We can’t wait till the weather gets warmer and all warm weather outdoor activities commence! 3 years ago, we kicked off our “warm weather outdoor activity season” by embarking on a 3-day sea kayaking & camping trip via Sea Quest Expeditions. It was an unforgettable experience – camping on a small island, relaxing to starry skies and kayaking in the sea in search of killer whales! Our day started at about 4am in the morning.
2100 Ferry Terminal Road Suite A
Anacortes, WA 98221
91 Front Street S.
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
~6:20am – 7:30am
7:30 – 9:00am
9:00am
[/onefourth] [threefourths_last type=”joint”]Seattle to Anacortes Ferry TerminalFerry Ride to Friday Harbor Terminal
Chill and explore Friday harbor
Pickup by Sea Quest to start our adventure
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DAY 1
We arrived at Friday Harbor around 7:30am and had 1.5 hours to spend before the pickup time. So we explored the streets around Friday Harbor and had breakfast at a locally recommended restaurant (we always ask the locals where they eat) – Blue Dolphin. Breakfast was reasonably priced, filling and delicious. Check out the interesting artwork on their wall in the pictures below.
The van was there on time. We were picked up at 9am by SeaQuest Expedition van and then driven to the launch site (Roche Harbor). Here, we picked our kayaks, went through a one hour kayaking lesson/briefing and got our “last chance flushable bathroom” break. Soon after, we launch our kayaks into the sea (Juan de Fuca Strait). The kayak guide continued to help each of us refine our kayaking skill (the group kayaks at a pretty leisurely pace) throughout the journey. We kept our eyes out for orcas but did not see any (too early in the season?). Before arriving at Stuart Island, we investigate plentiful islets, rocks and reefs and look out for wildlife (we saw sea otters and porpoises).
We also had a shore break for lunch (we brought our own packed lunch) before finally arriving at our campsite on Stuart Island State Park. Rest of the day was spent setting up camp, drying your clothes/shoes and cooking dinner (all the food is carried by everyone in the kayaks). The guide cooks dinner for the group. The group can offer to help with cooking prep. We had apples and cookies for snacks and spaghetti marinara for dinner (all provided by the tour and cooked by our guide, Sandy).
Roche Harbor, WA 98250
Stuart Island
San Juan, WA
Anacortes Ferry Terminal
Interesting artwork on the walls of Blue Dolphin Cafe
The yellow and red bags are waterproof bags. They’re your best friends on this trip!
Our ride to Roche Harbor (~30 minutes drive)
Our “home” for the next 3 days
DAY 2
Sunrise, then a day free for our exploration. The guide will check in with the group to see if the group is feeling up for another day of kayaking in search of killer whales. Our group was up for it (it’s likely that most groups will be) so we launched our kayaks again in search of orcas. Along the way, the guide will point out where Canada (we’re right on the water borders) is, views of North Cascades, Olympics and Coast Range. We unfortunately did not catch a glimpse of orcas again on this day but had a great time exploring! We did however spot multiple different species of birds including a bald eagle, porpoises and sea otters.
One of the many rest breaks while kayaking
We sighted a bald eagle perced on a tree
We learnt that sea kelp was food for marine wildlife like sea otters
We learnt that sea kelp was edible so all of us in the group gave it a try. Yep – it was salty but not as bad as we thought it’d be!
Abundance of sea kelp!
Exploring the beach during a shore break for lunch
Spotted some purple starfish
Not sure what this is. Anemone?
We love the pace of the tour. Everyone had time to have lunch as well as explore the beach.
Back on the island, our guide again prepared a delicious dinner – burrito with salsa, cookies and fruits for dessert. After dinner, a few of us from the group took on a 5.5 mile hike up a trail to catch sunset on a picturesque lighthouse perced high on a cliff overlooking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia.
On the trail, there was a school but it was closed. They will reopen next year when there will be TWO students!
Beautiful trail – we enjoyed the scenery as we hiked
View from top of the hill!
Breathtaking view. Worth the 5.5 mile hike!
Exploring the area around the lighthouse.
We spotted yet another bald eagle near the lighthouse
We went back to the hill to watch the mesmerizing sunset!
