Emerald Isle Sailing Charters — Sailing Adventure in the San Juan Islands, BC's Gulf Islands, and British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest

Sailing aboard the S/V Nawalak is about escaping the crowds and exploring the quiet beaches and pristine islands of the northwest. In our tours, we share with you, the gems and secrets we’ve discovered in our 30+ years of sailing these amazing waterways.

THE SAN JUANS & GULF ISLANDS

Tours begin and end on Orcas Island

The unique beauty and sunny weather of Washington’s San Juan Islands have been famous for generations. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the nearly 200 unique islands get about half the rainfall of Seattle. The alluring charm of this archipelago is expressed both in its natural landscapes, and its diverse wildlife – above and below the water. Grass and moss carpeted hillsides give way to graceful madronas and sculpted firs. Wildflowers fill the meadows in spring and early summer. The occasional sand or gravel beach is punctuated by whimsically shaped sandstone, beckoning the kids to explore. Rich emerald waters yield fish for the grill, crab and prawns for a shore-side feast. Three groups of orca whales call the islands home during the year, chasing the salmon that migrate through. Eagles perch in shore-side trees, and a variety of seabirds cruise the bays and channels, diving for fish. Protected park land abounds with several islands devoted entirely to the marine explorer. A large variety of trails provide great opportunities for discovery. A sunny overlook, a hidden cove, a quaint one-room school house, or an abandoned lighthouse are among the myriad treasures to be found. Local artist’s galleries, restaurants, and world-class resorts with spas lend variety on the bigger islands.

With a two hour sail to the north, the Canadian Gulf Islands take up where the San Juans leave off. Similarly beautiful in topography and weather, they provide a quieter, even more relaxed experience. Myriad peaceful coves, madrona-clad sandstone bluffs, and mossy woodland trails invite adventurers. As in the San Juans, many sandy beaches lay thickly fringed with white shells; the telltale evidence of ancient village sites of the seafood eating Coast Salish people. Relax with us in a protected anchorage while one of the famous sunsets caps another memorable day.For more information, see our schedule or our information request page.

Highlights of this tour can include:

• mild, sunny weather
• great hiking
• orca whale watching
• salmon fishing
• interesting seaside villages
• restaurants, local artist galleries, shops
• variety of marine parks, protected areas

THE NORTHERN GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

Sailing between Bella Bella, B.C. and Ketchikan, Alaska

Finding the right words to describe the Great Bear can be difficult. Experiencing its raw, primeval beauty firsthand can leave the explorer indelibly changed. It is the largest remaining expanse of temperate rainforest left on the planet. Largely unknown, it is quickly emerging into the limelight as the battle to save its ancient forests from clearcutting intensifies. Its dramatically beautiful mountains, islands, and river valleys are home to grizzlies, black bear, the rare white “Spirit” bear, wolves, and a vast array of other wildlife and plants.

The Great Bear lies roughly from the north end of Vancouver Island on the central B.C. coast up to the Alaska border. We plan our trips here to be in prime areas for wildlife viewing during the summer salmon runs when hoards of wild salmon return to their pristine rivers of birth, attracting bear, wolves, eagles, ravens, and others to the feast. Join us as we silently glide upriver in the electrically powered inflatable to quietly witness this ancient ritual. Watch salmon lay their eggs in the river gravel after their far flung journey. Feel your pulse quicken as a majestic grizzly plunges in and emerges with a silvery meal. Back on the mother ship, be quick with your camera as a humpback whale breaches nearly out of the water close by. Feel the hair on the back of your neck tingle as a pack of wolves howls from under moss-draped ancient cedars around our protected anchorage.

Our Great Bear Rainforest Tours are a wilderness experience you will never forget. Great Bear Tours start and end in different ports of call. You will need to schedule your own transportation to and from these ports of call. For more information, see our schedule or our information request page.

Highlights of this tour can include:

• rare coastal wolf viewing
• close range grizzly, black, and spirit bear viewing
• natural hotsprings
• humpback and orca whales
• excellent salmon and halibut fishing
• native culture

SOUTHERN GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST/INSIDE PASSAGE

Sailing beween Orcas Island and Bella Bella, B.C.

The fabled Inside Passage is the protected marine route from Washington’s Puget Sound north through British Columbia, and into Alaska. Endowed with a vast, intricate web of islands, bays, and waterways, one could spend a lifetime exploring here. These tours focus on the portion from the San Juans through the southern half of the Great Bear Rainforest to Bella Bella, B.C..

As we head north from the San Juans we begin to enter true marine wilderness. Highlights along our route include the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound – thought by many to be the premier yachting destination in the Northwest for its fjords, mountains, warm water, lakes; Johnstone Strait – home of an orca refuge and great whale watching area; the Broughton Archipelago area – abandoned First Nation village sites dot this scenic island group, with totem poles, longhouse ruins, and the fascinating U’mista Cultural Center of the Kwakwak’wakw combine to give this tour a rich cultural flavor.

The dramatic Southern Great Bear/Inside Passage tour is a great way to experience several of the varied flavors of this diversely beautiful stretch of coast. Our Southern Great Bear/Inside Passage Tours start and end in different ports of call. You will need to schedule your own transportation to and from these ports of call. For more information, see our schedule or our information request page.

Highlights of this tour can include:

• rare coastal wolf viewing
• close range grizzly and black bear viewing
• soaking in natural hotsprings
• whale watching humpback, gray, orca whales, and dolphins
• excellent salmon and halibut fishing
• experience native culture
• warm saltwater swimming (Desolation Sound)

SOUTHEAST ALASKA

Sailing roundtrip Ketchikan to Ketchikan

With Its Stunning Snow-capped Peaks, cerulean blue glaciers, richly forested islands, and abundant wildlife, Southeast Alaska is a land of untamed majesty. Join us for a rejuvenating adventure beyond the reach of even the smallest cruise ships to explore hidden places seldom seen by the crowds. Mysterious abandoned native villages, evergreen-shaded hotsprings along wild rivers, deep mountain fiords, rarely visited fishing holes – we lead you through the lesser known side of this great land – the wild side.

Experience the heart pounding excitement of landing a big king salmon. Watch the warm summer sun set over snow-capped peaks of the outer islands as we barbeque your fish in authentic native-style around a beach fire in a deserted cove. Walk through moss-draped ancient forests thick with towering cedar and spruce. Stroll along the waterfront of a small fishing village with fishermen mending nets, and unloading their catch.

Whether watching a grizzly fishing for salmon in a pristine river, a pod of humpbacks bubblenet feeding, a family of creamy-white, gravity-defying mountain goats navigating a sheer cliff overhead, or a calving glacier deep in a spectacular fiord, even the most seasoned traveler will come away awed.

Our Southeast Alaska Tours start and end in Ketchikan. You will need to schedule your own transportation to and from here. For more information, see our schedule or our information request page.

Highlights of this tour can include:

• close range grizzly and black bear viewing
• soaking in natural hotsprings
• whale watching humpback and orca whales
• excellent salmon and halibut fishing
• experience native culture

E-mail: charters@emeraldislesailing.com