LEPAS BAYLocation: Graham Island

Distance from Lodge: 3 km

Accessibility: Guided hike

Lepas Bay is a spectacular crescent-shaped beach located just south of Langara Island around the northwest corner of Graham Island. Over 2 kilometres long and very wide even at high tide, this expansive beach is surrounded by dense rainforest.

Access to Lepas Bay is limited, but Langara guests can occasionally hike to the bay as part of the Kiusta Village tour to enjoy beachcombing and hiking around the area.

An island just off shore from the north end of Lepas Bay is an Ecological Reserve, established to protect the habitat of nesting sea birds This small 3.6-hectare island is one of the largest mixed bird species breeding colonies in British Columbia. In 1978, when the Reserve was established, it was the nesting site for an estimated 4,300 pairs of Leach’s Storm-petrels, 3,400 pairs of Fork-tailed Storm-petrels, 60 pairs of Cassin’s Auklets, and 50 pairs of Pigeon Guillemots.

Also present here is the Lepas Bay Rediscovery Camp, a Haida youth program designed to develop and strengthen an appreciation for Haida history and culture. Lepas Bay is not accessible to our guests when this Camp is taking place.

Visit Lepas Bay in Google 360: https://goo.gl/maps/qXJMcXdbzNA2

(SIGHTSEEING)

KIUSTA VILLAGELocation: Graham Island

Distance from Lodge: 2 km

Accessibility: Guided tours

The Langara Island area was once home to numerous villages and fishing outposts of the native Haida people, with remains of settlements found all around the area. The largest of these was the village of Kiusta, located on the north shore of Graham Island.

Although much of what remains of Kiusta is decayed or overgrown with a thick carpet of moss, remnants of what was once a thriving community can still be found. A row of depressions outlines what were once houses, with a few corner posts and fallen roof beams marking their perimeters, and several mortuary poles are still standing.

The site’s most impressive feature is the unique triple-mortuary totem pole of one of the village’s last chiefs, Chief Edenshaw.

When accessible, Langara guests can enjoy a 1-2 hour tour of Kiusta and the surrounding rainforest. By agreement with the Haida people, access to Kiusta is by guided tour only, and tours may occasionally be unavailable when the site is being used for youth retreats or cultural purposes.

Visit Kiusta Village in Google 360: https://goo.gl/maps/TUid6ftz6Bx

LANGARA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSELocation: Lighthouse Point, Langara Island

Distance from Lodge: 10 km; 20 minutes

Accessibility: Viewable by boat or heli-tour

The Langara Island Lighthouse is located atop a scenic bluff on the northwest corner of the island. It is easily seen from the water when fishing in the area.

It is one of only two light stations in Haida Gwaii – the other being at Cape St. James (now an automated station), at the southern tip of the Islands. Both were built in 1913.

During World War II, the Langara Island Lighthouse was painted camouflage green and a radar station was built here to monitor the North Pacific.

The original light, still in use today, is a first-order Fresnel lens (the largest type of lighthouse lens) manufactured by Chance Brothers of England. Each side of the lens is over 8’ tall and 5’ wide with a focal length of 3’.

(FISHING LOCATIONS)

HUMPBACK WHALE(Megaptera novaeangeliae)Sightings: Very frequent

The waters surrounding Langara Island are among the best in the world for seeing Humpback whales – rare is the trip that does not feature several sightings. This species is one of the most dramatic of the great whales and capable of incredible acrobatics, occasionally jumping clear out of the water in a full breach.

Humpbacks are a baleen whale, feeding on schools of small fish or crustaceans by taking huge gulps of water and filtering them out with the fibrous plates of baleen hanging from the roof of their mouth. Occasionally, they can be seen feeding by means of cooperative bubble-net feeding. This involves a coordinated group of 5-7 whales that dive simultaneously, seek out a school of small fish, then proceed to blow a large circle of bubbles underwater around the school. These bubbles form a cylinder as they rise to the surface, which concentrates the fish into a tight mass. When the circle is complete, the whales burst to the surface together with mouths agape.