DAY 3
After sunrise, we de-camped and headed towards Roche Harbor (San Juan Island). It was sad that our trip was coming to an end. We really cherish the memories, experience and friendship that we made on this trip.
We exchanged email addresses with our new friends and in what felt like a blink of an eye, we were back at the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal (drop off time is around 2:00pm – 4:00pm). When we got there, we bought the next outbound ferry ticket. We had some time to spend, so we dropped by one of the restaurants (Friday’s Crabhouse) and had grilled oysters on the shell. Perfect meal to end our adventure!
No orcas sighting this time but that’s what will get us to come back again in the future! Our plan is to try sea kayaking & camping in Baja Mexico next!
{Rest of our photos for this trip located here}
[notification type = “star”]REMEMBER:
- The kayaks are usually double kayaks so you’ll almost never be kayaking alone. If you want your own kayak, you’ll need to ask the tour operators.
- Tents and food are provided by the tour.
- Check the WSDOT site to determine the ferry departure times and allow 60 minutes for traffic and queue at the ferry terminal. Check the site here for a live camera image of the waiting line.
- The ferry ticket counter might not be open yet if you get there before 6am. Remember to buy your ticket at the entrance to the terminal instead.
- Bring a pair of gloves – this prevents blisters from forming on your hand as you paddle your kayaks as well as keep your hands from getting cold.
- Waterproof bags are your best friend!
- Ziplock bags can come in handy too (we used them as our “shoes” when our shoes had to be dried).
- Don’t forget your toilet paper roll, hat, sunglass, sunscreen, snacks, camera, extra socks, mess kit (spoon, fork, bowls, plates) and hand sanitizer.
- No, we did not shower in the 3 days.
- Ferry tickets will be about $53.80 (car + driver), $11.50 (per extra adult 19 – 64) & $9.20 (per extra youth 6 – 18). Check the WSDOT site for updated pricing.
- Bring packed lunch for the first day’s shore break (we brought sandwiches, bananas, apples and water).
- The guide will carry bags of drinkable water (so bring a bottle so you can refill your bottle with water)
- Besides Sea Quest Expedition, there are other sea kayak tour operators that you can consider as well: Outdoor Odysseys, San Juan Kayak and Discovery Sea Kayaks.
Have you been on a kayak & camp trip before? Have you been on this expedition before? Do share your experience and your recommendations!
17 Comments
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amazing pictures .
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This is awesome and great pictures!! it’s really useful and comprehensive list, i’m glad to read your article.
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I’ve been seeing a lot of postings about guided tours, but is it possible to do self-guided kayaking in the San Juan Islands?
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Author
Yes you can always just rent a kayak and go by yourself!
Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Korea} Must Visit in Seoul – Noryangjin Fish Market
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This sounds like so much fun! Kali lived in WA as a kid and I’m pretty sure him and his dad went on a kayaking/camping trip similar to this in the San Juan Islands. It’s just so beautiful up there – perfect for exploring via kayak! 🙂
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It sure is! Too bad we didnt see any orcas this time. Will make sure we go back again to see them! Kali’s done it. What about you? You should give kayaking at San Juan a go! 🙂
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The photo of the wall art on the Blue Dolphin Cafe is pretty trippy. I’m deathly afraid of kayaking for some reason. I fear that it would topple over and I would get stuck in the kayak. I have the worse balance =)
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The kayaks are surprisingly rather stable! Just dont try to stand up or move around in it and you’ll be fine. We took a chance and brought our DSLR on the kayak!
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Love the photos. And I didn’t know you could eat kelp!
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Thanks Ben! I wouldnt recommend eating just any kelp without expert advice – some might not be edible, you never know. We only ate it coz the guide told us it was edible 🙂
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Love the photos. And I didn’t know you could eat kelp!
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Love the photos. And I didn’t know you could eat kelp!
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Beautiful photos! We’re doing a kayaking trip off of Vancouver Island this summer, hope our trip is just as amazing as yours was!
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Nice! Hope you’re squeezing in some camping time as well! We camped in Nanaimo last time we were there (https://www.idelish.com/2011/01/24/canada-teepee-camping-cave-spelunking-horne-lake/). Dont forget to let us know how your experience goes!
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Absolutely gorgeous shots!
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Thanks Robin! Glad you like the photos!
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