• Home
• About Us
• The Location
• Programs
  • Research
  • Education
  • Recreation
    • Kayaking
    • Hiking
    • Diving
    • Surfing
  • Sustainability
  • Other Programs
  • Partnerships
• Coming Here
• Contact Us

Location and Facilities at Hakai Beach

Hakai Beach is on the northwest tip of Calvert Island, which lies roughly midway in latitude between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern tip of Haida Gwaii. The western shore of Calvert Island is exposed to the open Pacific Ocean. The so-called Inside Passage (the shipping route to Alaska) lies between Calvert Island and the mainland.

Calvert Island is roughly the same size as Saltspring in the Gulf Islands, or Quadra in the Discovery Islands. (For those of you who need a more distant reference, it is larger than Nantucket and smaller than Martha's Vineyard.)

The exposed outer shore of Calvert Island has rocky, wind-ravaged headlands interspersed with white sand beaches similar to (but nicer than) the better known beaches near Tofino on Vancouver Island. Two such beaches--the West Beach and the North Beach--lie on the Hakai Beach property.

Travel Connections

Hakai Beach is roughly midway between the two points where there is road access to the Central Coast: Port Hardy and Bella Coola.

Hakai Beach is centrally located among the airports that have scheduled service to Vancouver YVR: Port Hardy, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.

Hakai Beach itself has dialy scheduled seaplane service to Port Hardy, and charter service as rerquired.

Harbor and Dock

The remarkable feature of Calvert Island is Kwakshua Channel, which cuts across the island from the eastern shore and terminates within a few hundred meters of the western shore. The westernmost portion of Kwakshua Channel is Pruth Bay, where there is a sheltered anchorage and a well appointed dock.

Overnight Accommodations

The large Main Lodge has in the past been used to house guests during the fishing season. The maximum capacity is more than 50. The Main Lodge contains a full kitchen, dining room, lounge, laundry, reception, library, etc.

The Small Lodge has in the past been used as staff quarters during the fishing season. In future it will house personnel visiting the Hakai Beach Research Station. The nominal capacity is 12. The Small Lodge has a small kitchen, dining area, lounge, laundry, etc.

We are in the process of adding new housing for staff.

Upon completion, the maximum overnight capacity at Hakai Beach will be approximately 100.