Moresby Explorers
PO Box 127, 365 Beach Road V0T 1T0 Sandspit, BC, Canada

The Moresby Explorers gear store is now online for Haida Gwaii residents! https://moresbyexplorers.square.site/outdoor-gear-and-equip

Ready to plan next years garden? Moresby Explorers is excited to introduce: Rainbow Gardens and Nursery 2021 Vegetable Presale!... Receive 25% off your order when you place it before January 7th, offer applies to listed presale items. Pickup dates are between March 20th and June 30th depending on crop selection. You will be notified when your items become ready. Guarantee your selection of a wide variety of vegetable starts for the 2021 gardening season. Flowers, herbs and much more will be available in the spring at our nursery location in Sandspit. https://moresbyexplorers.square.site/rainbowgardensandnurse

Sharing some memories from past seasons. Humpbacks are one our favourites to encounter in the waters of Haida Gwaii. These giants make long migrations from Hawaii and Central America to the North Pacific. These whales have made an amazing recovery since industrial whaling with an annual growth rate to their population of 11% . . Thanks to our guide @mactacularsnaps for the great photos

Locals tours POSTPONED Due to changing circumstances we have chosen to postpone our locals tours till we feel that it is safe to do so. We are still taking inquiries and are excited to get locals back on the water when the time is right. Please stay safe and be kind.

Attn Haida Gwaii Residents! In accordance with Gwaii Haanas and the Council of the Haida Nation, we are excited to announce our re-opening on August 1st for LOCALS ONLY tours and transportation! Our online booking calendar will be live this weekend at www.moresbyexplorers.com, or give us a call at 250-637-2215. ... Looking forward to getting back on the water!

Yesterday Canada became the first country in the world to become fin free. Making a commitment to stop both the import and export of shark fins to Canada. In 2017 more than 170 000kg of shark fins were imported to Canada. With a staggering 73 million sharks killed annually it is an industry rife with corruption and violence. The trade of these fins is often controlled by the mafia or cartel in other countries. Here in Haida Gwaii we have some of the most amazing species of sh...ark. Salmon sharks, blue sharks and basking sharks to name a few. We as a society chose to ban whaling in what we felt was a cruel and unsustainable industry. We hope this ban on the import and trade of shark fins in Canada is one step closer to an end to this global industry. Maps show the track of a tagged Salmon shark in 2015 A box of shark fins in Sai Kung market Hong Kong Salmon shark unknown @ Haida Gwaii

Yesterday Canada became the first country in the world to become fin free. Making a commitment to stop both the import and export of shark fins to Canada. In 2017 more than 170 000kg of shark fins were imported to Canada. With a staggering 73 million sharks killed annually it is an industry rife with corruption and violence. The trade of these fins is often controlled by the mafia or cartel in other countries. Here in Haida Gwaii we have some of the most amazing species of sh...ark. Salmon sharks, blue sharks and basking sharks to name a few. We as a society chose to ban whaling in what we felt was a cruel and unsustainable industry. We hope this ban on the import and trade of shark fins in Canada is one step closer to an end to this global industry. Maps show the track of a tagged Salmon shark in 2015 A box of shark fins in Sai Kung market Hong Kong Salmon shark unknown @ Haida Gwaii

Ready to plan next years garden? Moresby Explorers is excited to introduce: Rainbow Gardens and Nursery 2021 Vegetable Presale!... Receive 25% off your order when you place it before January 7th, offer applies to listed presale items. Pickup dates are between March 20th and June 30th depending on crop selection. You will be notified when your items become ready. Guarantee your selection of a wide variety of vegetable starts for the 2021 gardening season. Flowers, herbs and much more will be available in the spring at our nursery location in Sandspit. https://moresbyexplorers.square.site/rainbowgardensandnurse

Sharing some memories from past seasons. Humpbacks are one our favourites to encounter in the waters of Haida Gwaii. These giants make long migrations from Hawaii and Central America to the North Pacific. These whales have made an amazing recovery since industrial whaling with an annual growth rate to their population of 11% . . Thanks to our guide @mactacularsnaps for the great photos

Locals tours POSTPONED Due to changing circumstances we have chosen to postpone our locals tours till we feel that it is safe to do so. We are still taking inquiries and are excited to get locals back on the water when the time is right. Please stay safe and be kind.

Attn Haida Gwaii Residents! In accordance with Gwaii Haanas and the Council of the Haida Nation, we are excited to announce our re-opening on August 1st for LOCALS ONLY tours and transportation! Our online booking calendar will be live this weekend at www.moresbyexplorers.com, or give us a call at 250-637-2215. ... Looking forward to getting back on the water!

