Our Location

The Hakai Institute lies on the northwest tip of Calvert Island, which is 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 property.

Travel Connections

Hakai is roughly midway between the two points where there is road access to the Central Coast: Port Hardy and Bella Coola. Hakai is centrally located among the airports that have scheduled service to Vancouver YVR: Port Hardy, Bella Bella and Bella Coola. Hakai itself has daily scheduled seaplane service from Port Hardy and charter service as required. Water taxis operate from Port Hardy and Bella Bella.

Harbor and Dock

The remarkable feature of Calvert Island is Kwakshua Channel, which cuts across the island from Fitz Hugh Sound in the east and terminates at Pruth Bay just a few hundred meters from the open Pacific Ocean.

The Google Earth map below shows the approximate scope of the Hakai Beach property, which includes the shorelines of Pruth Bay, West Beach and North Beach.

Our dock and buildings sit on the western shore of Pruth Bay.

Notice to Visiting Boaters

You are welcome to moor your dinghy in the specified area of our floats and cross to the beaches. Please visit the interpretive center, sign our guest book and work with us to preserve the natural splendor at Hakai.