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Sea kayaking Archipelago destinations take boaters from the ordinary into a world where nature’s ordinary has been left untouched. Marine life, wildlife and birds thrive. The following are just a few popular sea kayaking destinations.

Galapagos National Park

The legendary Galapagos Islands are said to be enchanted. Kayaking the area is an enchanting experience, according to those who’ve been there. Iridescent turquoise waters, lava channels, blue lagoons, deserted coves and white sand beaches are the stuff of dreams.

The islands are usually sunny, another kayaking plus. Both shores and water teem with life. Sea lions, iguanas, giant tortoise, blue footed booby, and the Galapagos hawk are regular residents. The ocean houses the Pacific green sea turtle, Galapagos penguins, rays, dolphins, whales and white sharks in addition to other aquatic life.

Broughton Archipelago Marine Provincial Park

Broughton Archipelago is a maze of little islands off Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The area is accessed only by water. This very popular sea kayaking destination houses a large collection of birds and wildlife.
While kayaking the Archipelago, paddlers are likely to see orcas (killer whales), Harbour seals, Harbour porpoises, sea lions, sea otters, river otters, mink, raccoon, black-tailed deer, black bears, Bald eagles, Harlequin ducks, cormorants and Great blue herons.

The islands are undeveloped and the setting is primitive. Organized Archipelago kayaking tours are available through various providers.

Sormlands Archipelago

Located just south of Stockholm, Sweden, this sea kayaking Archipelago destination features untouched wilderness. Kayakers can tour the calm inner area, the lush central region or the outer regions.

Mergui Archipelago

Located in the southern part of Burma, the Mergui is a collection of over 800 islands, most of which are covered in rain forest. This kayaking Archipelago destination takes paddlers deep into the rain forests. Kayak Jungle Rivers visit the sea gypsy village on Nyaung Wee Island and learn about Moken culture.
Stunning beaches and a variety of wildlife and birds give the islands a lost paradise feel. Kayaking visitors have reported seeing wild elephants, flying foxes, civet cats, gibbons, crab-eating monkeys, wild boar, monitor lizards, turtles, armadillos and fruit bats. Birds include sea eagles, hornbills and parrots.

Dover Archipelago

Nova Scotia’s East Dover sea kayaking destination lies in a protected Atlantic harbor. Numerous uninhabited islands invite exploration.

The preservation area lies between East Dover and Peggy’s Cove. Granite boulders dot the landscape, spread by melting ice over 20,000 years ago.

Many of the islands are accessible via sea kayak. Some islands are so rocky that it isn’t possible to beach the kayak.
Island plant life includes rare orchids, Pitcher plants, lichens, juniper, and wild rhodendron. Osprey, loon, Blue Herons, and Bald eagles reside on the islands. Starfish, mussels, and lobsters can occasionally be seen.

Blackfish Archipelago

This British Columbia sea kayaking destination is well known for the abundance of whale sightings. Whales aren’t the only creatures causing a stir. Dall’s porpoises, Harbour Porpoises, Harbour seals, Stellar sea lions, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Orca whales, Minke whales, and Humpback whales are seen often.

Sea kayaking at night gives paddlers a chance to see the area lit up by bioluminescence. Kayaking Archipelago destinations take boaters away from everyday life and into undiscovered, uninhabited, truly natural areas.

Kayaking Alaska gives boaters an opportunity to enjoy relaxing wilderness scenery or to test their limits in the frozen wilderness. Alaska is home to the nation’s largest national park. Both the park and the state have much to offer beginning and experienced kayakers. Tours and rental kayaks are available for kayak experiences throughout the state.

Le Conte Glacier Bay

Le Conte Glacier Bay is a 12 mile fjord carved out of the mountain range by glaciers. Le Conte Glacier is the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America. It is an active glacier, fracturing and calving constantly, filling the bay with thousands of icebergs.

Kayak day trips through the bay give boaters a glimpse of lush forests, ancient, sheer rock walls, thundering waterfalls and icebergs in every imaginable shape and size. Kayaking Le Conte lets boaters see and experience the majestic and sometimes fierce side of Alaskan nature.

Big Creek on Frederick Sound

The Kupreanof Island coastline offers miles of beaches and coves waiting to be appreciated by sea kayakers kayaking Alaska. Marine mammals in the area include stellar sea lions, porpoises, harbor seals and pacific humpback whales. River otters and bald eagles also call the island home.

Tebenkof Bay

Tebenkof Bay encompasses 65,000 acres of coves, bays and small islands – a dream destination for Alaska kayaking. The area is one of the most remote and wild parts of southeast Alaska.
Tlingit once lived there. No humans reside there now. Black bears, wolves, and Sitka black-tailed deer inhabit the area.

Stikine River

The Stikine River is the largest, navigable undammed watershed in North America. The river flows more than 400 miles from head waters in British Columbia to the Alaskan Delta.
Flat-water paddling the Stikine takes boaters through areas once used by natives and gold-seekers. Kayakers can visit a hot spring, view the towering Cottonwood trees of Ketili River and see salmon spawning.

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is said to offer some of the best kayaking in Alaska. 7,000 miles of ocean, river deltas, tidal flats and glaciers make up the Sound.

Shoup Glacier, unique because it can lay claim to not one but two tidal basins, boasts the fastest growing Kittiwake rookery in the Sound with over 20,000 birds and 6,000 nests.

Columbia Glacier, aka the world’s speediest glacier, is currently the largest glacier in Prince William Sound and the second largest glacier in Alaska. The glacier is moving backwards as much as 4 feet per day during the summer months.  Kayakers can take a boat to the glacier then set out via kayak to paddle among icebergs and through bays that motorized boats cannot access. Harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, bears and whales are likely to be seen. Such areas are what sea kayaking Alaska are all about.

Sitka Sound

Experienced sea kayakers will find wilderness beaches, bioluminescent waters, and experience kayaking in ocean swells, rock gardens, sea cliffs and outer caves while paddling Sitka.
Coastal tide pools and kelp forests abound. Eagles, otters, seals, porpoises and whales call the area home, as do many smaller animals.

Less experienced kayakers will still find plenty of Alaskan beauty to tour.

Tongass National Forest

Tongass National Forest is America’s northernmost rain forest and the largest national forest in America. Almost 17 million acres, or over 20,625 square miles, make up Tongass forest. Saltwater and fresh water kayaking opportunities abound in this part of Alaska.

The Tongass is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life. Black and brown bears, caribou, sheep and goats call the forest home. So do moose, bald eagles, foxes, beavers and other small animals. Swans and hummingbirds are two of the birds boaters are likely to glimpse.

The destinations mentioned here are just a few of the many Alaska kayaking opportunities for beginning and experienced kayakers. Paddling among glaciers, kayaking in sea caves, and seeing Alaska’s wildlife in their natural habitat are some of the reasons kayakers visit the state.