There is still a delicious pig to be eaten tonight bring your appetites! Live music and drinks and a wonderful thank you to the community that supports us!

Hope to see everyone tonight at the annual Moresby Explorers pig roast! Party Starts at 6pm!

Details finalized for our Haida Gwaii "Return of Giant's" presentations. :) Coming to Skidegate, Sandspit and Masset - details below. These free presentations... will be given by MERS team member, Jackie Hildering. In addition to sharing MERS’ research on Humpback feeding strategies and rate of entanglement, Jackie will discuss how the fortunate return of these giants from the brink of extinction necessitates increased boater awareness about avoiding collision and what to do if entanglement is witnessed. We will also share our research on a novel feeding behaviour of Humpbacks we have dubbed trap-feeding. MERS is based on NE Vancouver Island with education efforts being coast-wide. We promise the presentations will be as entertaining as they are informative. See details about our work at www.mersociety.org. Background on Jackie: As an educator, cold water diver and underwater photographer, she is known as The Marine Detective with on-camera experience including being featured on Animal Planet’s Wild Obsession series and in the BBC productions New threat to Canada's Pacific Humpback Whales? and Ingenious Animals. She has been awarded the Vancouver Aquarium’s MAN Award for Excellence in Aquatic Education (2010). Details: - Friday September 14th, Skidegate Location: Haida Heritage Centre at ay Llnagaay (#2 Second Beach Road) Doors open at 6:30. Presentation beings at 7 pm. Hosted by the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve - Saturday September 15th, Sandspit Location: The Sandspit Inn (#2 Airport Rd) Doors open at 6:30. Presentation beings at 7 pm. Hosted by Moresby Explorers and the Sandspit Community Society. - Tuesday September 18th, Masset Location: Dixon Entrance Maritime Museum (2172 Harrison Avenue) Doors open at 6:30. Presentation beings at 7 pm Hosted by Haida Gwaii Marine Stewardship Group and Marine Plan Partnership Photo: KC (BCY0291) head breaching by Jim Borrowman. Haida Gwaii Observer, Haida Gwaii Magazine Gwaii Haanas - Islands of Beauty

Hello Everyone! Due to a passing in the community we have postponed our end of season party to Monday, September 23rd. We hope you can still join us for a delicious smoked pig and beverages. Please pass this message on to your friends and family. - The Moresby Explorer's Team

To say thanks to the wonderful community we call home, we're planning a few end-of-season tours for Haida Gwaii locals at 75% off the regular season price! 2-Da...y Tour September 14th/15th 2-Day Tour September 15th/16th Louise Island Day Tours on September 17th See poster for more details and feel free to share with friends and family on island!

Yesterday Canada became the first country in the world to become fin free. Making a commitment to stop both the import and export of shark fins to Canada. In 2017 more than 170 000kg of shark fins were imported to Canada. With a staggering 73 million sharks killed annually it is an industry rife with corruption and violence. The trade of these fins is often controlled by the mafia or cartel in other countries. Here in Haida Gwaii we have some of the most amazing species of sh...ark. Salmon sharks, blue sharks and basking sharks to name a few. We as a society chose to ban whaling in what we felt was a cruel and unsustainable industry. We hope this ban on the import and trade of shark fins in Canada is one step closer to an end to this global industry. Maps show the track of a tagged Salmon shark in 2015 A box of shark fins in Sai Kung market Hong Kong Salmon shark unknown @ Haida Gwaii

Happy world ocean day! One of our favourite ocean creature is one of its smallest. This Opalescent Nudibranch is a sea slug with spectacular colouring. It goes around feeding on hydroids storing their stinging cells in its own defence. It’s exposed gills are often colourful and beautiful.

Moresby Explorers is looking for a volunteer to help at our floating lodge on the northern edge of Gwaii Haanas. We would like to fill spots for the first two weeks of September. If you would like to spend a week in an amazing place contact us at info@moresbyexplorers or Facebook message us here!

Its that time of year again folks the annual Moresby Explorers pig roast. We will have food drinks and live music. August 25th at 6pm. Come and dine with Frankenswine!

