Ketchikan Guided Kayak and Wildlife Tour

Take a 4-hour guided kayak tour to Clover Pass, (2 -2.5 hours in the kayaks) with scheduling to fit virtually every cruise ship. This is an amazing waterway with several rainforest islands, about 15 miles north of town. Your guides will get you away from the crowds and often to better weather where you'll paddle around 3 scenic islands where dense rainforest meets the sea. The Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in the U.S. and surrounds Clover Pass. Most tours encounter the resident Steller sea lions, seals, bald eagles and other birds, an immense array of intertidal life, and sometimes humpback whales, orcas, porpoises and jumping salmon along the route as well. Occasionally we even see Sitka deer or black bears down at the beach.
While specific wildlife viewing cannot be guaranteed, Clover Pass is second to none for wildlife viewing near Ketchikan and our micro climate, north of town, consistently provides dryer weather and calmer waters than downtown.

What's included:

• Local smoked salmon, dip, local vegan options and hot & cold beverages.
• Private Transportation from the downtown Cruise Docks & the new dock at Ward Cove.
• Our Guides are Locals or Professional Educators/Return Guides / No First Year Guides
• Small-group tours. 6:1 guide to guest ratio.

What to expect:

Duration: 4 hours

This tour is very educational, and is about much more than just paddling a kayak. We are not in a hurry to get you from point A to B and every tour can be different. An immense amount of inter-tidal life can be on display along the rocky shorelines of Clover Pass andwe usually see plenty of sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, limpets, chitons, nudibranchs, etc. living in the ebb and flow of the tide, just waiting for you to pull out your camera. Our guides are incredibly knowledgeable and love taking the time to show you the different critters, what they're doing, and how they're interacting. 
Our typical paddling route features a small island that is host to a large bald eagles nest whose residents have eaglets every summer. Watching the fledglings grow up and learn to fly is a highlight of our summers here. Depending on the weather and the wildlife we can paddle around as many as 3 small islands per tour. But when the Whales show up or the Sea Lions are feeding they do a pretty good job of dictating the tour route and pace. 

Private transportation from our downtown office across from the cruise docks is provided and excellent rain gear is provided if needed that day. After gearing up and a quick lesson, you'll board your kayak and your nature viewing will begin.The total tour time is 4 hours dock-to-dock with 2 to 2.5 hours on the water for most groups. Both hot and cold refreshments and a local smoked salmon snack are prepared for when you return from paddling. Our relaxed pace and small groups mean we're not just rushing you into the van as soon as you hit the dock. 

Eco-tours are limited to 12 guests per departure with a 6:1 guide to guest ratio. Sometimes we are all out on the water watching something fantastic and stay together, other times the group split into two seperate tours on the water. We're flexible. Private party tours for up to 20 guests are sometimes available upon request. 

You'll be paddling tandem sit-inside kayaks for their roominess and stability. No swimming on this tour.