Join us to explore the most remote parts of Canada's West coast in Luxury! Welcome aboard our immaculate heritage vessel the Columbia III.
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We are a small family run business offering high-end specialty eco-tours to the most remote parts of coastal British Columbia, Canada. We offer luxury mothership sea kayaking and cruising tours to the Great Bear Rainforest, Johnstone Strait, the Broughton Archipelago and Desolation Sound. View whales, bears and wolves!
Summer fog adds a totally different element of beauty and mystery to our Broughton Archipelago & Johnstone Strait kayak tours.
As we meander through the various islands, islets and channels, we experience these pockets of fog breaks that reveal glimpses of the lush, green forests, rich intertidal life and crystal-clear waters beneath.
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Book now and get 25% off our Aug 29-Sept 4 Great Bear Rainforest Kayak Tour! 🐻
Due to a rare last-minute cancellation, we now have 2 spaces available during our primetime expedition season. These tours are typically booked out a year in advance. In an effort to fill these spaces so close to departure, we'd like to extend 25% off savings to anyone interested in joining us for the trip of a lifetime in the Great Bear Rainforest.
TRIP DETAILS:
The Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s central coast offers some of the most spectacular and varied sea kayaking in the world. This remote wilderness contains ecosystems rich with wildlife and is the largest remaining intact temperate rainforest left on the planet. Wolves, spirit bears, grizzly bears, humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters and many seabirds are all inhabitants of the forests and ocean here.
Visit our website for more information.
For serious inquires, please email [email protected]
📷 - Maggie Leithead
We have two new spaces available aboard one of our most popular Great Bear Rainforest Kayak Tours.
Join us Aug 29-Sept 4, 2024 (6 nights) - 2 spots left!
Our Great Bear Rainforest Kayak Tours offer exceptional wildlife viewing and the chance to kayak in British Columbia's pristine coastal wilderness.
These tours offer guests some of the best chances to see the elusive Spirit bear, grizzly bears, whales, wolves, and eagles than any other time of year. With expert guides, great food, and a friendly onboard atmosphere, join us for an unforgettable adventure in one of Canada's most spectacular and remote regions.
These Great Bear Rainforest tours typically sell out a year in advance -- book now before they're gone!
https://www.mothershipadventures.com/great-bear-rainforest-tours/
The historic Columbia III ⚓️
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Wow... Can you believe it? This past month marked the 20th year of us getting the historic Columbia III ready for another upcoming summer season. At some point, one might say the pre-season prep photos are starting to look a lot alike...
Hard-working crews putting in long days in dusty, smelly conditions to get the CIII ship-shape. This year, we had 6-7 crew for about 10 days just getting the exterior finishes ready.
Head over to the Mothership Adventures blog, where we recount all of our pre-season prep - https://seakayakbritishcolumbia.com
BIG NEWS!! We've just launched our BRAND NEW website! www.mothershipadventures.com
We could not be happier with the work of web designer and developer Jacques Choquette at Cloud9 Marketing! This Whistler-based marketing agency was the perfect fit to tackle this project for their skill and expertise in the outdoor industry.
Have a look through our new site! Please let us know what you think in the comments below, and if you encounter any errors or broken links, reach out to us via DM, and we will fix it immediately.
We're looking forward to wrapping up our remaining behind-the-scenes projects and getting back out on the water come May 2024!
Experience the adventure of a lifetime with Mothership Adventures. Discover the beauty of British Columbia’s coast on our kayaking and cruising tours.
Another annual haul-out for the books! ⚓️
Head to our blog and dive into the nitty-gritty of the historic Columbia III's winter maintenance to get a behind-the-scenes look at what have to do each year to prep for the season: www.seakayakbritishcolumbia.com
"It was magical! We walked through the ‘wardrobe’ and entered the world of the Great Bear Rainforest. Our journey was skillfully guided by Sarah and Sam, navigated with great finesse by Ross, and presented with wonderful delights by our chef, Kate.