Humpbacks can grow to about 45 feet in length and weigh over 30 tonnes. They are easily identified by their arched back when diving, long white flippers, and ‘knobs’ on the top of their nose. Their most distinctive feature is their tail flukes. The natural black and white patterns on the underside of their tails, unique to humpbacks, are used by researchers to identify and catalog individual whales – like human fingerprints, no two humpback tails are alike.

(WILDLIFE: MAMMALS)

BLACK BEAR(Ursus Carlottae)Sightings: Occasional

Black bears can be found throughout Haida Gwaii. Although not present on Langara Island, they can often be seen foraging along the nearby shorelines of Graham Island, particularly in Bruin Bay.

Haida Gwaii black bears are one of the most distinct of 16 subspecies of North American black bears. The bears here have been isolated from continental populations since the retreat of the last ice age over 18,000 years ago, and are believed to have retained more of their ice-age characteristics than any other subspecies. Although the differences are not great, they are an excellent example of the unique biodiversity of these islands.

Black bears here are the largest in the world, with some measuring up to 7 feet and 700 pounds, and have proportionally larger skulls. Their colouring is uniformly black, whereas many other subspecies have colour phases that vary from dark brown to blonde. They feed on plants, berries, salmon and insects, and may occasionally prey on newborn deer.

SEWIND

NWWIND

SWWIND

EBBTIDE

FLOODTIDE

NEWIND

36

36

36

36

36

3636

36

36

36

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

36

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

6565

6565

6565

65656565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565 6565

6565

6565

6565

65 65

6565

6565

6565

65 65

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

65656565

6565

6565

6565

6565

9898

98989898

9898

9898

98989898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131131131

131131131131 131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131131131

131131131131

131131131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164 164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

197197

197197

197197

197197

197197 197197

197197

197197 197197

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

262262

262262

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

420420

420420

420420

420420

420420

480480

480480

480480

480480

480480

540540

540540

540540

540540

596596

596596

596596

596596

596596

720720

720720

841841

841841

961961

961961

961961

10811081

1081108110811081

12011201 12011201

12011201

12011201

12011201

226

335

282

318

1434

262

259

282

253

167

312

305

256

210

197

262

194

174

78

108

144

157

223

203

282 197

226

144115

194157

203

84

102

84

89

71

96

1157878

78

65

7178

96

121 71

96

60

144

144

60

47

151

84138

121

180

161

174

151

174

125

180

180167

150

138

171

167

138

144

131

157 258

222

210259

240

402

396

171

141

226

102

118

84

52

65

102

121

96

89

84

115

105138

33

5151

1260

1296

1355

653

863

577

148

246

174

325262

144171

269

305

54

157

151

108

88

121

144

157

13882

8449

33

48

85

45

52

121

121

151

84

42

223

427

102

377

138

226

47

47108 331

226

246

47

6565

102187

407

259

259

312269121

217

78

161

131

115

180

548

84

84

108

1188

1339440

121210

197

210

47115

138

138 108

60

180

240

210

43138

302

55

144190

54

42

54

44

56

50

108

151

13865

10871

187

47

125

14171440

125

42

341

978

236

95

59

42

42

132

108

186

581

528

509

341

90

84

148

56

87

67

57

4296

36

210259

354

745

354

246

54

282

269

223

115

666

443

180

187

177

203

290

115

Fury Bay

Harvey Rock(breaks)

Cloak BayKusgwai PassageCox Island

Holland Pt.

Lucy Island Alert Rock

Solide Passage

Egeria Bay

Little Cohoe Pt.

Cohoe Pt.

Dibrell BayAndrews Pt.

Explorer Bay

Dixon Entrance

Langara Rocks

Thrumb Islet

Lord Bight

Lacy Island

L A N G A R A I S L A N D

Jalun River

Seath Pt.

Pillar Bay

Boulder Pt.

Coneehaw RocksDouglas Rock

Bruin Bay

Parry Passage

Marchand Reef

Kiusta(Haida Village)

Meares Pt.

Chanal Reef(breaks)

Swanton Bank(breaks with SW swell)

Ocean Shoal(breaks)

Cape Knox

Lepas Bay

Carew Rocks

Newcombe Hill

Lauder Point

Gatenby Rock

G R A H A M I S L A N D

Gunia Pt

.

