Quick Details
Per Person
Ages 5 and Up
$ 169
Enjoy the serenity and wildlife of Orca Cove!
If you imagine Alaska as a place to get away from it all and enjoy the serenity of the wilderness, then the Orca Cove sea kayaking tour is perfect for you. This 3 hour excursion is a kayak and boating adventure that allows you to escape the crowds in Ketchikan. Orca Cove is a 20 minute fast boat ride away from downtown Ketchikan and the entire experience is on the water. It’s the perfect experience to get away from town for an adventure while giving you time to see Ketchikan during shorter port calls.
While we don’t see whales everyday, spending the entire three hours on the water provides excellent chances to spot marine wildlife throughout the entire excursion. We often do see humpback whales, orca, sea lions, seals, bald eagles or even bears and deer along the coast. The immense array of inter tidal creatures are certainly a Southeast Alaskan favorite!
The true highlight of the Orca Cove tour is exploring the secluded coves and rainforest islands by sea kayak with friendly, knowledgeable guides, although the local wild caught Alaskan smoked salmon, hot drinks or cold Alaskan beers onboard the mothership after paddling are ranked a close second by many of our guests!
Looking for an intimate experience without breaking the bank? Each tour only takes up to 6 guests, so you won’t spend half your adventure waiting for everyone else to get geared up and on the water.
Although we don’t sell tours onboard the cruise ships, 99% of our guests are visiting on cruises and have tight itineraries. No one has ever missed a cruise departure and our excursion is perfect for getting your away from the crowds downtown for a few hours while still leaving you time to see Ketchikan during your short port call.
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- Fast boat cruise to and from Orca Cove
- 1.5 – 1.75 hours of wilderness sea kayaking
- Explore islands and watch for wildlife.
- Friendly, professional and knowledgeable guides
- Only 6 guests per group
- Smoked salmon, salmon dip, vegan snacks, hot beverages & Alaskan Beer Provided
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- Life Jackets, waterproof rain jackets, spray skirts, seat pads, pogies to keep hands warm if needed.
- Dry bags for any gear you’d like to bring along
- Snacks and beverages
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- Warm, comfortable layers.
- Quick dry pants, shorts or rain pants. Yes, you will probably get a wet butt. Even on a sunny day.
- Closed toed shoes. Your feet will be inside the kayak and out of the rain while paddling if it’s raining.
- Hat or cap and sunglasses.
- Camera, phone, binoculars if you’d like.
- An adventurous spirit!
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We understand that vacation time is precious, and it can be difficult to choose from the many tour options throughout Alaska. Here are the top 5 reasons to make a kayaking tour with Southeast Sea Kayaks in Ketchikan part of your Alaska vacation.
1. We’re kayaking in Alaska!
If kayaking in Alaska is on your bucket list, then you have come to the right place. Paddling a sea kayak is a great way to slow down and enjoy the wilderness and wildlife without engine noise or crowds. Ketchikan is the perfect place to sea kayak because we are located on the protected Inside Passage. We are not exposed to the open sea, and the water is generally calm. We also have hundreds of miles of rainforest shoreline that are accessible only by boat to explore.
2. Small Groups
During the summer, there are up to 7 cruise ships a day visiting Ketchikan, but there will only be 6 on your Orcas Cove Tour. Small groups make our tours safe and personal. Our tours are not sold onboard cruise ships because we prefer to cater to small groups. Being independent doesn’t mean we won’t get you back on time! In over 20 years, no one on our tours has ever missed their cruise ship.
3. Tour Local
We live year-round in Ketchikan. Running tours in the summer and working in commercial diving fisheries here in the winter. This is our home and we do our best to hire a local crew or return Alaskan guides every season.
4. Designed for Beginners, Enjoyed by Experts
Never been kayaking? Not a problem. In fact, many of our guests have never kayaked before. We are experts at creating fun, safe and enjoyable kayaking experiences for people of all ages and abilities. Expert kayakers will also enjoy the extraordinary experience of kayaking in Southeast Alaska, and because our groups are so small, we can tailor each tour to suit the group.
5. We are passionate about what we do.
We love Alaska, and we love to kayak. Everyone at Southeast Sea Kayaks has their own “Alaska story,” and we are passionate about creating unique and memorable Alaskan experiences for every one of our guests
