Maple Leaf Adventures - Victoria, British Columbia

Tom W.

We took a five day, four night, excursion on the Maple Leaf Adventures 100 year-old restored tugboat named the MV Swell. The trip was among the islands off of Campbell River, British Columbia. This was a small boat excursion with only six cabins on board and 12 passengers. The crew of six worked very hard to make the trip an extraordinary one for us. From the gourmet meals prepared by a world class chef, to the naturalist who shared so much information about the environment we were sailing through, we couldn’t have been more pleased with the trip. We would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in a small, intimate adventure with like-minded people. This trip was a trip of our lifetime!

Rod W.

Back from the Edge of the World

After our 8-day trip with Maple Leaf Adventures, we felt like we’d visited the edge of the world, both physically and culturally. Located north of Vancouver Island and south of the Alaska panhandle, Haida Gwaii is a temperate rainforest archipelago at the edge of North America. The indigenous people have made their heritage and culture accessible to visitors.

A walk through this misty temperate rainforest is a mystical and spiritual experience. The forest floor is soft, and the towering spruce, cedar, and pine trees resemble a natural cathedral.

The Haida culture is intriguing, known for its large totems at traditional long house entrances. We learned about matrilineal clan leadership, inter-clan marriage, and pot laches during our trip.

MLA’s journey can be better understood with knowledge of HG’s geography. The northern third has significant population centres with roads and infrastructure. The southern two-thirds is sparsely populated, accessible only by water, and contains the Gwaii Haanas nature reserve.

Our first day arrived at Masset Airport on the northernmost part of Haida Gwaii. Two local guides and drivers met us with vans for our 20 fellow travelers. We visited an indigenous craftsman’s workshop, learning about totem carving and the Haida culture. We had lunch at a local eatery and then went on a forest walk, learning about tree identification by looking at the bark since the foliage is hidden in the canopy. We shopped at local artisan shops and had dinner at Haida House.

On the second day, we drove south to Skidegate and visited the Haida Museum and Heritage Centre, learning about Haida history and culture. We boarded our home for the next week, the Cascadia, and anchored in isolated quiet coves and inlets every night, transiting by day.

During our week-long trip, we visited four abandoned Haida villages, decimated by smallpox and tuberculosis over a century and a half ago. Today, they are historical sites staffed by welcoming Haida Watchmen who intentionally do not preserve them.

An approachable Haida elder onboard shared a song, a craft experience, and friendly conversations during meals and drinks, deepening our understanding of the Haida. The onboard experience was noteworthy. Meals were well-done, heavy on seafood and white meats, and offered thoughtful choices of B.C. wines.

Small ship cruising is intimate, and the people onboard, crew, and passengers make or break the experience. We got to know all eleven crew members personally and received excellent service in a relaxed, friendly, and comfortable manner. Our expedition leader kept us informed and involved as our schedule evolved, and he and our onboard naturalist led informative and engaging off-ship shore trips.

We were fortunate to share the ship with twenty like-minded fellow travellers on our MLA journey. Despite MLA not screening passengers, we enjoyed enjoyable interactions with the other guests, each with unique backgrounds, sharing experiences, and great conversational skills. While we’ve enjoyed other small ship cruises and expedition cruises with around 100 guests, MLA stands out for its spectacular scenery, in-depth cultural exposure, excellent crew, and wonderful group of kindred travellers.

Jade L.

I found Maple Leaf Adventures by random chance and I'm really glad I sticked to my choice! (It was "a love at first sight" when I saw Maple Leaf online, I knew THIS is it!)

It was such a wonderful life-changing experience to me. As a city girl living in Hong Kong, It is rare to have such experience in the concrete jungle. I had many of my 1st sss experience during the Gulf Islands tour: Learnt the sailing basics, kayaking, first hand experience on the marine life (the killer whales, sea lions, seals, birds...), got drunk :')

The crew members and the guests were all so incredible and amazing! I'm truly grateful to meet all the beautiful people here! I still reminiscing all the memories, moments we had together!

I wish to join Maple Leaf Adventures again in the future 🙂 Hopefully soon!🫰🏻✨

Karen H.

I was fortunate to gain a berth on the 1912 refurbished tugboat Swell in May of 2024…almost a year to wait for the trip in April 2025 but well worth it. The Swell crew was amazing. Captain Matt and his crew (Mate Carmen, Deckhands Mowat and Sierra, Chef Nic) are all so personable, enthusiastic, and accommodating. Marlo, the naturalist aboard for this expedition, has a vast knowledge of the regional flora and fauna and is also an accomplished artist and photog. It was a joy to travel with all six of them.

