Kayak Tour Journal:
1 Day 'Eagles and Orcas'
The weather remained partly cloudy for the day but the sea was calm where we paddled. We did however have a wonderful opportunity to see the magnificent power of the ocean as the tide ripped out beyond our kayaks.
We had a really nice dahls porpoise sighting with little boat traffic, always a bonus! The dahls porpoise actually surfaced within 10 yards of our kayaks! You could hear their short exhale and inhalations as well as see their distinctive white saddle patches.
We also had a superb sighting of two mature bald eagles that were sitting in a very large Douglas fir overlooking the water.
Kayak Tour Journal:
1 Day 'Eagles and Orcas'
Each trip a new adventure. This one started out with an eagle sighting, with several more mature eagle sightings through the day! The orca pod known as J-pod came by very close to our rafted kayaks, while another unidentified pod was a mere 150 yards out. The two pods were separated by only an hour or two. Wonderful day even though partly cloudy and rainy, with mixed seas!
My name is Elliot Leitenberg. I was there last week and went on a tour with your guide Matt. We started very late due to late people. Then we had very rough water and an impending storm. Things didn't seem to be going our way.
Somehow the storm passed us by, we headed out and saw several pods of orcas including a pod that passed us within 25 feet. It was a great time and Matt did a superior job. He was safe, but unobtrusive and certainly not patronizing. He was informative, laid back, and generally a pleasure to be around in imperfect conditions.
Thanks for a good time and a good operation. - Elliot and Antonia Leitenberg
Kayak Tour Journal:
3 Day 'Eagles and Orcas'
Day One: Our group started off most enthusiastically leaving from San Juan County Park with the wind at our backs and favorable tides! We made great time paddling and had plenty of opportunity to explore Stuart Island and Reid Harbor.
Wildlife sighted: pelagic cormorants, pigeon guillemonts, harbor seals, great blue herons, river otter and bald eagles!
Day Two: We circumnavigated Stuart Island on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We had a great vie of all the local mountain ranges and a ring side seat for a fight between a bald eagle and a crow.
Wildlife sighted: River otter, mink, osprey, bald eagles, jellyfish, huge pisaster sea stars and cormornats!
Day Three: On the last leg of our trip home from Stuart Island we saw a pod of orca!
Four of them popped up right beside our rafted-up flotilla of kayaks as well as a porpoise nearby. Everyone agreed that getting up early on a Sunday was well worth the experience.
Wildlife sighted: Orcas!, porpoise, harbor seals, jellyfish, and bald eagles.
"This trip began and ended fair and calm with moderate sea conditions. We had a strong group of paddlers and saw tons (literally) of wildlife. Otters, mink, numerous eagles, huge pisaster starfish, jellyfish, guillemots, pelagic cormorants and on the last day. a pod of orca!
Four orca popped out right off of our rafted up kayaks, perhaps 15 ft away!!!
Beautiful weather, beautiful mountains and favorable tides!
Personally, I was impressed and thankful for (Outdoor Odysseys' guides) leave no trace, tread lightly position. Made me feel good they are out guiding others while protecting the earth for future generations." - Marianne/Alec/Tony Corallo
Kayak Tour Journal:
1 Day 'Eagles and Orcas'
Our Custom Day Trip left from San Juan County Park, heading south. About 45 minutes into the paddle we were "surprised" by local resident orcas, J-pod!!! Some playful and interesting behaviors of the orcas were enjoyed, including one spyhopping (poking the nose above water for a look about)! In addition to the orcas we were entertained by a very curious harbor seal and later tide pooling at Deadman's Bay.
Kayak Tour Journal:
3 Day 'Eagles and Orcas'
Day One: We left San Juan Island with winds picking up but creating some fun rollers to surf paddle for a distance. We put in at British Camp for lunch allowing a leisurely tour of the historic sights and garden, while we waited for tides to settle and weather to make up its mind! During that brief paddle we saw several seals hauled out on various small bumps of rocks, pigeon guillemots, and Canadian geese as well as an occasional cormorant riding low and flying gracefully away skimming the water at our approach.
As we set up camp and began the dinner preparations an eagle and osprey played tag overhead, while river otters were seen cruising the beach just down from our camp.
