The unofficial BC Travel & Tourism Guide
North of Campbell River on Vancouver Island, there is a palpable change in the air. The temperatures drop and the population thins out to small towns separated by miles of wilderness. On the water, the hospitable Georgia Basin gives way to Discovery Passage, and then the wild currents and winds of Johnston Strait. To the east, the Discovery Islands are clustered at the head of two large inlets that plunge for a hundred kilometers into the mainland and end in peaks rising to 4000 meters. To the north are Broughton Archipelago (a Provincial Park with ancient Native artifacts), the wide-open spaces of Queen Charlotte Strait, and finally, the tip of Vancouver Island and the Pacific.
This is huge and wild marine area served by the towns of Port Hardy and Port McNeill, and the villages of Telegraph Cove and Sayward, all on Vancouver Island. Johnston Strait has been called the best place in the world to see orca whales. Throughout the area, fishing is extremely popular, especially for salmon, who migrate through the narrow passages on their way south. There are numerous kayak tour companies and fishing charters as well as remote lodges and bear watching opportunities. Several companies take visitors by helicopter or float plane up the mainland inlets.
This is huge and wild marine area served by the towns of Port Hardy and Port McNeill, and the villages of Telegraph Cove and Sayward, all on Vancouver Island. Johnston Strait has been called the best place in the world to see orca whales. Throughout the area, fishing is extremely popular, especially for salmon, who migrate through the narrow passages on their way south. There are numerous kayak tour companies and fishing charters as well as remote lodges and bear watching opportunities. Several companies take visitors by helicopter or float plane up the mainland inlets.