It's that time of the year again! We are looking for volunteers to come and do some citizen science work with our staff on East Limestone Island! Check out our website for more information: www.laskeekbay.org

Calling all locals! To say thanks to the wonderful community we call home, we're planning a few pre-season trips for Haida Gwaii locals at 75% off the regular season price! --- Day Trip around Louise Island: ... This full day trip takes you around Louise Island including a stop at 'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans) April 27th - $70.52 per person April 28th - $70.52 per person 2-Day Trip to Gwaii Haanas: During the 2 days we'll check out some of our favorite spots in and around Gwaii Haanas. We aim to visit 'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans), Taanu Llnagaay and Hlk’yah GawGa (Windy Bay). We spend the night in Crescent Inlet at our floating lodge. April 26/27th - $198.80 per person April 27th/28th - $198.80 per person ---- To join, send an email to [email protected] before April 20th with the following information: - Name, age, home address and phone number of everyone in group (must be permanent residents of Haida Gwaii) - Which trip you'd like to join and your preferred dates ---- If tours book up, names will be pulled out of a hat. Food is included. Please note this is a family oriented trip. See poster for more details and feel free to share with friends and family on island!

Gwaii Haanas will be hosting orientations in Vancouver. Both orientations begin at 7 PM; no reservations are required Vancouver event - March 6 https://www.facebook.com/events/153276855395680/... Victoria event - March 8 https://www.facebook.com/events/175457886532653/

I have been so very lucky in my career to be mentored by and learn from so many phenomenal women. To all our female staff that exemplify all that is powerful, hardworking and inspiring. We could not do it without you. Happy international women’s day!

Come one, come all! Our (almost) end of season bash is this Saturday! Good food, good music and fun times to be had! Bring a dish to share if you can, and dinner will start around 6! Lots of places to set up tents for those coming from the "other side." See you Saturday!

A very exciting day! BC Ferries has announced it will be restoring previous service for the Skidagate-Alliford Bay ferry between Graham and Moresby Islands. A big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make their voices heard for our community. Haawa! https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019TRAN0019-000257

Sunset in Susan's kitchen. Rose Harbour. . .photo by @j.heaux We spend the second night of our 4Day tour in Rose Harbour, where guests are treated to Susans amazing cooking and offered a glimpse into the rustic, off-grid pioneer lifestyle of the few who live there. #moresbyexplorers #roseharbour #offthegrid #gohaidagwaii #gwaiihaanas

A beautiful shot from our float camp deck in Crescent Inlet, taken by a student of the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society - HGHES on their annual spring trip with us a few weeks ago. Want to visit this amazing place this summer? We've just had some cancellations on overnight trips, so don't delay, check out the website calendar and send us an email to book!

It is World Whale Day! Here on Haida Gwaii we are incredibly lucky to be in the presence of these majestic giants many times of the year. Whale conservation has been a long a sorted story on the BC coast. We now have thriving populations of Humpback returning every year to the rich feeding ground around the archipelago. It is possible to see Fin whales, Gray whales, Orca, Humpback whale, Minke whale and on rare occasions Blue whales far off the west coast of the islands. H...aida Gwaii has been sighted as the only place in Canada to see these majestic giants. Yet the story of the Blue whale is one that encapsulates the dangers our oceans are in. A target for industrial whaling it has been estimated that globally the blue whales population has been reduced by 99% The blue whale is the largest living animal ever on earth. With low birth rates, females are pregnant for up to 12 months. When born a baby Blue whale is 7 meters long and weighs up to 5000 pounds! Mothers support this growing calf by feeding it 200 liters of milk a day. All of these factors lead to low rates of reproduction which has left this giant struggling to rebound from the intensive whaling in the 20th century. This World Whale day it is wonderful to celebrate the steps we have taken to ban whaling and make conservation a priority in our lives and global ethos. Hopefully the next century will see the rebound of the largest animal to ever live to its former population. Images Blue whale off pacific coast NOAA, Global Population of Blue whales over the 20th century, NOAA A landed blue whale in Rose Harbor 1919, Unkown

Check out this blog post some of our clients made a little while back about circumnavigating Louise Island! This is a great trip that we often recommend to folks who have slightly less time than what's suggested to paddle within Gwaii Haanas (we usually suggest around 4-6 days for this trip), but still want to check out a very similar terrain and ecosystems, as well as an Ancient Haida Village site (Skedans).

Due to a cancelled ferry sailings, our office manager Amber is stuck on the mainland until later in the week with limited internet. Fingers crossed she will be back for Thursday office hours, but if not, it will reopen next Tuesday. Apologies for the delayed response time!

Hey Kayakers! Will you be around Vancouver or Vancouver Island this March? Get ahead of the game and attend the mandatory Gwaii Haanas orientation before you arrive for your paddling trip here this summer.

Exciting news - our 2017 calendar and rates for overnight tours and kayaking transports have been posted on our website: http://www.moresbyexplorers.com/boat-tours/ Our Louise Island 1-day tour schedule will follow within the next week! We'll begin taking bookings on our next day in the office October 25, and then will begin taking deposits in the new year. ... The schedules won't open if you're using Internet Explorers, so please use an alternative browser if you experience any issues. Note: Our office will be closed from November 8 - 24 Happy planning!

