This exclusive, maximum six guests and a guide half-day cruise and paddle adventure is the perfect introduction to the wild side of Sitka Sound. Start by getting yourself properly fitted with all the gear you will need, before your Lead Guide explains the variables to be considered in designing the day’s unique float plan.

Next, you will board your sturdy transport vessel for the exciting 30 minute ride to a put-in beach on a remote island. Once ashore, your guide will assist you in setting up your kayak before presenting a short kayak and safety orientation. You will have some time to dabble about in the crystal clear shallows, getting comfortable with your craft, before we set off for the next group of islands.

While paddling through mazes of reef and kelp forest – areas (accessible only by kayak) your interpreter/guide will help identify the colorful marine life visible below, including: crab, sea stars, anemones, sea urchins, jelly fish and more.

At the surface, its an otter quest of a different kind. They pop up looking at YOU!. In addition to the star of the show – the ever amusing sea otter – we also frequently sight harbor seals, sea lions, porpoise, bald eagles and a variety of marine birds.

At about the half-way point in your trip you will step ashore on a seldom-visited island to stretch your legs, do a little beachcombing, and enjoy a hearty snack while soaking in the majestic wildness and amazing views of the Sound. Your guide will explain some of the ecology of the area, and also tell you about the Tlingit people, who still harvest the ocean’s bounty using knowledge passed down since the last ice age. After your stop, you will finish the paddle back to Sitka.