Indigenous Entrepreneur-Led Ecotourism in Kwakwaka'wakw Territory, Northern Vancouver Island
We are the Kwakwaka'wakw; the people of this coast. We have walked this land, read its tides, and told its stories for millennia. Now we share them with the world.
We Are Sea Wolf Adventures
We are the Kwakwaka'wakw, the Kwak'wala-speaking people, made up of 18 tribes. Our traditional territory reaches from what is known as northern Vancouver Island, southeast to the middle of the island, and to smaller islands and inlets such as Johnstone Strait.
Discover our deep connection to the land, where our rich culture has been physically and spiritually sustained by the animals, trees, and waters of this region for millennia.
Sea Wolf Adventures is led by owner Mike Willie, a proud member of the Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw people; four nations united under the broader Kwakwaka'wakw Nation of Northern Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland. Our guides and crew are deeply rooted in this territory, bringing generations of knowledge of these waters, wildlife, and land to every experience we offer. We take great pride in introducing visitors to our homeland and sharing the truth behind travel through our territories.
We are honoured to share our beautiful home with visitors from around the globe. Join us on a journey into the beating heart of our homeland.
Our Territory, Our Responsibility
On the arrival day of our Lodge Package, guests visit Alert Bay; which was one of several traditional Kwakwaka'wakw villages where our people were resettled and schooled by the government. Residential schools and a Potlatch ban came down on our people like an iron hand; and we break free of this by being active in Potlatches today as ceremonial leaders.
"Potlatch is a way to carry out traditional governance for the people. A way to look after the old people. Potlatch is a way to maintain intertribal connections, by dancing your masks, stories, and songs in front of other tribes to record our history. A way to carry forward teachings for the future generations."
We carry forward these teachings by taking great pride in being able to pass on the knowledge of our ancestors; and being active in exercising our traditional laws that protect our lands and waters for our future generations.
By training and employing our own people, we ensure that our guides understand the importance of responsibly visiting our land and respecting the wildlife that resides here.
Sea Wolf Adventures · Kwakwaka'wakw People
Our Values as an Indigenous Entrepreneur-Led Ecotourism Company in BC
These are not brand statements. They are the teachings we were raised with; the laws our ancestors encoded in the land, the water, and the relationships between all living things.
Sustainability
Sustainability has always been a way of life for us. Conservation is not a trend; it is the foundation our people have built their relationship to this territory on for millennia.
Truth in Travel
Our guides share the truth behind travel through our territories; the history, the struggle, the resilience, and the joy. Visitors leave knowing the real story of this coast.
Community First
By employing and training our own people, we keep our culture active and our communities supported. Every booking contributes directly to Kwakwaka'wakw people and their livelihoods.
Reconciliation in Motion
Tourism done right is a form of reconciliation; sharing territory with respect, on our terms, through our voices. This is what it looks like when Indigenous people lead.
Come and Connect to Nature on a Deeper Level
Whether you're here for the grizzly bears, the orcas, the wilderness, or the culture; you will leave with more than photographs. You will leave with a relationship to this place.