That's a wrap folks! We are so grateful for our incredible team who worked so hard all season, for all the wonderful/quirky/interesting guests who chose to adventure with us, and to the beautiful community of Sandspit that continues to support us in so many ways and be a fantastic home base. Now, for some well deserved rest, and a few adventures of our own before we start thinking about 2017! Photo cred to @j.heaux

Need some camp fuel? We have a freebie stand out to try and clear out our stock pile of left-behind-by-guests fuel.

All of our tours are now fully booked for the 2016 season, EXCEPT we have 3 spaces on our 4-Day Gwaii Haanas tour departing Friday, September 2! What a better way to spend the long weekend than on an adventure of a lifetime! http://www.moresbyexplorers.com/gwaii-haanas-4-day-tour

The pig is roasting (started bright and early thanks to Heron and Peter)! Hope to see everyone tonight for our (almost) end of season party!! Live music! Dinner at 7; Bring a dish to share if you can! BYOB... Lots of tenting space Piglets of all ages welcome Water taxi may be available to get to Sandspit after the last ferry - text Sascha for details - 250 637 1134

As promised! Hope everyone can join us while we celebrate the (almost) end of our season!

Save the Date! Our annual pig roast and wrap-up party is happening once again, and you are all invited! Poster will be released soon! Saturday, August 27 Live Music!! Lots of camping space available... Piglets of all ages welcome! See more

A great opportunity for local youth to get out on the water with us!

Some great intertidal photos from Maryanne Wettlaufer, a talented, local artist who joined us last week on our 4-Day Gwaii Haanas tour!

One of the safety devices we use on our boats (SPOT LLC.) allows our office to track each of our boats throughout their trips. While our office team is always a little jealous that they aren't out on the boats too, it's exciting to watch to see where the guides end up exploring each day. Today, the weather gods must be smiling as it looks like guide Grace is currently taking her 4-Day group down for a quick look at Cape St James, the southern most tip of #haidagwaii, and one of the windiest spots in Canada! We very rarely get the weather to go to the cape (only a few trips a season) so it's very cool to watch on the GPS when a trip is able to go that far south! #moresbyexplorers #gwaiihaanas #explorebc #adventure #safety #findmespot

An Opalescent nudibranch crawling around on the side of our floatcamp! #moresbyexplorers #haidagwaii #nudibrach #intertidal

Guide Grace found her first glass ball after dropping off some bird researching clients on the West Coast earlier this week. What a find!! #haidagwaii #beachcombing #moresbyexplorers #adventure #luckyduck #glassball #beachglass

Guess what?! We're now on instagram! Find us here https://www.instagram.com/moresbyexplorers/ Share your trip photos with us by tagging them with #moresbyexplorers and @moresbyexplorers

After months of hard work, we are excited to announce the launch of our fabulous new website! We are so pleased with the new web presence that Lindsay Seegmiller created for us and we hope it will be of use to all of you planning your trips with us! It's also a perfect time to introduce our updated logo and badges that the very talented Evil Patrick by Design created for us. ... We are so grateful for the time, patience and thoughtfulness that both Lindsay and Patrick put into their work for us, and it clearly shows with the end results! It's also wonderful to have such talented folks on island, to be able to keep the work local. www.moresbyexplorers.com

Our office will be closed from December 21st until January 4th. While we will be checking emails sporadically, most won't be answered until the new year. Happy holidays everyone!

We're having a holiday sale in our Outdoor Gear Store! Come check it out, we're open Monday and Wednesday from 9-5, or call to set up another time. On island delivery available as well, so give us a call to place an order.... Thumbs up for buying local and keeping your money in the community!

Fiberglass Kayaks for sale: 2009 Seaward Passat G3 (Double) - MSRP was $5360; Selling for $2564; 2 available 2010 Seaward Tyee (single) - MSRP was $3910; Selling for $2078; 3 available 2012 Seaward Tyee (single) - MSRP was $3910; Selling for $2565; 1 available... http://seawardkayaks.com/products_fibre_passatg3.php http://seawardkayaks.com/products_fibre_tyee.php All kayaks have full length keel guard, plus outfitter layup (worth $400; makes them stronger). They are all in good, used condition, and have been well maintained and repaired each season. The kayaks will come with neoprene hatchcovers and used sprayskirts. Additional gear (including paddles) NOT included, but used paddles are available for sale. Please contact us for more information, or to set up a viewing. 250 637 1572 (Heron's cell) 250 637 2215 (MorEx office) [email protected]

Need more reasons to come visit our amazing island home? Check out this lovely article by local author Susan Musgrave.

