Ketchikan Kayak Eco-Tour
Description
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.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We Pick up guests at Downtown Cruise Docks & Ward Cove Cruise Ship Docks. Please Read ALL Meeting Instructions! FOR DOWNTOWN CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS & Other Guests: After disembarking your cruise ship, please proceed to the shelter at Cruise Berth 3. The shelter is on the dock next to the "Visitors Information - Restrooms" building and Sockeye Sam's Store. It's across the street from the tunnel. (NOTE: this is NOT the berth 2 Visitors Center). The walk is approximately 2-5 minutes depending at which pier you are docked. The address is 425 Water Street. Our driver will be present 15 minutes before all departures holding a RED sign that says "KETCHIKAN KAYAK CO." FOR CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS Docking AT THE MILL AT WARD COVE: (Norwegian Cruise Lines + Some Others) After disembarking your cruise ship, please proceed to the brick building "The Mill at Ward Cove." Proceed through the building to the right. Tour vendors will be greeting guests for excursions in the corner near the restrooms and the large overhead door. Look for our driver with a RED sign that reads "KETCHIKAN KAYAK CO." 15 minutes AFTER the departure time. The MIll at Ward Cove is halfway between downtown Ketchikan and our marina, this means DEPARTURES FROM WARD COVE WILL BE GREETED BY OUR DRIVER 15-20 MINUTES AFTER THE SCHEDULED DOWNTOWN DEPARTURE TIME as you will be picked up on the way. Guests returning to Ward Cove will be back about 15 minutes early. For example, if you schedule a tour from 8:00am to noon, your tour will operate from 8:15 to 11:45.am. If you are docking at Ward Cove but would prefer to meet for a downtown departure (e.g. your ship docks at 7:00am and you want to see downtown Ketchikan before meeting us for an 11:00am tour) or if you would prefer to be dropped off downtown after the excursion this may be possible but you will need to contact the Ketchikan Kayak Co. prior to your tour time to arrange the change. Otherwise all guests docking at Ward Cove will be expected to be picked up at Ward Cove. *Remember to turn off airplane mode when you pull into port to aid in communication should there be any delays or should any issues arise the day of your excursion.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children must be at least 6 years old. There are some exceptions, so please call if you feel you qualify
- No experience is necessary
- Rain pants and jackets are provided
- Due to the size of the kayak cockpit openings, your hip/waist size should not exceed 52 inches (137cm) as measured while seated.
- Recommended that you wear clothing that would be appropriate for an outdoor hike through the forest, and footwear that will fit inside the space of a kayak. Large bulky boots or high heels are not recommended
- There is a minimum of 2 people to run a tour
- At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, date.
Reviews(957)
Jenny guided us around the islands and pointed out sea life as well as bald eagles. She took family pictures and sent them to me after! What a lovely experience!
Spencer, Jenny, and Hannah were phenomenal. All 3 were so sweet & personable. We were able to learn SO much about the wildlife in Ketchikan and even see a whale!
Jenny from the block was 11/10 guide. We had a gorgeous day thankfully- saw whales, sea lions, starfish, sea anemone, moon jellies & bald eagles! Great team and a great tour
We had a great time on this experience. We hugged the coast line and saw many sea stars, sea anemones, bald eagles and a sea lion eat a very large fish. It was a long kayak but doable definitely worth the money.
Lovely kayaking experience!
We came off a cruise and found our Driver right away. Easy drive to the kayaking dock. Everybody was so wonderful and accommodating and we had a great intro before getting on the kayaks. Our guide Cameron was fabulous. We got to see seals, starfish, bald eagles and a humpback whale. Who could ask for more :)
Transportation to and from the cruise port area was extremely organized! Our driver was knowledgeable of the area and shared information with us during our ride to and from Clover Pass. Once we arrived we were provided with bibs to help keep us dry and we started the excursion. Our guide, Erica, was wonderful! She knew so much about the wildlife and as very helpful throughout the excursion. We were able to see bald eagles, star fish, sea lions, plenty of salmon and even a humpback whale!
Fabulous experience! Loved it! Kam and Jen were fabulous guides! Highly recommend this tour company.
Moderate physical activity for the person seated in the back. Unique kayaking with emphasis on local sea creatures & flora. Very educational & the entire family enjoyed it. You will be tired afterwards! Perfect timing for our shorter port day as we had time to explore a little bit of downtown before going on the kayaking trip.
This was a great tour! We lucked out with the weather and it was a beautiful day to see eagles, starfish and seals! Our guide Jenny took us to some cool spots and shared facts about wildlife. Brutus the sea lion saw us off and welcomed us back.
