Unless you have the opportunity to kayak with an experienced guide, you should restrict yourself to kayaking in the early morning (before 9:30am) as much of the Inlet gets windy in the afternoon. Some days, the entire inlet is dead calm all day, but those are far and few between. There are some protected inlets during the afternoon wind, including Hisnit Inlet and Moutcha Bay.
When you head to shore, you also need to be extra careful. You should make yourself known by speaking loudly and avoid leaving food out of its sealed containers, especially the big fish you catch! There are black bears, cougars and wolves, so doing anything you can to prevent interaction with them is important. The depth along the shoreline can be deceiving as well. You will find many beaches with sudden dropoffs of up to 200feet in depth. For the more level beaches, you should be aware of the extreme tides, so always bring your kayak above the tideline and secure it by anchoring it to a tree.
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Enjoy the scenery and wildlife |
Nootka Sound has some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see on Vancouver Island.
When kayaking in Nootka Sound, you will the opportunity to see all kinds of wildlife. Bald eagles are often flying around looking for food. Black bears and deer are often seen wondering the beaches. Seals aren't as common as some areas on Vancouver Island, but you will likely see one or two on your trip. You are more likely to see whales on the outer area of Nootka Sound, but they are known to come into the inlet from time to time. Learn about
Luna the Whale if you haven't already.
Finding a launching place can be difficult as well. You can start in Gold River, but it is recommended to go to Cougar Creek Campground on Tlupana Inlet.
See directions.
As you probably already know, Nootka Sound has the reputuation for great fishing. Experience the thrill of catching and landing a king salmon in your kayak. You should be aware of the
fishing regulations if you take your fishing gear. There are many areas in Nootka Sound that have restrictions and some areas are closed to fishing. Hisnit Inlet for example is closed.
If you bring your catch back to shore, make sure not to leave anything from the fish, most importantly blood or guts. Toss everything as far off shore as you can and take the tides into account. If you toss something on high tide, will it be on shore during low tide? This is important because you could attract unwanted attention from local bears.