Our 2015 Season has come to an end! Thank you to all of our fantastic staff, inspiring guests and to the supportive communities of Haida Gwaii, for making it another unforgettable 5 months. We are working at putting together our 2016 calendar and should have it posted on the website by the end of this month. The Sandspit office will be closed from Sept 24 to Oct 21 and then open Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9 AM to 5 PM, until the 2016 season kicks off in May. Bring on the winter adventures!

2 seats have opened up on our 4-Day trip tomorrow! Give our office a call at 1-800-806-7633 if you are interested in joining this adventure. http://moresbyexplorers.com/4day.html

Its a sad day at Moresby Explorers as we say goodbye to Bryan, Emma and Christine who are leaving us to become educated leaders of tomorrow. Good luck to all those others heading out for colder-season pursuits and we hope the smell of the ocean leads you back home to Haida Gwaii next summer! Also, thank you to all who came out on Saturday to celebrate the end of the season. That Pigasus didn't have a chance.

Save the Date! Our annual pig roast and wrap-up party is happening once again, and you are all invited!

Due to high demand this week, we're doing some shuffling and attempting to add in another Louise Island Day Tour on August 7th! Please contact us if you're interested in joining this awesome tour! http://moresbyexplorers.com/LIday.html 250 637 2215... [email protected] See more

Due to major bag bumping, and lack of seats this month to Sandspit, Air Canada has decided to use a larger plane for the last week of July to attempt to rectify these huge issues. That means they're trying to fill the extra seats, and so it's a great time to take advantage of the reasonable seat prices being offered! Come visit our incredible islands!!

It looks like a great weekend ahead! We've got a few spaces left on our weekend tours, so contact our office if you'd like to claim a spot! July 18 - 2-Day Gwaii Haanas Tour 1 space July 19 - Louise Island Day tour - 6 spaces... [email protected] 250 637 2215

We're down to 2 seats left on our Wednesday day tour to the Louise Island area! Give us a call or send us an email if you're interested! http://moresbyexplorers.com/LIday.html

We have 3 seats that just opened up on our Louise Island Day tour tomorrow! Please give us a call if you would like to join in at 1-250-637-2215. http://moresbyexplorers.com/LIday.html

We've got a few openings left on trips this weekend! Saturday, June 13 - Louise Island Day Tour - 5 spaces Saturday, June 13 - 2-Day Gwaii Haanas Tour - 4 spaces... Give us a call or email if you're interested in joining us for one of these awesome tours! [email protected] 250 637 2215

We made it! Check out the Moresby Explorers profile, as well as many other unique islander-owned businesses on the LoveHaidaGwaii website. http://lovehaidagwaii.com/businesses/moresby-explorers

Planning a trip to Haida Gwaii? Check out the fantastic LoveHaidaGwaii site for an introduction to local businesses and entrepreneurs. Maybe a nice relaxing massage after a long paddling trip in Gwaii Haanas? We look forward to joining the LoveHaidaGwaii family in the very near future :) http://lovehaidagwaii.com/

Ron Martin, a guest on our 4-Day tour this past week, snapped this great picture of owner Laura (right), and new guide Emma (left) during the visit to SGang Gwaay! Thanks for the great shot, Ron!!

We have 2 seats left on our Monday, June 1 Louise Island Day-trip! If you would like to snatch them up please contact us at: [email protected] 250 637 2215 1 800 806 7633... http://moresbyexplorers.com/LIday.html

We've still got several spots left on our 2-Day Gwaii Haanas tour departing this Friday! Give us a call or email if you're interested! [email protected] 250 637 2215 1 800 806 7633

Coco the goat introduced us to her new little room-mate early this morning and she is cute as a button :) Congratulations Coco!

We have 3 spaces left on our Louise Island Day trip running Friday, May 22nd, and 7 spots on a 2-Day Gwaii Haanas tour departing Saturday, May 23rd! Call or email us for more details or to book a spot! [email protected] 250 637 2215... http://moresbyexplorers.com/LIday.html http://moresbyexplorers.com/HS2day.html

Two questions that our office team often gets asked is whether or not we offer short term kayak rentals, and/or and short term guided kayaking trips. For a variety of reasons, the answer is unfortunately no, so that is why we were SO excited when the local Borserio brothers started up Kitgoro Kayaking, as we finally had an amazing team to direct people to!! We heard awesome feedback after their first season of operating, and they've just launched a website full of tours and information! Check out their page in the link below! http://kitgorokayaking.com