No Name Pt.

Rhodes P

t.

Hart Pt.Haz

ard

ous C

ove

Iphi

geni

a P

t.

Henslung Cove

Beal Cov

e

St. Margaret Pt.

Dadens

Lighthouse Pt.

McPherson Pt.

Friendly Cove

Pillar R

ock

Langara Fishing Adventures . Langara.com . Copyright 2015

HAIDA HISTORICAL SITES

LIGHT STATION

32/36 FT. DEPTH

16 FT. DEPTH

6 FT. DEPTH

TIDAL AREAS

Untitled-1 1 2015-05-06 2:28 AM

COHOE POINT & ANDREWS POINTDistance from Lodge: 6.5 km; 12 minutes

When in doubt, head to Cohoe Point. This area, from Egeria Bay to Andrews Point, is Langara Island’s most consistently productive location, and, almost by definition, one of the single best spots for salmon fishing in the world. Cohoe Point is dead centre on the lee side of the Island, and it is here where currents converge as they wrap around the Island, bringing a consistent flow of baitfish and salmon of all species that gather and find shelter in Egeria Bay and other protected areas on the east side.

Fishing can be excellent on either the flood and ebb tides, though usually best on the ebb, and anywhere from near shore in shallower waters to almost a mile off shore in 300+ feet of water. The tide line stretching out from Andrews Point can be particularly productive for salmon, as well as black rockfish closer to the Point – huge schools can often be found here feeding near the surface.

Heading due east from Egeria Bay for about one mile, in approximately 300-350 feet of water, will put you into one of the Island’s best areas for smaller ‘chicken’ sized halibut.

Explore Cohoe Pt. in Google 360: https://goo.gl/maps/PibD1uZG4np

(FISHING LOCATIONS)

SEWIND

NWWIND

SWWIND

EBBTIDE

FLOODTIDE

NEWIND

36

36

36

36

36

3636

36

36

36

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

36

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

6565

6565

6565

65656565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565 6565

6565

6565

6565

65 65

6565

6565

6565

65 65

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

6565

65656565

6565

6565

6565

6565

9898

98989898

9898

9898

98989898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

9898

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131131131

131131131131 131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131131131

131131131131

131131131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

131131

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164 164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

164164

197197

197197

197197

197197

197197 197197

197197

197197 197197

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

230230

262262

262262

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

295295

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

360360

420420

420420

420420

420420

420420

480480

480480

480480

480480

480480

540540

540540

540540

540540

596596

596596

596596

596596

596596

720720

720720

841841

841841

961961

961961

961961

10811081

1081108110811081

12011201 12011201

12011201

12011201

12011201

226

335

282

318

1434

262

259

282

253

167

312

305

256

210

197

262

194

174

78

108

144

157

223

203

282 197

226

144115

194157

203

84

102

84

89

71

96

1157878

78

65

7178

96

121 71

96

60

144

144

60

47

151

84138

121

180

161

174

151

174

125

180

180167

150

138

171

167

138

144

131

157 258

222

210259

240

402

396

171

141

226

102

118

84

52

65

102

121

96

89

84

115

105138

33

5151

1260

1296

1355

653

863

577

148

246

174

325262

144171

269

305

54

157

151

108

88

121

144

157

13882

8449

33

48

85

45

52

121

121

151

84

42

223

427

102

377

138

226

47

47108 331

226

246

47

6565

102187

407

259

259

312269121

217

78

161

131

115

180

548

84

84

108

1188

1339440

121210

197

210

47115

138

138 108

60

180

240

210

43138

302

55

144190

54

42

54

44

56

50

108

151

13865

10871

187

47

125

14171440

125

42

341

978

236

95

59

42

42

132

108

186

581

528

509

341

90

84

148

56

87

67

57

4296

36

210259

354

745

354

246

54

282

269

223

115

666

443

180

187

177

203

290

115

Fury Bay

Harvey Rock(breaks)

Cloak BayKusgwai PassageCox Island

Holland Pt.

