Where is it? What is it?
Haida Gwaii, or the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago 100 kilometers west of the northern coast of British Columbia, Canada. It includes an isolated group of over 200 islands, large and small, totaling approximately 3750 square miles.


Map of Haida Gwaii.

Haida Gwaii is perched on the very edge of Canada's Pacific continental shelf. The combined effects of the cold nutrient-rich waters of the northern Pacific meeting with warm offshore currents originating in Japan, results in an environment abundant in natural resources, both in the sea and forests.


Burnaby Narrows, Gwaii Haanas.

Flowering plants, some unique to Haida Gwaii, flourish in high alpine meadows. Giant red cedars, Sitka spruce, western hemlock and yellow cypress thrive in Haida Gwaii's cool, moist coastal climate. These wonders rank with the largest trees remaining on earth.


Gwaii Haanas Forest.

Large portions of the islands have been saved from industrial logging in the last ten years. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site protects the southern third of the archipelago. In 1987, the Haida were successful in bringing logging to an end in this area and it is now set aside to be preserved in its natural state.


Log Barge in Masset Inlet.

Lyell Island, Gwaii Haanas.

Haida Gwaii's more than 5000 kilometers of coastal shoreline provide an ideal habitat for a great diversity of marine life.

Whales, porpoises, seals, and over one-half of British Columbia's sea lion population thrive in the plankton-rich waters.


Sea Lions in Gwaii Haanas.

Haida Gwaii supports over 25 percent of all nesting seabirds in the Canadian Pacific--up to half a million breeding pairs. Preying upon this abundant food source are Peale's peregrine falcons, which are found here in the world's greatest concentrations. Bald eagles nest in South Moresby in densities unparalleled anywhere in Canada. The islands are a major stopover for migrating waterfowl along the Pacific flyway. Trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes are among the endangered species which find refuge in Haida Gwaii.


Eagle.

Haida Gwaii is the most isolated land mass in Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the Canadian Galapagos. Because of their remoteness, the islands are a natural laboratory for studying evolution. Several species of plants, lichens and moss are unique to Haida Gwaii. Some animals, including the black bear, ermine and the now extinct Dawson caribou represent distinct sub-species with evolutionary traits unique to Haida Gwaii.


Satellite Map of Gwaii Haanas.

The earliest known name for the islands is Xaaydlaa Gwaayaay, meaning, "Islands coming out of concealment." The more common Haida name is Haida Gwaii, meaning, "Islands of the People."

The official geographic name is the Queen Charlotte Islands, which originates, in 1787, with George Dixon, a British fur trader, who named the islands after Queen Charlotte, the wife of the King of England, George III.

Today, however, the name "Queen Charlottes" is beginning to be superseded by "Haida Gwaii" in everyday and official reference to the islands. An application procedure to officially change the name to Haida Gwaii has been initiated by the Council of the Haida Nation.


Aerial rugged coastline, Gwaii Haanas.