I had only kayaked once before my expedition cruise on the Wilderness Discoverer – and I hadn’t particularly cared for it. My husband and I had gone sea kayaking on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast – and I felt that we were going to be flipped into the water at every second. Not what I’d call a relaxing way to spend my time.
But the waters in the small bays where we were docked were so calm that I didn’t have to worry about falling in. And the ship’s easy-launch dock made getting in and out of the kayaks simple. After my first open paddle session, I was hooked.
I also thought that the Wilderness Discoverer’s crew did a superb job of getting couch-bound people out into nature. They did a great job of describing the activity levels for the different hikes and paddles, and never pushed you to be in a situation where you’d feel uncomfortable. That’s a tricky task for an expedition leader.
On our last full day, we visited Misty Fjords, a national monument that’s only accessible by water or sea plane.
Our paddle took us past canyon walls, where we could see crabs, starfish and anemones. Many people in our group saw bears (I think I’m the only person on the cruise who didn’t see a bear the entire trip).
Misty Fjords is known as “the Yosemite of the North” because of the similar geography.
What’s great about kayaking is that you can maneuver close to the waterfalls that cascade down the granite cliffs.
While I did get tired on our longer paddle trip, I found kayaking to be low-impact and a great way to explore this corner of Alaska. I’d like to try it here in Seattle, maybe even take some lessons.
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We love kayaking, so this looks incredible. Nice pics, Don!
Thanks Kent! I took those with a small waterproof Pentax. I does pretty well most of the time.
I’m sort of over kayaking these days, but I could be convinced otherwise. What gorgeous shots!
Have always wanted to do the Inside Passage. These photos are fantastic!
Reminds me of Princess Louisa Inlet off the Sunshine Coast a few hours from Vancouver.
Nice shots.
That looks like you had an awesome time!
I’ve kayaked a bit but not nearly enough, especially seeing that I have lived minutes from the ocean and hundreds of lakes my whole life
the pics are awesome
If you like kayaking you should check out my end of the world (North Vancouver Island, British Columbia)
I’ve never kayaked in cool climates. Looks like it’s worth doing.