Canada’s Inside Passage

Cruise Canada’s Inside Passage aboard a small ship for an expedition style adventure. Along the way you will be treated to extraordinary scenery and wildlife. From the deck of the David B you will see a world where waterfalls cascade down the steep walls of fjords carved from long ago glaciers. Observe orca whales and eagles as they forage for salmon. Life aboard the boat is relaxed. We cruise during daylight hours and anchor in a new location each night so you will be able to fully experience this magnificent landscape.

Day 1
Bellingham to Sidney BC (Clear Customs) to Montague Harbour
Your adventure begins in Bellingham. From our dock, we’ll cruise through the San Juan Islands and into Canada. You will have some time to explore the busy custom’s port of Sidney after clearing through customs. Once we leave Sidney, the adventure continues as we will head to Montague Harbour, British Columbia’s first marine park. Hiking on nice trails, bird watching and kayaking are all popular activities. The hike to Active Pass (4 miles) gives a great view of vessel traffic going through one of B.C.’s most exciting marine passes. There is also a shuttle bus to the Hummingbird Pub from the park.

Day 2

Montague Harbour to Lasqueti Island
From Montegue Harbour we’ll cruise to Lasqueti Island. Along the way we’ll pass through Dodd Narrows and cross the Straits of Georgia. It is a great day for reading books or playing games or just watching the scenery. At the end of the day you have time get out and stretch you legs with a beach walk or explore by kayak.

Day 3

Lasqueti Island to Desolation Sound
The scenery surrounding Desolation Sound and the anchorage of Prideaux Haven is spectacular. This popular destination has some of the warmest water for swimming on the Canadian west coast. It is also a beautiful spot for kayaking or relaxing.

Inside Passage Expedition on a Small Ship Cruise

Day 4
Desolation Sound to Cameleon Harbour
You’ll really feel like your on an expedition as we time our transit of Yucluta and Dent rapids. The slack between the ebb and flood tides is key to our passage to Cameleon Harbour. During a strong tidal current these areas are impassible for most boats with whirlpools and eddies, but during slack the cruise through makes you wonder what all the fuss is about. Once through the two rapids we’ll anchor at Cameleon Harbour. Hiking and kayaking are great ways to explore Cameleon harbour and Thruston Island.

Day 5
Cameleon Harbour to Pearse Islands
Between Cameleon Harbour and The Pearse Islands you’ll be passing though some of the Northern Resident orca whale’s feeding grounds. We will be keeping an eye open for some of the 16 different pods of whales.

Day 6
Pearse Islands Anchorage – Codville Lagoon
In the morning we will leave the Pearse Islands. This day is a good day for watching for orca whales and humpback whales. We often see humpbacks, pacific white-sided dolphins and numerous sea birds as we cruise past Cape Caution. In the evening we anchor in the quiet anchorage of Codville Lagoon. This park has a great hike to a wilderness lake that we can take in the morning.

Small Ship Adventure Cruise in the Inside Passage

Day 7
Codville Lagoon to Shearwater
We leave Codville lagoon after our morning hike and lunch and cruise to the small town of Shearwater. Here you can go on a walk through a muskeg or spend time at the town only pub. We often like to spend the night at Shearwater and leave early the next morning.

Day 8
Shearwater to Bottleneck Inlet
Bottleneck Inlet is the sort of place that is easy to miss. The narrow entrance is all but hidden in the dense forest. Once inside, it opens up and high forested walls that are filled with the haunting spiral calls of Swainson Thrushes and an occasional call of a Barred Owl. You can spend a couple of hours in a kayak paddling along the shore while the curious seals keep you company.

Day 9
Bottleneck Inlet to Bishops Bay
This is a favorite stop. The hot Springs at Bishops Bay are set just near the shore and make your small ship adventure seem less adventurous. You can look out over the bay while in the outside pool to watch for birds and seals. On occasion humpback whales come into Bishops Bay to feed.

Day 10
Bishops Bay to Baker Inlet
From Bisohps Bay we’ll cruise to the narrow entrance to Baker Inlet is very scenic and the timing must be calculated to get there during slack water, but once inside, the inlet opens up and is a great spot for a long paddle and to watch for bears. Like so many places we visit on our expeditions, this is a place for small ships only. Inside and out-of-sight Baker Inlet is a treasure that few passengers on the big cruise ships even know about.  You’ll enjoy knowing that as the ships with three thousand people go by in the main channel, you’re tucked inside a scenic inlet, with no other boats around.

Day 11
Baker Inlet to Prince Rupert

In the morning we leave Baker Inlet at slack water and head to Prince Rupert. This is our last spot in Canada on your small ship cruise. After clearing customs you will have plenty of time to explore this Northern frontier town. You can visit museums or take a taxi out of town to Butze rapids. Here you can time your walk to be at these tidal rapids during maximum current and to see how much power water has as goes through this narrow opening.

Waterfall on an Inside Passage Small Ship Cruise

Day 12
Prince Rupert to Ketchikan
We leave Prince Rupert early in the morning to transit Dixon Entrance and head into Ketchikan. This is our longest day motoring, but we get to enjoying going past some beautiful lighthouses and spend time watching for whales. We arrive in Ketchikan around 5pm.

To Book Your Inside Passage Expedition Now

Give us a call at 877-670-7863 or send us an email for special pricing for the whole boat.

Please note that this is just a sample itinerary and subject to change.

Be Sociable, Share!

•