Lucy Island Alert Rock

Solide Passage

Egeria Bay

Little Cohoe Pt.

Cohoe Pt.

Dibrell BayAndrews Pt.

Explorer Bay

Dixon Entrance

Langara Rocks

Thrumb Islet

Lord Bight

Lacy Island

L A N G A R A I S L A N D

Jalun River

Seath Pt.

Pillar Bay

Boulder Pt.

Coneehaw RocksDouglas Rock

Bruin Bay

Parry Passage

Marchand Reef

Kiusta(Haida Village)

Meares Pt.

Chanal Reef(breaks)

Swanton Bank(breaks with SW swell)

Ocean Shoal(breaks)

Cape Knox

Lepas Bay

Carew Rocks

Newcombe Hill

Lauder Point

Gatenby Rock

G R A H A M I S L A N D

Gunia Pt

.

No Name Pt.

Rhodes P

t.

Hart Pt.Haz

ardou

s Cov

e

Iphi

geni

a P

t.

Henslung Cove

Beal Cov

e

St. Margaret Pt.

Dadens

Lighthouse Pt.

McPherson Pt.

Friendly Cove

Pillar R

ock

Langara Fishing Adventures . Langara.com . Copyright 2015

HAIDA HISTORICAL SITES

LIGHT STATION

32/36 FT. DEPTH

16 FT. DEPTH

6 FT. DEPTH

TIDAL AREAS

Untitled-1 1 2015-05-06 2:28 AM

GUNIA POINT & PILLAR BAYDistance from Lodge: 5 km; 10 minutes

This scenic stretch of the Graham Island coastline, from Gunia Point, to Boulder Point, Pillar Bay, Seath Point, and beyond, features productive salmon fishing and often the calmest waters in our area. In most conditions it is well sheltered from wind and currents, and water depths here rarely exceed 100 feet.

Around Gunia Point and Boulder Point fishing is best close to shore. Simply following the drift along the coastline between the two points is a very effective method, particularly on the ebb tide. The whole of Pillar Bay can often hold large amounts of baitfish and salmon, especially closer to the thick kelp beds lining the shoreline.

The waters just east of Pillar Bay can be tremendously productive in August and September, when coho salmon are most abundant at Langara. Just east of Pillar Bay lies Seath Point, one of the better locations for fly fishing and bucktailing for coho. Five kilometres farther is the mouth of the Jalun River, where you can often find both salmon near shore and halibut offshore.

CHINOOK SALMON(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Size range: 12-70+ pounds

Langara record: 78 pounds

Aka: Spring, King

Characteristics: Largest of all salmon species. Lightly spotted blue-green back; dark mouth with black gums; silvery tail usually covered with spots. Flesh is most often pink, but some chinook have a very light colour flesh and are referred to as white springs.

Sport fishery: Chinook make powerful, determined runs when fought, rarely leaping; battles with large chinook often last a half-hour or more. The most sought after Pacific salmon species, for both size and determined fight. Mooching or slow trolling with herring is the preferred method at Langara; plugs or spoons are also effective. Success can be found in virtually any location around the Island, and at depths from near surface to 300+ feet.

Life History: Juveniles spend 2-3 months in freshwater before migrating seaward, where they feed and mature for 1-6 years in the North Pacific Ocean. Majority of returning chinook are 3-5 years old. Adults feed on a variety of smaller fishes, including herring, needlefish and anchovies. Salmon rely on a combination of genetic memory and sense of smell to guide them back to their natal streams to spawn. Enormous numbers of chinook visit Langara Island from late April through early October as they migrate to streams and rivers from Alaska

(FISH SPECIES)

HALIBUT(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)

Size range: 10 - 300+ pounds

Langara record: 308 pounds

Characteristics: Largest of the Pacific flat fishes; can exceed 8 feet in length and 500+ pounds; average size is 30-35 pounds. Flat diamond shaped body; brown mottled topside, white underbody; both eyes on top of head.

Sport fishery: Halibut are generally abundant in the Langara Island area all season long. Found in a variety of locations, at depths ranging from 60 – 150 feet near shore to 300 – 500 feet off shore. Gear consists of stout rod and star drag reel with herring, squid, or salmon head for bait.