Orcas, grizzlies, porpoises, otters, and a myriad of ocean bearings were part of our journey. Thank you, and tomorrow we go back through the ‘wardrobe’ with so many layers of memories." - Words from the CIII Guestbook ✍️⚓
Glassy, glassy waters 💙
📷 - Stephanie Hauser
Our 6-day Broughton Archipelago kayak tour combines stunning coastal wilderness paddling and spectacular wildlife viewing.
With Columbia III's onboard accommodation, we can easily travel to the untouched corners of the Broughton Archipelago, usually inaccessible by expedition kayakers. This allows us to position ourselves in "the right place at the right time" for the most unforgettable wildlife encounters.
We'll plan each day around the desires of our guests. If conditions are right, a night paddle is possible to view the astounding bioluminescence that sparkles with each paddle stroke.
Have you ever heard the story behind the Columbia III's brass bell? 🔔
We were touring the Great Bear Rainforest with ten guests, several of whom had joined us in 2006 when one couple asked the crew to gather in the salon. All the other guests gathered with cameras at the ready.
We didn't know what to expect! But out from a day pack was pulled the most BEAUTIFUL brass bell, hand-made by our guest, and engraved with a picture of the Columbia III and the words, "Columbia III Celebrating 50 years".
Ross then mounted the new bell on the front of the wheelhouse the next day as the guests were off-paddling. When Ross asked our guest why he made the bell, he said he wanted to participate in the living history of this vessel and the BC coast.
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A bald eagle sits perched atop a branch, gazing over a river that will soon be filled with spawning salmon 🌲🦅
Reminiscing on adventures from the Great Bear Rainforest this past season.
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During the early summer months, the outer islands of the Great Bear Rainforest are truly a paddler's paradise. White sand beaches, extraordinary intertidal life, many unique islands and islets, and elusive coastal wolves are all common sights of this region. Due to variable weather and long paddling distances, running into other paddlers for many miles is unlikely.
We still have some availability on our two summer Great Bear Rainforest paddling tours! Visit our website to learn more ⚓
📷 - Sam Lam
From Desolation Sound to the Great Bear Rainforest, glacial-fed rivers spill into lush salmon, spawning estuaries at the heads of magnificent steep-sided fjords. Hundreds of islets and islands provide sheltered travel from the open ocean and a habitat for a vast array of marine life.
Orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, dolphins, sea otters, black bears, spirit bears, grizzly bears, wolves, eagles, and seabirds all inhabit this temperate coastal rainforest and the waters of its rugged Pacific shores.
These coastal waters are the supernatural paradise the Columbia III has safely traveled since 1956!
You can almost hear the raindrops in this photo 🌧️🌧️🌧️ Reminiscing on fall paddling adventures in the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Have you ever experienced the Broughton Archipelago & Johnstone Strait by kayak?
Enjoy the geographically unique group of protected islands, and islets called the Broughton Archipelago. Johnstone Strait flows from the southern edge of the Broughton and is the main route the Pacific salmon travel to the Fraser River near Vancouver, BC (one of the largest salmon runs in the world) and many other mainland and Vancouver Island rivers.
Pacific currents funnel through the narrow tidal passages of this region, creating a vibrant habitat for marine mammals, fish, birds, and intertidal life. British Columbia's Northern Resident orca population returns here every summer to feed on wild salmon and migrating humpback whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and Dall's porpoises.
We still have a few spaces available aboard our Broughton Archipelago kayak tours this summer! Visit our website to learn more before they fill up ⚓
https://www.mothershipadventures.com/index.htm
You can always recognize the elegant COLUMBIA III at the dock or at anchor by the bright yellow kayaks covering her rooftop.
The COLUMBIA III has been custom outfitted and is perfectly set up to load and unload kayaks smoothly and quickly with its efficient rooftop crane system. There's plenty of room on the roof to carry kayaks for ten guests and two guides. The water level platform at the rear of the boat makes getting in and out of the kayaks simple and easy.
