Southeast Sea Kayaks - Ketchikan, Alaska Kayaking Tours

Orca’s Cove Adventure is our most popular trip and was designed for the growing number of people looking for a true wilderness experience. Group size is limited to six unless you are a private group.

We depart our waterfront location and travel by boat to remote Orca’s Cove. Here you will meet your guides and become familiar with kayaking. After a basic lesson we take off paddling, wandering amongst numerous islands, immersing ourselves in the surroundings and keeping a lookout for wildlife.

All around, mountains rise out of the ocean and the rainforest presses right down to the shoreline. Several Bald Eagle nesting sites are active here. Along the shore we may see river otters, bear and Sitka Black Tail Deer. The water is inhabited by seals, sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, Orcas and Humpback whales. On occasion we see Minke whales. Sea birds are numerous and Cormorants dry off their wings on the rocks around us. The inter tidal marine life visible at low tide or underneath the kayaks in the clear water offers a colorful display of starfish, sun stars and sea cucumbers.

The area is frequently used by native peoples for subsistence use. Goose tongue grasses are collected along the beaches and excellent clamming exists at low tide. Steelhead trout run in the streams and encourage feeding eagles and bears. Our guides are trained naturalists and will enthusiastically share their love of the land with you.

Excellent opportunities exist for photographing exceptional scenery and wildlife. Dry bags are provided to protect your camera or video recorder and we encourage you to bring along plenty of film. During the trip you can pass your cameras to the guides to get spectacular pictures of yourself paddling. At trips end we will enjoy a smoked salmon snack and soft drinks before the return to town.

Orca’s Cove Adventure is a four hour trip. Approximately 45 minutes is the total travel time by boat. The remainder is spent paddling. We use high quality fiberglass double touring kayaks by Current Designs on our trips – not plastic! The double kayaks we use have a centre pod and so you do not have to coordinate your paddling – making for a far more pleasurable trip. Our paddles are lightweight fiberglass. Rain gear, jackets and pants, are provided for your comfort. Our guides carry binoculars to share with the group and also hydrophones so we can listen to marine life beneath the water. We encourage you to dress in warm comfortable layers. Sneakers are ideal for foot wear rather than large hiking boots – we step into the kayaks from our boat so you will not get your feet wet.

Cruise ship visitors will meet our courtesy van at the visitors bureau rain gauge.. Visitors staying locally can also meet us at our store location.. We ask all parties to meet us 15 minutes prior to trip time.

Cost is $149 for each adult and $119 for each child under twelve years old. Minimum age to participate is six years old. Space is extremely limited for Orca’s Cove Adventure and we recommend you make prior reservations at least 30 days in advance for June, July and August.

Special occasions options are also available for our Orcas Cove kayaking adventure.

Pennock Paddling - 2.45 Hours
Adults: $89
Children: $59

Courtesy van pick up and pick-up on cruise ship dock
Fun 2.5 hour paddle
Paddle Ketchikan's historic waterfront
Explore islands in the Tongass Narrows
Visit a Bald Eagle's nest
No experience necessary
Small group size

Southeast Sea Kayaks invites you to come and explore Alaska’s Inside Passage by kayak, and enjoy a unique view of Alaska’s wildlife, waterways and Ketchikan’s historic waterfront.

We leave from our waterfront location and go island hopping by kayak in the protected waterways around Pennock, Snow and Gravina Islands. We see the historic town of Ketchikan from the water as we paddle across the Tongass Narrows. Seaplanes fly overhead and fishing boats head out to sea. On Pennock Island, an active Bald Eagle’s nest offers the opportunity to see these great birds nesting. In July and August salmon returning to spawn leap around the kayaks and occasionally we’ll watch as eagles swoop down to snatch one from the surface and return it to the nest to feed their young.

Brilliantly colored starfish are visible beneath the kayaks in the crystal clear water. Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons feed along the shore and Raven is ever present. Although there are no guarantees on seeing whales or wildlife we can see pods of Humpbacks and Orcas.

The Pennock Paddle trip is a great way to see the town of Ketchikan from the water and experience sea kayaking on the Inside Passage in Alaska. Pennock Paddle is also great for families and people with short stops in Ketchikan who would like to have time after paddling to explore the town. For people looking for a more remote wilderness experience we recommend the Orcas Cove trip.

No experience is necessary for this kayaking adventure. Minimum age to participate is six years old. We have triple kayaks that can cater to our younger paddlers. All equipment is provided including dry bags for your cameras, binoculars to share and hydrophones so we can listen to the marine life beneath the water. Raingear is also provided. Southeast Sea Kayaks only uses lightweight fiberglass kayaks, not plastic, for your comfort and enjoyment.

Group size is limited to 12 unless you are a private party. This ensures we provide you a high quality, personalized trip with better opportunities to see wildlife. Cost is $89 per person. Children under 12 are $59 per child. Space is extremely limited in June, July and August and advance bookings are highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Misty Fjords Trips