It was all about this beautiful old wooden boat for me. The en suite cabins, while cozy, are very comfortable and handsomely appointed. The ship itself is remarkably clean and well-maintained. The food? I’ve been on several small-boat excursions of this type and the food is always very good but this was a step up from that…great flavors and beautiful presentations. Dare I say exceptional?

All this was icing on the cake for this “old-boat” person: Fun crew, scrumptious food, daily outings on islands in Desolation Sound, informative “lectures,” something exciting each day…orcas, black bear, mink, and all the usual suspects for this area.

My only regret is that Swell doesn’t “do” Haida Gwaii as I would consider that for my next adventure.

Denise G. M.

The Great Bear Rain Forest is a mystical, magical place but what made this schooner trip so special was the care and attention from the crew. They paid heed to our every need; accomplished super-natural feats (A beautifully presented, delicious dinner prepared in rough seas), attention to every detail (a helping support on a rough trail, help with a problem even before you could voice a concern, beautifully decorated dinner table). I found the crew so knowledgeable in the geography of the area, local marine and plant life. They kept us interested and involved in a great number of activities from identifying plants and the abundant marine life, to raising and lowering the sails. The trip of a lifetime! I am definitely going back!

Marty F.

So this trip was sort of a bucket list for me. My wife, not so much. I book these adventure trips and then tell my wife when it's too late to back out.lol. Anyway, we planned on arriving one day early and good thing because Air Canada cancelled our trip to Terrace at the last minute and we had to stay in Vancouver. We did take the next day flight and were promptly met by Kalum Kabs for transport to the ship, "Cascadia". A magnificent 38' ,steel hull,catamaran. The Team Leader, Kevin, met all of us at the dock and the crew busily took our bags and gear to our room. After a short briefing we were lead to our cabins. We had the Prince of Wales room on the bridge deck. It was a great room with a King bed, 2 large windows and a porthole. It had a spacious bathroom with heated floors which came in handy to dry some damp socks. We assembled in the lounge area and met all our guests. It was quite an interesting group. A couple from England, A family from Germany, a film crew from Germany and the rest were Canadians. We had 17 in total. We also had two representatives from the First Nations that were with us for 4 days. They told and showed us their land and the importance of preserving their history. So over the next week we were catered to by such a fine crew. We never lacked. It seemed as though we were always eating 5 star meals and more in between meals. Anything we needed , the crew were on top of it, from helping us with life jackets to making us cocktails. The naturalist on board told us all the interesting facts of all the flora and fauna in the area. We saw so many whales, perhaps, a couple of hundred, that I can't imagine going anywhere else to whale watch. Our Captain was so astute of their locations and always give them the right of way. We did multiple shore trips and some hiking. One day we had a wine and cheese picnic on a white sand beach. Low and behold, when we were about to leave, a Canadian Sea Wolf popped up and stood there staring at us and us at him. He/ she then scampered back into the forest. The next day we went out on the shore boat and saw what I will always remember for the rest of my life, 2 Sea Wolves swimming and then playing on the beach. It was breathtaking. The streams were a little low and the Salmon had not made a major run yet. Tha being, the bears were elusive. We did see a brown bear swimming and grazing in the tall grass. My first brown bear. I also saw a black bear meander down to the water's edge and then waddle back to the forest. I think mid September and October would be better for Bear viewing. This trip checked off all my boxes and I am so glad that we took the chance on this Adventure.

Carole G.

I loved every minute of my adventure to the Great Bear Rain Forest aboard the Maple Leaf. The entire crew was exceptional and made every effort to ensure that we wanted for nothing the entire journey. The knowledge and history that was shared with us was very appreciated, and made for a truly memorable experience. A welcome surprise was the emphasis on Indigenous culture and history during our travels along the amazing coastline. It was one of the best trips I have ever experienced!!

Barbara L.

Fantastic trip aboard the Cascadia. A wonderful experience learning about Haida culture from locals and from the indigenous elder on board. Lots of animal and bird sightings which Michael, the expedition leader, helped us to see. Gourmet food. Morning kayaking is magical. Staff was friendly, helpful in every way. Highly recommend this trip.