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Wolf pack sighting from a few years back! 🐺🐺🐺
Thanks again for the wonderful 📷 captures
Greetings from the Mothership Adventures team, and welcome to 2024!
As we set sail into the new year, we're excited for all the adventures to come. Mind you, it's a little hard to see past all of the ongoing maintenance projects we have on the go (which you can stay up to date with by visiting the Mothership Adventure blog or signing up for our newsletters), but we know that all of our winter work will soon pay once May rolls around and it's time to leave our home in Diamond Bay for another season of touring the BC coast.
Stay tuned for all things to come ⚓🐋🐻 Zoom in to see Captain Steve waving us into the new year!
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As the sun sets on another amazing year of wildlife encounters, onboard camaraderie, great food, and memories, we're grateful for the amazing community that made our 2023 season an unforgettable adventure.
Here's a toast to the New Year and we can't wait to see what 2024 has to offer! 🌲⚓✨
Merry Christmas from the Columbia III and the Mothership Adventures team! 🎄
Sightings from the Great Bear Rainforest this past season 🐻🌲
📷 - Sam Lam
We still have two Great Bear Rainforest kayaking tours available in 2024! Join us either June 20-26 or June 27-July 3 and experience the outer island of the central coast (weather permitting, of course).
During the early summer months, the outer islands of the Great Bear Rainforest are a paddler's paradise. White sand beaches, extraordinary intertidal life, many unique islands and islets, and elusive coastal wolves are all common sights of this region. Due to variable weather and long paddling distances, it is unlikely to run into other paddlers for many miles.
We recommend you book well in advance to reserve your preferred dates ⚓ Visit our website for more info - www.mothershipadventures.com
"What an adventure. We are truly amazed by your guides and staff's skill, knowledge and effort. It was an experience of a lifetime." - Words from the Columbia III Guestbook ✍️⚓
During the winter months, we're always involved in extensive maintenance projects to ensure the CIII is in tip-top shape and ready to welcome another season full of guests come spring.
This year -- we're tackling the engine.
For those of you who don't know, the Columbia III was designed in 1955 by renowned naval architect Robert Allan of Vancouver, B.C. She was built the following year at Star Shipyards in New Westminster, BC, and still has her original Gardner diesel engine, so this project is no small feat!
If you're curious and want to stay up-to-date, sign up for our monthly newsletter via our website -- www.mothershipadventures.com
After 55 years of being an integral part of Canada’s coastal history, the Columbia III is still recognized and admired at every port in British Columbia.
When our family purchased the Columbia III in 2005, we had no idea how much goodwill the boat and the Columbia Coast Mission still carried on this coast.
The first time we fueled up, the dock attendant cried out before we were even tied up, "My parents were married on that boat!" The stories never end.
The list has become too long to itemize, but we bump into personal tales of wonderful memories relating to the CCM fleet of vessels wherever we go. It wasn't long before we realized that we don't really "own" the Columbia III. Instead, we are her current caretakers, or "the custodians of a piece of BC's maritime history."
