Desolation Sound Kayak Tours

Desolation Sound

The scenery and warm protected waters teeming with marine wildlife make Desolation Sound one of the best sea kayaking areas on the B.C. coast. Located on the Upper Sunshine Coast, 150 km north of Vancouver, Desolation Sound includes Desolation Marine Park, a 5666 hectare expanse at the confluence of Malaspina and Homfray Channel. This combination makes for a very large ocean playground of islands, sandy beaches, snug coves and bays.

The Sound's waters are warmer than average in the summer, providing an attractive location for swimming and world-class scuba diving. Home to a wide variety of wildlife, the Sound is still relatively free from development due to its rugged terrain that limits road access. Wildlife includes sea lions, harbour seals, river otters, Dall’s porpoise, bald eagles and a wild variety of sea birds. Deer and mountain goat sightings in the steep forested hills are not uncommon.

Protected from harsh winds and currents, the Sound makes for ideal paddling conditions.   Kayakers to this area enjoy meandering through the many sheltered bays, pocket beaches and channels and up-and-close experiences with the area's rich and colourful intertidal marine life. However, this is a kayaking trip where you spend more time looking up than looking down. Carved into the inaccessible wilderness of the Canadian mainland over the ages, the soaring peaks of the coastal mountains tumble to the waters edge in a jumble of river mouths and small islands, a perfect spot for sea kayaking. The towering mountains of the Coast Mountain Range create a dramatic backdrop, and the rich sunsets towards Vancouver Island light-up evening skies.