Day Two: Dawned early and grey but hopeful with all eager for the hot coffee brewing and the hearty breakfast of orange garnished french toast and maple syrup! We headed our kayaks out, with all seeking their own path around Reid Harbor to the opening where we regrouped and planned our days strategy while drifting lazily about. There were more sightings of eagles and the osprey who seems to have made his/her home near the base camp, as well as river otter and a couple of mink. One river otter sat peering at us from a rocky outcropping as he/she munched on some ocean delicacy.
A short paddle around the corner of Stuart and we found a lovely beach of small colored pebbles where we put in for a short break with some bravely testing the waters (the day having turned hot) and others soaking up the rays while others hiked the beach, all eyes watchful for the orcas who might drop by our way.
Lunch was set at a beach near the lighthouse on Stuart Island where a pair of eagles nested over our heads! A monarch butterfly flitted about flirting with the yellow kayaks and multi colored bright clothing of the paddlers and everyone settled into a sumptious meal. You really need those carbs for the paddling!!!
The orcas did choose our route that day for a partial distance around Stuart, but not at our schedule and so they were not seen by our group, rather they came in about an hour after our departure from the first beach, with us never knowing until we had returned to camp late that afternoon.
A quick and early dinner was set and eaten and then the whole party (after a 14 mile circumnavigation of Stuart Is) hiked out to the light house for sunset. A pod of around 30 Dall's porpoise were enjoyed from the sunset location before all returned to a small campfire, for a late dessert of chocolate fondue and fruit slices.
Day 3: Started out very promising and after a quick breakfast of fresh coffee and tea, juice, hot cereal, cream and brown sugar, camp was once again loaded into the kayaks and we made good time hitting the water. Regrouping at the opening to Reid Harbor we listened to the radio for awhile to see if and where the day's orca sightings might be, but nothing and so continued our crossing to Brown Island. A brief pitstop on a pebbled beach and a briefing of water and wind conditions by our guide Paul and we were on our way around Brown to visit the cormorant colony on the cliff side. The cormorant colony was very active and vocal with parent birds talking and feeding their young nested in the rocks of the steep cliff wall.
The winds and water conditions worsened and we were forced to head back instead of rounding the Island and putting in at San Juan County Park as planned. Everyone handled their kayaks well and so we found time to have a leisurely lunch on another of those beautiful pebble strewn beaches. The orcas had been sighted but way across the waters at Orcas Island and not likely to head our way anytime soon, so we packed up the lunch and paddled our way to Roche Harbor along some beautiful island shores. A raccoon sat curiously on one beach side, like some cartoon character greeting us as we paddled by. Eagles, deer, cormorants, and a variety of other NW coast creatures adorned our journey which ended way to soon for me.
Kayak Tour Journal: 'Bed and Breakfast Custom Tour'
(Happy 10th Anniversary, Sandy and Jeff!!!)
Day One: We started out at Jackson Beach with rain threatening, but by the time we pulled out at Turn Island for lunch there was "blue skies smilin' at me, nothin' but blue skies do I see!!!"
On our way over we hugged the shore as we passed by a huge haul out of harbor seals! Almost 2 dozen peered at us motionless from the water alone, they seemed more curious than afraid. The special thing was that we were absolutely the only people around!
Countless eagles soared overhead, landing in treetops right in front of us! Sandy commented that the eagles were attracted to Jeff's balding head???
Day Two: Just as we were turning on to Haro Strait out of Mosquito Pass, the tell tale orange whale watch boats stopped in the strait! We kept our eyes peeled and sure enough were treated to dorsals first, and then two full breaches!!!
After dinner at 'The Place' we drove to San Juan County Park to watch the sunset. Sandy and Jeff were already talking about their next trip to the San Juan Islands and bringing their family along...
Day Three: After hiking through Lime Kiln Park a picnic of smoked salmon and bagels for lunch on the bluff was just the right touch.
We caught one final glimpse of the orcas when we were driving along Haro Strait on our way back to town. Jeff spotted a dorsal and was out of the van racing down to our earlier picnic site just in time to see a distant breach! He said it was the icing on the cake!!!
Kayak Tour Journal:
3 Day Custom Trip to Pathos Island
This was the first Outdoor Odysseys group to make it to Pathos Island. Lots of miles, but lots of smiles too!!!
"We are still talking about the great time we had. Paul was an excellent guide, very flexible except when it came to safety. A good person to learn from and just plain enjoyable to be around!" Nate Williams
See a trip journal by guest Nate Williams in our Guest Scrapbook.