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Orca on the move in the Broughton Archipelago ⚓
📷 - Sam Lam
Misty mornings on our transit home from the Great Bear Rainforest in early October ⚓
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When it rains, it's torrential in the Great Bear Rainforest! 🌧️
Reflecting on those late September adventures when the sound of raindrops pelting the ocean carried for miles and miles. Even soaked through raingear after hours of paddling couldn't dampen our spirits ⚓
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Bull kelp breaks... channelling our inner Sea Otters 🦦 📷 - @sthauser
A welcomed sight for coastal forests and watersheds 🌧️🌧️🌧️ 📷 - @sthauser #mothershipadventures #travel #travelbc #travelcanada #explorewildbc #exploreBC #kayak #kayakbc #kayaking #expedition #adventure #adventures #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #adventuretravel #boat #boating #boatingbc
A pod of Dall’s porpoise paid the CIII a playful visit the other day 🐬💙 🎥 - @sthauser #mothershipadventures #travel #travelbc #travelcanada #explorewildbc #exploreBC #kayak #kayakbc #kayaking #expedition #adventure #adventures #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #adventuretravel #boat #boating #boatingbc
Sea kayaking bring us closer to nature compared to any other kind of marine travel 💙 Glide silently over the water and observe the aquatic life beneath your seat, the undisturbed mammals on the shoreline, and watch whales from the waterline. It doesn’t get much more up close and personal with your natural surroundings than this 🐟🐚🦀🐋 🎥 - @ahleahwylie #mothershipadventures #travel #travelbc #travelcanada #explorewildbc #exploreBC #kayak #kayakbc #kayaking #expedition #adventure #adventures #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #adventuretravel #boat #boating #boatingbc
Sunsets from the bridge 🌅⚓️ 🎥 - @ahleahwylie #mothershipadventures #travel #travelbc #travelcanada #explorewildbc #exploreBC #kayak #kayakbc #kayaking #expedition #adventure #adventures #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #adventuretravel #boat #boating #boatingbc
Experience the fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest. With its huge distances, rugged terrain, less predictable weather and abundance of bears, the Great Bear Rainforest is where our ‘mothershipping’ concept truly shines. We will journey the many miles in complete comfort aboard the Columbia III as we travel to new and varied paddling destinations, rarely visited by other paddlers. We have availability on our June 13-19 & July 19-25 trips, otherwise we are fully booked until 2023. Visit our link in bio to register. Our gear guide: Kayaks - Seaward Kayaks Paddles - Werner Paddles Lifejackets - Salus Marine Wear
Sounds on for this one 🔊👌🏼 🎥 - @christies.camera
We’ve been sharing so much about the Marine Debris Removal Initiative that recently took place on our BC coast, and the most common question people keep asking us is - what do we do to solve this global ocean plastics & debris issue? Well, as you can imagine, it’s not a very straightforward answer. To respond on the individual level, one can try to do their daily part and avoid buying products encased in plastics, but honestly that is just not enough considering the scale of the issue at hand right now. The world needs a reform at the heart of production and figure out if there’s a way to slow and eventually cease our addiction to these materials we have come to incorporate into our everyday lives. What it really comes down to is industry change. Policy change. Regulation change. Tariffs against equipment that’s lost at sea, etc. Big picture environmental management stuff that deserves serious attention and consideration. The end goal isn’t to keep cleaning every year, it’s to stop the cycle in its tracks. The MDRI has become a way to address the current state of the global marine debris problem through education and awareness. The MDRI has shown the world that it is possible to scale up beach clean up operations to an industrial level and churn out incredible results. To inspire and incentivize the development of a new industry on our coast that’s not fishing or ecotourism, but industrial sized marine environmental preservation. To show there is potential and room for an industry that operates with specialized marine debris removal vessels designed to do this kind of work in these remote regions with crew specifically trained for the job. To show there is potential for a new coastal economy, one where marine debris products can be sold back, recycled, reused, etc. These two MDRI projects were defining moments for our industry, but the work does not end with us. Time will tell. 💙🌊 📷 - @dylan.sgw 🛥 - @mothership.adventures #BCCoast
Over the course of 21 days, 104 tons of marine debris has been removed from the outer shores of central/ northern British Columbia. Last year, the Marine Debris Removal Initiative successfully collected and removed 127 tons of debris from our coast, a number we almost matched in half the time this year. The fleet heads out tomorrow morning for another 21 days to carry out the remainder of the Clean Coast Clean Waters initiative. If we can duplicate the results from the first expedition, or even exceed them, this will be the biggest organized clean up initiative in of BC coastal history and a huge feat for BC’s environmental efforts. With support and permission from our Coastal First Nations, the companies and crew involved in the Small Ship Tour Operators Association and the rest of our stakeholders - none of this would be possible without all your hard work. For healthier, happier coastlines 🙌🏼. 🎥 - @dylan.sgw #BCCoastalCleanUp
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