Homestead History: Freshwater Bay
August 24th, 2026
homestead history The countless islands off the coast of northeastern Vancouver Island each hold their own stories, written into the very forests and beaches we explore each summer. With this in mind, we wanted to take a moment to honour Georganna Malloff, the land owner of Freshwater Bay on Swanson Island, along with those who came before her. art inspired…
Our Two Basecamps in Comparison
January 5th, 2026
Both the Johnstone Strait Glamping and Whales & Wilderness Glamping tours are excellent choices for sea kayakers of all ability levels. These are our basecamp-style trips, so we carry minimal gear in the kayaks and return to the same comfortable, established camp each night. If you’re new to camping, this is a great way to get a relaxed introduction to…
The Weight of Water
December 18th, 2025
The Weight of Water Multi-day sea kayaking trips can often feel like a journey of discovery, both into ourselves and the world around us. On day one, the jumbled thoughts and obligations of real life can still linger but as the days go on, they slowly start to fade. This process continues to unfold as the days come, with sea…
All about Wilderness Camping
February 11th, 2021
Smart living in the coastal wild Spirit of the West diligently follows some basic principles that have been established as best practices for wilderness travel. There is a multitude of ways that these principles are put into practice, but we have summarized many of them below to give you an idea of what to expect when you join us on…
Good news for our season 2020
June 24th, 2020
Thank you, fellow outdoor enthusiasts, for your patience while we navigate these times. COVID -19 and its many ramifications has meant that we unfortunately have had to cancel our regularly scheduled tours for 2020. Our regularly scheduled tours were comprised of folks from all world and all over Canada and between travel restrictions and the logistics involved in physical distancing…
