Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove is a former fishing and cannery village that has become a base for eco-tourism where thousands of visitors travel to each year. Nestled in a sheltered inlet on Johnstone Strait near the famous Broughton Archipelago on the eastern shore of North Vancouver Island, Telegraph Cove is all about stunning scenery no matter where you look. Whale watching tours operate throughout the summer and grizzly bear trips head out from here to Knight Inlet and the Great Bear Rainforest. Kayaking, fishing, hiking and scuba diving are some of the popular outdoor activities. Visit the Whale Interpretive Centre where you can view an invertebrate Aquarium, enjoy a “kids corner” of activities, and view articulated skeletons and other displays.

Whale Interpretive Centre, Telegraph Cove | Kim Walker

Location

Telegraph Cove is located on the eastern coast of Northern Vancouver Island, 26 km (16 mi) south of Port McNeill, 200 km (125 mi) North of Campbell River via Highway 19.

A Step Back in Time

In 1912, Telegraph Cove was a one room telegraph station and the northern terminus of a telegraph line that began in Campbell River and stretched from tree to tree along Vancouver Island’s east coast. The father of community pioneer Fred Wastell purchased most of the land around the cove. Together with Japanese investors, he established a salmon saltery and a sawmill. Many of the buildings of the day were built over the water on stilts and connected by a boardwalk.

Today, Telegraph Cove’s economy is based primarily on tourism. Telegraph Cove serves as the send-off point for kayakers and whale-watchers who are interested in sightings of the large number of Orca Whales that spend the summer months in the nearby Johnstone Strait, which separates the northern part of Vancouver Island from the rest of British Columbia. The old fishing village of Telegraph Cove has been turned into the Telegraph Cove Resort, where numerous small businesses head up operations that take tourists into the Johnstone Strait.