Our five-day sojourn allows us to spend time kayaking and exploring some of the finest islands and scenery the San Juan Archipelago has to offer. After loading the kayaks, your guide will go over the basics of fitting you to your boat, paddling and steering and reviewing our safety procedures. We won't leave shore until all trip members feel comfortable in the kayaks.
Sea Kayak Trip Schedule
On our first day of paddling we're in prime orca whale viewing territory! (Today and for the next two days we are in the best place in the lower 48 for seeing orca whales.) We'll be paddling up the east side of Haro Strait. En- route we'll have opportunities for seeing other large marine mammals including Dall porpoise and Harbor seals, as well as orca whales. We'll set up camp on Stuart Island and enjoy a dinner of smoked salmon pesto fettuccine and a freshly baked berry crisp.
After breakfast on Tuesday, weather and tide permitting, we'll paddle around the wild and uninhabited northern portion of Stuart Island. We'll spend Tuesday and Wednesday camped on Stuart overlooking scenic Prevost Harbor.
On Wednesday we generally hike six miles out to the abandoned Coast Guard lighthouse at Turn Point. The view looking out across the straits to the Canadian Gulf Islands is spectacular! We're still in orca habitat so be on the alert for the large 4-6' dorsal fins of male orcas. Besides hiking, other options on your "day off" include a short afternoon or moonlit evening paddle, reading or just plain lazing around camp.
On Thursday, en route to our campsite on Jones Island, we'll poke along the forest-covered islets of Spieden, Cactus, Johns and numerous others. These small island habitats may include Minke whale, Dall porpoise and Harbor seals as well as bald eagles, Rhinoceros auklets, Marbled murrelets and Harlequin ducks. On our last night out your guide pulls out all the stops and whips up a Dutch oven-baked lasagna.
After breakfast on Friday, we'll break camp and work our way south down San Juan channel to Turn Island for lunch. Our take-out site is at Turn Point on the sound end of San Juan Island, which we should reach around 3 PM. It is a short ten- minute van ride back into Friday Harbor from our take out.
