Activities

Telegraph Cove:

Telegraph Cove is nestled into the top corner pocket of Vancouver Island.  It is a remote and often wet area of Canada, however this combination makes it that much more pristine and mostly unexplored.  We promise you close encounters with wildlife and interesting locals.  We hope you take a few days to explore the area we have chosen to get married, there is a reason why we came here. 

Below is a list of activities available right in telegraph cove. 

Fishing!

 The waters of the Johnstone strait are teaming with delicious edible and delectable seafood.  Halibut, Salmon, Dungeous Crab and Prawns call this place home.   Fishing charters are available by contacting the staff at Telegraph Cove.  They usually run for 4 hour trips at 110/hr (remember to tip).  Fill up a boat with friends and get out there.  June will be halibut season and it is an adventure to pull up a 40lbs fish from the depths of the north Pacific Ocean.  Salmon have been caught this time of year but it is not considered the "season".

Stubbs Island Whale Watching!

Ever wanted to see humpbach whales up close?  What about orcas?  Perhaps even a few hundred sea lions...  Stubbs Island Whale Watching is the place to check out.  Located at the end of the boardwalk Stubbs Island usually runs two trips daily to check out the oceanic mammoths.   Click Stubbs Island to check them out!



From the website:

 "We cruise the calm, protected waters of Johnstone Strait & the Blackfish Archipelago on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. This area is acknowledged as the most accessible and predictable location to see Orca (killer whales) in the world. Telegraph Cove is the closest place to this area. Although we have a success rate of over 90% in viewing Orca, we can never guarantee sightings as these are wild animals in their natural habitat. This beautiful area is home to a wealth of other marine wildlife.
Dall’s porpoises, harbour porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions, seals, Minke whales, humpback whales and grey whales are some of the marine mammals we may see during our nature cruises.

 For bird watchers, we have many migrating bird species in the Pacific Flyway including rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, harlequin ducks, sooty shearwaters and bald eagles.

Trips are educational and fun for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages. Please remember to dress warmly as the summer water temperature stays at 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) making the breeze off the water quite cool. We recommend long pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt and jacket. Make sure you bring your camera and binoculars too."




The Whale Museum! 

Located at the very end of the board walk this "by donation" museum offers full scale skeletons of whales and sea lions and much more.  This is a must sea while in Telegraph Cove! 

Tide Rip Grizzly Tours!

 Tide Rip is located on the boardwalk at Telegraph Cove directly opposite of the pub.  Tide Rip offers Grizzly Bear sight seeing expeditions to Knight Inlet.    Departures run everyday at 7AM.  Early June finds the bears emerging from their hibernation dens hungry.  They make way for the rivers to feed on sedge grasses looking for a met. 

 June is mating season for the bears, which leads to great observing as the big boars chase the not so interested females.  June is  Tide Rips favorite time to view the bears.  Be sure to check out Tide Rips website for more information. 

North Island Kayak!

 North Island Kayak provides sea kayaking tours and holidays from our base in Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Our trips provide the best opportunity, for the unforgettable experience of sea kayaking with Orcas, Humpback whales, Minke whales, black bears, sealions, dolphins, porpoises, eagles, salmon and seabirds plus a whole menagerie of inter-tidal critters. All in their natural, spectacular, wilderness environment and from probably the most unobtrusive means of transport; a Sea Kayak.

North Island Kayak is located in the heart of Telegraph Cove.   They live and work within the daily rhythms of the cove and have an up close and personal respect, passion and understanding for the local environment, the people and the creatures that call it home. Our home base and store is uniquely located next to the only dedicated kayak launch site in Telegraph Cove.

They claim to frequently get to watch the Orcas, otters, eagles, mink and dolphins without even leaving the Cove.  North Island Kayak offer a variety of day trips to four day expeditions!  Be sure to check them out if this tweaks your interest!  

Near Telegraph Cove: 

Hiking!

Fancy yourself a bush wanderer?  The island is rich with wildlife and old growth forest.  Perhaps the rugged coastline calls you or maybe even the thought of fly fishing on one of the many rivers located in the area.  

There are several hiking trails located with trail heads within a one hour drive of Telegraph Cove.  The main office at the cove has handy takeaway sheets that list off the nearest trails.  Be sure to call Kathy at the main office and ask for a digital copy to help you plan your inland adventure.  

Alert Bay!

Alert Bay is accessed by BC ferries from Port McNeil (20 minute drive from the cove).  Alert Bay is home of the killer whale and a great destination to get an insight to the lives of the First Nations of coastal B.C.  Alert Bay boasts the worlds largest totem pole and showcases local carvers and native artists.  Be sure to check out the U'mista Cultural center!  Visit Alert Bay here.


Diving!

 

Did you know that Vancouver Island has the world's greatest temperate diving?  Experience crystal clear water, kelp forests, and an abundance of sea life - wolf eels, ling cod, rock fish, sponges, anenomes, and more.  Check out Sun Fun Divers for more info!

Scenic Flights! 

Pacific Coastal Airlines out of Port McNeill offers scenic flights for $160.  Check out the rugged coast, glaciers and forest from the air!  Contact Rhonda at 1.800.343.5983 or by email here.

Cape Scott!

Cape Scott Provincial park is known for its old growth forest and sandy beaches. The terrain is rugged and the area is known for its heavy rain and violent storms.

The park is a popular destination for backpackers during the less rainy summer season. A logging road connects the towns of Port Hardy and Holberg to the southern end of the park. The rest of the park is accessible only by foot, helicopter, or boat. A popular backpacking trip is to hike the 16.8 km Cape Scott Trail to Nels Bight, which typically requires 4–7 hours each way and is rated as easy/moderate in difficulty.

It is mostly flat, but is often very muddy. Much of the trail consists of wooden boardwalk. The 43.1 km North Coast Trail, which opened in 2008, is an extension to the Cape Scott Trail. It has some very difficult sections in the east, and more moderate terrain in the west.
There are multiple campsites with pit toilets, metal food caches, and wooden tent platforms along the original Cape Scott trail and the North Coast Trail. For day hikers looking for a shorter trail (less than an hour each way), there is a path out to the beach at San Josef Bay.   Be sure to contact Dave Trebbet of North Island Day Trippers and ask about day trips from Telegraph Cove to beautiful Cape Scott!  




Artish Caves Provincial Park near Zabellos!

 Artlish Caves Provincial Park is known for its spectacular and unique karst features (a distinctive topography in which the landscape is largely shaped by the dissolving action of water on carbonate bedrock, usually limestone, dolomite or marble), which are of provincial and national significance.
The remote park features two large cave entrances and an underground river within an old growth forest environment. This area was proposed for protection by the local community for many years before becoming established as a park in 1996.