Orca Family Tours

The Orca Family tour has been thoughtfully designed for families with kids ages 5-12, while ensuring it will be enjoyed by all members of the family. This experience provides child-appropriate paddling conditions and distances, educational moments, resources to help your family connect to  the natural world, and delicious food to be enjoyed by all. Our expert guides take care of your family both on and off the water with extra attention given to the needs of young travellers. Give yourself and your family the adventure of a lifetime in a wilderness setting they won’t soon forget.

The Orca Family tour, while in a wilderness setting, offers many amenities to make your family’s stay comfortable and relaxing. Amenities include a covered dining area, a camp library with books, games and children’s puppets, large walk-in wall-style tents on lifted tent platforms, beds with supportive foam mattresses, optional cots for children, pillows, towels, easy-to-use private outdoor toilets, a wood-fired hot tub, and two hot water showers with ocean views.

No experience is needed. The Orca Family tour has been designed to be a great introduction to kayaking and spending time in the outdoors while also satisfying more experienced folks. Base camping provides the flexibility to paddle as much or as little as you wish. Actual paddling time will vary depending on each unique tour, our daily route, weather conditions, and the group’s abilities and interests. Generally, we aim to be exploring by kayak for between 3-5 hours each day with lots of time to  to stretch our legs on the beaches, explore a nearby trail and of course time for snacks, snacks and more snacks! We typically have our lunch out on one of the beaches nearby and come back to our camp for dinner.  There is also always the option to stay back and relax or play at camp if you or your children aren’t feeling up to a day of paddling. 

Keep in mind, day one and day four will have less time on the water due to water taxi transport and camp changeovers, with days 2 & 3 being full days of paddling and adventuring.

The minimum age for this tour is 5 years old. The Orca Family tour has been specifically designed for guests 5-12 years old and their family members.

Each tent contains two twin beds complete with a comfortable foam mattress and pillows (no bedding included, please bring your own sleeping bag or rent one from us). For families travelling with younger children who you would like to have in your tent with you, we have folding cots and therm-a-rests that help everyone to snuggle in together. Some of our tents are also close enough to each other that you would hear your kids if they were up in the night, if you wanted them close by but not sharing the tent with you – great for older kids who crave a bit of independence. If you would like to discuss tenting arrangements more, please contact us. 

Absolutely! We have rentals to fit the whole family. We have a limited quantity of children’s rain gear and sleeping bags that must be reserved in advance of your trip. If you are interested in adding a rental to your booking, please contact our office.

The Orca Family camp sits just outside normal cell service areas, so you can enjoy your time with us free from digital distractions. If you need to find a signal to check in, you can find service as you paddle or discuss with your guides the options at camp as we do have a small cell booster (no wifi).

We have a limited supply of electricity supplied by solar panels and a battery bank. When the weather is sunny, we have more power; when it’s cloudy, we have less. Everyone should be able to charge a camera or phone battery at least once while on the trip and possibly more, but it’s wise to be conservative with your batteries to ensure the power is there when you need it (eg. avoid using the display unless you need it, don’t review photos in your tent at night, keep your camera off when not using it, etc.). We also highly recommend bringing your own personal battery bank as our power is not always guaranteed. 

You can look forward to hearty, healthy, and satisfying food that is prepared largely from scratch, allowing us to customize meals as needed. Need the sauce on the side, plain pasta with butter, or raw carrots versus cooked? Hey, we get it. We are parents too! Please feel free to review a sample of our menu here and let us know as soon as possible (at least 30 days before your tour) if there are any foods your child may not enjoy eating and we will ensure there is something that will keep everyone happy. There is also no shortage of tasty snacks for everyone to help themselves whenever they please. 

If you have a specific dietary/kid-friendly request you’d like to discuss for your family, please contact our team. 

We require the provided PFDs (personal floatation devices) to be worn by everyone at all times when on or near the water and the group is never left unattended while out kayaking. We do not expect everyone who comes on tour to be able to swim, however, we ask that you disclose your family’s abilities and comfort levels with your guide team to ensure they can support you in the best way possible.

The Orca Family basecamp is in a remote wilderness setting overlooking Johnstone Strait. As with most outdoor environments, it is important for everyone to be aware of their surroundings. You will encounter uneven terrain, unsupervised rocky and slippery beaches, and bluffs overlooking the ocean. Upon your arrival, a camp orientation with your guides will ensure all guests are familiar with the site, hazards, and boundaries. While we will all work together to keep an eye on the kids while at camp, you will be responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of your own children. Kids must be supervised at all times in the hot tub. Our guide team will help facilitate the experience for both you and the kids but are unable to offer childcare services. 

Tour meeting location: Alder Bay Resort & Marina at 11:30 am (Day 1)

On day 1 of your trip you will meet your water taxi driver in Alder Bay on Vancouver Island (approximately a 5.5-hour drive by car north of Victoria or 4 hours north of Nanaimo). Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to unload, carry your luggage down to the dock, and arrange parking (if necessary) to leave your vehicle for the duration of your tour. 

Head to our main FAQ page for more Frequently Asked Questions.