Cariboo. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
Calvert Island Conservancy is situated 95 km north of Port Hardy, 118 km southwest of Bella Coola and 55 km south of Bella Bella. Sharing its northern boundary with of Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy, Calvert Island can be reached via boat or seaplane. Scheduled air service and chartered boats are available from Vancouver, Port Hardy, Bella Coola, and Bella Bella. Visitors can also use BC Ferries’ Discovery Coast Passage service which travels between Port Hardy and Bella Coola and disembark at Bella Bella.
Camping
Wilderness camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, no facilities are provided.
When visiting the backcountry, always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. To learn more about staying safe in the backcountry, read our backcountry guide.
Things to do
Swimming is not recommended here, because the water is cold and can be rough.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Calvert Island Conservancy area is ideal for exploration by very experienced sea kayakers.
This area is world famous for its unsurpassed salmon fishing. There are also good fishing opportunities for halibut, lingcod, red snapper and rockfish around Calvert Island.
Rockfish Conservation Areas occur within this park. Fishing activities are limited in Rockfish Conservation Areas. Before you go fishing please refer to the Rockfish Conservation Area descriptions available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
There are scuba diving or snorkelling opportunities. The waters surrounding this conservancy are among the finest in the world for underwater exploration, with exceptional viewing opportunities year-round.
The conservancy is open to hunting. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting Regulations for more information.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Facilities
Campfires are allowed but firewood is not provided. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking.
If you must have a fire, please burn only dead and down wood, and be sure to extinguish the fire fully. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil so please use it conservatively, if at all.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
About this conservancy
Calvert Island is situated within the Heiltsuk and Wuikinuxv First Nation territories. The Heiltsuk people lived in many villages and seasonal camp locations throughout their territory, which includes Calvert Island. The Heiltsuk Nation has collected evidence that dates Namu, a village site close to Calvert Island, at approximately 10,000 years old. First Nation people from the nearby community of Bella Bella currently harvest salmon, halibut, rockfish, clams, crabs, cod, herring, seaweed and countless other marine and terrestrial resources from Calvert Island and its surrounding waters.
Safety Cove was used for anchorage by Charles Duncan in 1788 during a trading expedition that he conducted between the Skeena River mouth and Cape Caution, and was subsequently used by other maritime fur traders. Captain George Vancouver undertook a voyage of the Pacific Ocean from 1791 to 1795, where he surveyed a good portion of the coastline of what is now British Columbia. In 1792, Vancouver, deterred by bad weather from continuing the survey, waited securely in Safety Cove. Captain Duncan named Calvert Island, whose name was probably given in honour of the noble house of Baltimore and was retained by Vancouver in 1792.
This conservancy protects the remainder of Calvert Island and abuts against the Hakai Luxvballis Conservancy Area, which is BC’s largest marine park. The diversity of habitats within Calvert Island Conservancy protects a wide variety of wildlife species from limpids and sea urchins to wolves, deer and black bears.
Large runs of Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Chum and Pink salmon crowd through Hakai Pass from the open Pacific Ocean headed for their natal streams and rivers. There are also halibut, lingcod, red snapper and rockfish in the waters surrounding Calvert Island. Kingfisher, common loon, cormorant and sandpiper occur around Calvert Island and over 100 bird species have been identified in the adjacent Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy area.
The waters surrounding Calvert Island are home to numerous marine mammals such as harbour seals, sea lions, and orcas while Pacific white-sided dolphins frequent Fitz Hugh Sound. The offshore waters are home to minke, gray, and humpback whales as well as porpoises and dolphins. Other mammal inhabitants on Calvert Island include black-tailed deer, wolves, river otters, mink, beavers and black bears.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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