexible mindset to accommodate mother nature.
Personal Fitness
First and foremost, it’s important to note that age is just a number to us. We see that you are an adventurous soul who seeks intrinsic wilderness experiences, and that’s exactly what we aim to provide. If you’re in good physical condition and willing to share in occasional camp chores, you’re welcome on our tours.
We travel in a self-propelled mix fleet of single and double sea kayaks, without any support boat on any of our kayak tours. Kayak experience isn’t required, but we ask that guests feel comfortable around water. More important than your paddling skill is your past camping experience, which will assist you greatly in ensuring your comfort in a remote wilderness setting like Haida Gwaii.
Lifting and Carrying
To make any trip successful, all guests must participate in the daily chores and contribute to the overall team environment, such as food cache, meal prep and clean up, setting up camp, collecting firewood, and drinking water. We can accommodate guests with physical limitations in this department, but we expect guests to be able to carry up to 20-30 pounds, as kayaks must be placed above the high tide line nightly in teams of 6-8 people.
Toilets
There are no outhouse facilities throughout Gwaii Haanas. We use low-impact practices such as the “intertidal flush,” which is a standard set by Parks Canada for all kayakers in Gwaii Haanas. Your guide will brief you on this practice and present a private area for the group washroom at each rest stop and campsite.
Bathing and Water
Many of our chosen camps have a freshwater source to collect water and take a bath. Your guides will create the boundaries along with a private location for guests. The kayak tour can carry 110 liters of water to sites that do not have a suitable or reliable water supply. Non-scented wet wipes are handy items around camp as they are convenient and easy.
OSK Principles
Our goal is to offer a wilderness experience that will remove you from your everyday distractions, replacing cell phones with solitude, and streetlights with stars. Let’s keep the wild, “WILD.” With this in mind, it’s our responsibility to travel through Haida Gwaii with an ethical
The perfect vacation looks different for everyone, so it’s important to ask yourself some initial questions when planning a trip to Haida Gwaii.
Please take note that Ocean Sound Kayaking does not accept direct online bookings.
Instead, we prefer to communicate with our guests over the phone when possible. This allows us to introduce ourselves, answer any questions you may have about designing the perfect trip for you, or about Haida Gwaii in general. Additionally, this process allows OSK to create a cohesive group well before we even meet on Haida Gwaii.
This is what sets us apart – the OSK difference.
