Moresby Island

Moresby Island is the second-largest island in the Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) archipelago off the northern coast of British Columbia. It is a sparsely populated, largely forested island noted for its cultural sites and protected natural areas.

The island is part of Haida traditional territory and contains village and cultural sites used for centuries by the Haida people. European contact and later colonial administration affected settlement patterns, and more recent decades have seen cooperative protection arrangements between Canadian authorities and the Haida Nation.

Moresby Island lies south of Graham Island within the Haida Gwaii archipelago, off the northwest coast of mainland British Columbia. The island is remote from major population centres and is accessed by air services and boat from other islands or the BC coast.

• Wildlife and marine access: Home to temperate rainforest, seabird colonies and rich marine life along the surrounding shores; boat and sea-kayak trips show sea lions, whales and intertidal life.
• Access: Sandspit and small air services provide the main access points to the island from the British Columbia mainland and nearby islands.

What to See #

• Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve: Covers the southern portion of the island and many adjacent islets; a cooperative federal-provincial-First Nations protected area that includes old Haida village sites and extensive tracts of temperate old-growth rainforest.