Life History: In winter months mature halibut concentrate in spawning grounds along the edge of the continental shelf at depths from 600 – 3600 feet. In late spring they will migrate to shallower feeding waters in depths between 100 – 1300 feet. Food consists of other bottom fish, crabs, clams, squid, and invertebrates. A large female produces from two to three million eggs, which drift with ocean currents as they develop into larvae and grow. By age five months most young fish settle in shallower waters and become bottom dwellers, at which time the left eye begins to migrate over the top of the head and onto the upward facing right side. Most males are mature by 8 years of age, females by 12 years.

PEREGRINE FALCON(Falco peregrinus)Sightings: Occasional

The Peregrine Falcons of Langara Island have attracted the attention of ornithologists for almost 100 years. The Peregrines here belong to a distinct sub-species known as Peale’s Peregrines (the world’s largest), and Langara Island once supported the greatest known density of nesting peregrines, with as many as 25 pairs identified in the 1950s. In recent decades there have been 5-10 pairs – still a very high number for such a small area – with each pair producing 1-3 young every year. Popular nesting sites include the cliffs around Cox Island, McPherson Point and near the Lighthouse.

Peregrines can be difficult to spot. They often perch in trees or atop cliffs, from where they launch high speed hunting flights after spotting small seabirds out on the water. The falcon will swiftly fly out, shadow its prey from high above, then dive down at up to 180 miles an hour to snatch or strike the bird. It is rare to see these final moments of the hunt, but occasionally peregrines can be seen flying shoreward carrying a dead seabird.

Although neither hunts the other, Peregrine Falcons and Bald Eagles maintain an adversarial relationship at Langara Island. Eagles, with their incredible eyesight, will spot falcons hunting offshore and try to pirate their catch as the falcons returns to the Island. In response, falcons will rarely pass up an opportunity to dive at or harass a nearby eagle.

(WILDLIFE: BIRDS)

BALD EAGLE(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)Sightings: Frequent

The Bald Eagle is the largest bird present at Langara Island, and also one of the most commonly sighted.

At Langara they feed primarily on fish, although also prey on other birds such as gulls and murrelets. Large numbers of eagles can be seen throughout the season, perched in trees or on rocky shorelines, soaring high overhead or swooping down to snatch herring and needlefish, and the occasional small salmon, near the water’s surface. Bald Eagles can only lift about half their weight and are usually unable to launch themselves from the water – eagles have occasionally been seen swimming back to shore, using their wings as paddles, after swamping themselves trying to snatch a fish too large to lift.

Bald Eagles are found throughout North America, but most abundant in Alaska and coastal BC, particularly during breeding season. Adults may have a wingspan of over 7 feet, but weigh only 10-15 pounds. They do not develop their familiar plumage of white head and tail until 3-4 years of age – juveniles are all brown with some white blotches. Their call is a high-pitched cackle that seems unfitting for such an impressive bird.

Bald Eagles are monogamous, parenting 1-3 eaglets each year. They create very large nests called ‘eyries’ that they may return to and build up year after year.

TUFTED PUFFIN(Lunda Fratercula cirrhata)

Sightings: Frequent

Tufted Puffins are probably the most distinctive birds seen at Langara Island. They are most commonly seen around Fury Bay and Cox Island, usually sitting on the water between dives for food, or flying just above the surface. Their diet consists mostly of small fish, with needlefish a preferred species – they can occasionally be seen carrying a bill-full of needlefish, neatly aligned head to tail, back to their feeding chick nestling.

Tufted Puffins have a plain black body with a white face highlighted by a large red-orange beak and long blonde tufts extending over and behind their eyes.

These pudgy pigeon-sized birds appear awkward on land and in the air, but underwater they are extremely graceful, using their wings to fly through the water as they chase after their next meal.

They breed on isolated islands around the North Pacific Rim, with some small colonies found as far south as Northern California.

Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) can also be sighted around Langara Island, but are much rarer. They have a white belly, large bright orange-yellow bill and small black upturned ‘horns’ extending from the eyes.