

Jewitt and the other survivor, John Thompson, became two of some fifty slaves owned by Chief Maquinna. Twenty-five of her twenty-seven crewmen were massacred, their heads “arranged in a line” for survivor John R. On March 22 1803, while anchored in Nootka Sound, the trading vessel Boston was attacked by Nootka Indians. The area subsequently became a major centre for international fur trading. Resolute Cove on Bligh Island is named after Captain Cook’s ship, where a cairn on the southeast cove of the island commemorates the landing. Large Bligh Island is named for a much-maligned British Navy Captain who sailed here with the equally well-known Captain James Cook in 1778.

Historically, Bligh Island, a few miles to the northeast of Yuquot, has been used extensively by the Mowachaht First Nations people, and still remains part of their traditional territory. The Canadian government declared Friendly Cove a National Historic Site in 1923, with recognition of the significance of the First Nations history following in 1997. The talks between Captain George Vancouver and Captain Juan Francisco de la Quadra were facilitated by Chief Maquinna. The Nootka Convention was held in nearby Tahsis in 1792 to resolve the dispute between Spain and Britain over trading rights with the people of Yuquot.
#Nootka island pro
While anchoring in Resolution Cove on Bligh Island, across from Friendly Cove, the natives hollered “itchme nutka, itchme nutka”, meaning “go around” (to Yuqout), but Cook misinterpreted their calls, believing the name of the area to be Nootka.Ī Spanish trading post, Santa Cruz de Nutka, and Fort San Miguel, the only Spanish fort ever established in Canada, was maintained here between 17, with Nootka becoming an important focal point for English, Spanish and American traders and explorers.įlickr Album Gallery Pro Powered By: WP Frank In March 1778, Captain James Cook of the Royal Navy became the first European to set foot on British Columbian soil when he visited Friendly Cove on Nootka Island. Those same qualities still draw visitors to this magical place today, as there is so much to see and experience. The internationally historic site of Yuquot – where the wind blows in all directions – was the summer home of Chief Maquinna and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht people for generations, housing approximately 1,500 natives in 20 traditional wooden longhouses.įirst Nations people came to magnificent Yuquot over 4,000 years ago, drawn by the rich sea life and natural resources, the mild climate, and the beautiful surroundings. The birthplace of British Columbia is the small community of Yuquot, also known as Friendly Cove, the site of the first contact between Europeans and First Nations people in British Columbia. We’ll be together for 10+ days and will need to rely on each other throughout.Premier Listings for Yuquot (Friendly Cove) In order to make this trip a success for everyone please think about your own goals and skills before committing to ensure we are all on the same page. In addition to the border crossing, getting to the Zeballos area launch site requires taking a BC ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo and driving several hours north, including approximately 60 miles on an unpaved logging road. Please note that traveling to Canada still involves some risk due to COVID but I'm hopeful that it is minimal this summer. Even though travel restrictions have recently been eliminated, others remain in effect so see for more info. You must also be fully COVID vaccinated to participate as we will need to follow all Canadian requirements for crossing the border. Prior multi-day kayak/camping trips a must as well as recent experience paddling a loaded boat in conditions. You can expect a combination of protected paddles within the inlets and archipelagos as well as open coastal paddling however, wind may be encountered anywhere we will paddle.


I’m not planning on long paddling days or breaking camp daily but we will stay at multiple locations throughout the trip. We’ll spend 10 days leisurely exploring the Esperanza/Nuchatlitz area.
