Authentic Wilderness Experience
Orca’s Cove is our most popular trip and was designed for the growing number of people looking for a true wilderness experience. 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. After paddling, we enjoy a snack of the finest locally caught and smoked silver salmon and hot drinks before returning to town by boat. Our van drops guests travelling by cruise ship back at the cruise ship dock. For a more personal experience, our group size is limited to six guests per trip (or private groups of up to 12) and this trip is not sold on board cruise ships. Trips fill very quickly because we take such small groups, please book early to avoid disappointment.

Orcas Cove Scenery & Wildlife
Orcas Cove is a serene wilderness location, far from the bustle of town and the busy cruise ship docks. The old growth forest presses right down to the shoreline and the intertidal zone of over 20 feet is home to a colorful array of creatures. Several Bald Eagle nests are active in the area and we often have the opportunity to observe these remarkable birds in their homes. By it's very nature, we never know what wildlife we will see on any particular day - that's part of the excitment. Humpback Whales, Orcas, porpoises, seals and sealions all inhabit these waters. Along the shore we may see river otters, mink, deer and even occasionally, black bears.

Take our Orcas Cove/Misty Fjords Flightseeing Combination Trip to make the most of your time in town and see the very best of Ketchikan and Misty Fjords.

Friendly Guides and a Relaxed Pace
Our guides are trained naturalists and will enthusiastically share their love of the land with you. Guides carry binoculars to share with the group. We travel at a relaxed pace: the goal is to enjoy the wilderness and explore the shoreline, not to set any speed records. There are many opportunities for photographing the exceptional scenery and wildlife.

Smoked Salmon Picnic and Hot Drinks
After exploring by kayak, hungry kayakers are welcomed back on board the mothership with hot drinks and a picnic of Ketchikan's finest smoked silver salmon. Our Orcas Cove Select smoked salmon is caught by local fishing vessels and smoked at the Silver Lining Cannery in downtown Ketchikan. Many of our guests tell us that it is the best smoked salmon they have ever tasted!

How to Book
Because our groups are small, space is extremely limited and advance bookings are highly recommended to avoid disappointment. Tours may be reserved online or over the phone at 1-800-287-1607.

Booking and Cancellation Policies
For Orcas Cove and Ketchikan Kayaking Tours, we take payment in full at time of booking. Tickets are fully refundable, less a $25 processing fee, if cancelled at least 14 days before the trip date. Cancellations with less than 14 days prior notice are non-refundable. We do offer a full refund in the unlikely event that your Cruise Ship is running too late for your trip to be re-scheduled, or if your cruise ship misses port. Southeast Sea Kayaks reserves the right to cancel trips for unsafe conditions (occasionally we have high winds) in which case all money will be refunded in full. Rain is not unsafe - we will dress you for the weather.

Trip Timing for Cruise Ship Passengers
Cruise ship visitors will meet our courtesy van at the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau Rain Gauge. Visitors staying locally can meet at the Rain Gauge or at our store location. We ask all parties to meet us 15 minutes prior to trip time. If you are arriving by cruise ship, please allow 30 minutes from the time your ship docks to your trip's starting time and allow 1 hour between your trip's finishing time and the departure time for your cruise ship. For example: the 8:30am Ketchikan Kayak Tour finishes at 11am so that trip would work for any ships arriving at or before 8am and departing at or after 12noon.

What to Bring and Wear
Dry bags are provided to protect your camera or video recorder. We ask that you dress in warm, comfortable layers. Paddling jackets and rain pants are provided. We use sprayskirts on the kayaks to help keep you dry. Sneakers are ideal for foot wear rather than large hiking boots which tend to be too bulky for the kayaks. Please do not wear high heels which can be dangerous on the docks.

Looking for More Information?
See our Frequently Asked Questions, read our Top 5 Reasons to take a Southeast Sea Kayaks tour or see what our Guests have to Say. Call Us at 1-800-287-1607. We are open year round and are always happy to answer questions and help you find the right tour