Haida Gwaii with Canadian Geographic
Departing June 7, 2025
Haida Gwaii is a must-see destination for those who love wildlife, far-flung places and/or northwest coast First Nations culture. This cruise explores it all – from rich intertidal life to lush rainforests, hot springs to Haida village sites, including UN World Heritage Site SGang Gwaay. You will be personally guided on your journey by cultural expert Gaajiiaawa-Linda Tollas. The small size of our ships means you’ll have one-on-one time with our other expert guides and Haida resource people. Linda is of the Skedans Raven clan and lives in Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. Having lived most of her life in Haida Gwaii, she’s both a seeker and sharer of her ancestral knowledge, realized through a decade-plus tenure educating on Haida culture as a Cultural Heritage Interpreter with Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Linda has also guided hikes of the forests and presented evening slide shows to visitors, as well as delivering educational and interactive programs to all schools in Haida Gwaii.
Itinerary
- Day 1: Flight to Haida Gwaii. Tour kickoff, then land-based tour of Masset, Old Masset, North Beach, Tow Hill, tour of Graham Island
- Day 2: Tlaal, Skidegate, Haida Heritage Centre at Ḵay ‘Llnagaay, board ship, orientation, cruising, whale watching, island anchorage and explore ashore
- Day 3: T’aanuu village site, K’iid Xyangs K’iidaay for some of the planet’s densest intertidal life, kayaking, cruising
- Day 4: Sailing southward in Gwaii Haanas, Cape St. James (southern tip of Haida Gwaii), Woodruff Bay beach exploration, fishing
- Day 5: Seabirds viewing, UNESCO World Heritage Site visit, SGang Gwaay, Rose Harbour visit or Looscoone Inlet estuary exploration, and possible black bears
- Day 6: Cruising, sea lion haul-out, rainforest walk, possible bears
- Day 7: Cruising Juan Perez Sound, whale watching, visit seabird researchers at seabird colony
- Day 8: Windy Bay cultural heritage site, whale watching, K’uuna village site, Cumshewa Inlet. Farewell dinner
- Day 9: Cruising Cumshewa Inlet to Morseby Camp. Transfer to Sandspit airport. Flight from Sandspit to Vancouver
Meet your RCGS Travel Ambassadors
Daisy Gilardini
Daisy Gilardini is a Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence and a conservation photographer who specializes in the polar regions, with a particular emphasis on Antarctic wildlife and North American bears.
She is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) and the SeaLegacy Collective, a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, and a Greenpeace Antarctic Ambassador.
Daisy’s images have been published internationally in leading magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Geographic, Nature’s Best and Outdoor Photography, among many others.
David McEown
Canadian artist David McEown, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, has used the medium of watercolour for the past 30 years to explore and reflect many of this Earth’s wilderness areas. His paintings from Antarctica to the North Pole are represented in collections worldwide.
David is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, and is an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. The Society awarded him its prestigious A. J. Casson Medal in 2005, and again in 2018.
David is a member of the Explorers Club, a world renowned multidisciplinary professional society based in New York.
A sought-after teacher, David has hosted multimedia presentations conducted workshops for various art societies and museums around the world, with a mind to share his reverence for nature and passion for the creative art of painting.