Private Floating Lodge - Critter Cove, Tlupana Inlet - Nootka Sound, BC

Hole In the Wall is a family-owned floating lodge in the sheltered paradise of Critter Cove in Tlupana Inlet in Nootka Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The owners say it is the happiest place on earth where the beauty of Mother Nature will rejuvenate your soul.

Created 15 years ago to satisfy a large family’s wish to have their own sport fishing lodge in an idyllic location with abundant salmon, halibut, bottom fish, spot prawns and oysters. This is a private family lodge, not a commercial fishing lodge, so there are no financial statements.

Accessed by boat or seaplane, it is about 40 minutes by boat from Gold River in totally protected inland waters.

The tenure comprises two Licences of Occupation. The first floating cabin tenure has a term of 30 years from June 1, 2012, with 19 years remaining, and you can apply to renew the license after 19 years. The second mooring tenure is for an indefinite period from June 1, 2012.

The Lodge

The two-storey lodge with 1,152 ft2 on the main floor is on a 32’ x 85’ (2,720 ft2) float with cedar decking on top of 4' x 4' x 12' Styrofoam floats.

The main floor has a fully equipped kitchen, living room, wood heater, bar, TV, four 10’ x 10’ bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 8 seat dining table, laundry room, dry room, storage room, mechanical room and a 10’ x 18’ covered deck. The second floor has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and an office storage area.

The mechanical room has an inverter, batteries, electrical system, on demand hot water and a water pump with additional storage. The sewage waste treatment system with holding tank and macerator pump complies with the terms of the license. The 180 ft2 covered porch deck has a BBQ, deep fryer and two picnic tables.

A domestic water collection system captures rainwater from the metal roof which is stored in six 500-gallon tanks located below the main floor.

Appliances include propane double oven stove, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker and new stacking washer/dryer in the laundry/dry room storage area.

Amenities include satellite TV and internet.

The second 16’ x 28’ 448 ft2 concrete float has a 13 kWh Isuzu generator, fuel tanks, propane tanks, fish cleaning station, sewage holding tank with macerator pump, wood storage shed, fire pit, aluminum tie ups, tool room, storage rooms, room with two freezers and a fridge.

All buildings are 2” x 6” construction with vinyl siding and metal roofs.

This is a place to truly escape the upside-down world with the very best outdoor activities amid spectacular west coast scenery.

0.06 hectares (Floating Cabin)
0.03 hectares (Private Moorage)

Critter Cove, Tlupana Inlet - Nootka Sound, BC

Contact Listing Agent.

Tlupana Inlet, Nootka Sound

Hole In the Wall Private Fishing Retreat is about 40 minutes by boat west of Gold River in Critter Cove, a secluded and protected bay east of Nootka Island where Captain James Cook landed in 1776. By float plane from Gold River, you can be in the lodge in minutes.

Often considered one of the best kept secrets on the West Coast for its abundance of sea life and outdoor recreation potential, Nootka Sound is the ideal base to pursue saltwater fishing adventures in the region.

Surfers are attracted by the wild Pacific waves off Nootka Island and Brooks Peninsula, a climatic pocket that produces waters of the same temperature as Northern California. Strong inflow and outflow winds also create great conditions for windsurfers and kiteboarders in Tahsis Inlet.

Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet offer areas of strong tidal activity and diverse marine life, creating world-class scuba diving sites. Kayakers can enjoy the sheltered inlet waters, the rugged coastal scenery and abundant ocean wildlife.

If you're seeking an epic fishing trip, look no further than Nootka Sound. Within an hour, you can fish for salmon in any number of fishing hot spots. There are important salmon feeding grounds fronting Bajo reef, major salmon-holding areas in Nootka Sound and Tlupana Inlet, and productive salmon areas in outer Esperanza Inlet. At various times of the year, there are Chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, chum salmon and even albacore tuna. Bottom fish include halibut, ling cod, sole, greenling, sea bass, cabezon and several varieties of rockfish.

European Contact

In 1774 the Spanish became the first Europeans to sight the entrance of Nootka Sound. This was aboard the Santiago, out of Monterey and under Captain Juan Perez, anchored off Nootka at Estevan Point which he named Punta San Esteban after one of his officers, Esteban Jose Martinez. Here he traded with the First Nations people for furs, but made no landing. Because the Spanish did not actually land and then take formal possession, the British would not acknowledge Spanish sovereignty over the area. This exploration oversight would later prove costly to Spain.

On March 29, 1778, in search of the Northwest Passage, Captain James Cook with two vessels, the ‘Resolution’ and the ‘Discovery’, sailed into Nootka Sound looking for a sheltered bay in which to make repairs. As Cook’s ships arrived the Nootka people came out to meet them in canoes. This meeting was the first cultural exchange in the area between one of the more powerful First Nation’s groups and Europeans.

Please see mapping section, all boundaries are approximate.

49°42'51.87"N and 126°30'41.88"W

Internet and Wi-Fi.