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Rough Water Sea Kayaking – A GREAT CHALLENGE
As employees of Ocean River, we all have a passion for paddling. But, like many of you, we weren’t all blessed ...
Saturna Island Kayak Tour
Overview
Our tour leaves from our Saturna Kayak Shack – next to the BC Ferry Terminal Dock, Lyall Harbour, on beautiful Saturna Island.
On this enjoyable tour, we’ll paddle through some of the most scenic areas of beautiful Saturna Island. We have more than one route we can offer from this location, and either route will be sure to be a memorable experience!
Our first route will take us past beautiful sandstone rock galleries and sheer rocky cliffs. Home to nesting sea birds and many varieties of Raptor, we often see and hear Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Red tail hawks, Pigeon Guillemots and others. Our paddle continues through Breezy Bay to historic Saturna Beach, where original settler, Warburton Pike, built his house, and our Canada day lamb barbeque has taken place for over 35 years. We will pull up on the beach, do a short interpretive walk around the park, and enjoy a snack. After a short break, we will return to Saturna Kayak Shack.
Our second route will take us to the King Islets, home to rare wild flowers and plants. These Islets are very dry and one of the only places in Canada that are home to the native ‘Prickly Pear’ cactus. We paddle further to Minx Reef, a very popular haul-out for Harbour Seals. Don’t be surprised if a seal comes up right next to your kayak! Next, we will stop at Veruna Bay, a lovely, west-facing, sandy beach, where swimming is a popular activity. If you wish to swim, bring a bathing suit and towel along. After a quick rest and snack (or swim), we will paddle back to our Saturna Kayak Shack.
Tours are weather dependent and we may offer an alternate tour if the wind is too strong.
If this is your group’s first time on Saturna Island, the ferry schedules can be tricky to navigate. We are more than happy to help arrange your ferry schedule for you to best accommodate this tour!
As Saturna Island is such a beautiful place, we highly recommend staying overnight to explore the island. If you are in need of accommodation, we are more than happy to suggest accommodation for all travellers and budgets!
For Spanish speakers – check out a video of our Saturna tour below!
- Itinerary
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This tour leaves from our Saturna Kayak Shack, next to the BC Ferry Terminal Dock, Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island in the Gulf Islands. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your tour. BC Ferries offers multiple sailings to and from both Victoria and Vancouver to Saturna Island daily.
Full Itinerary – PDF: Itinerary for Saturna Island Kayak Tour
- Equipment List
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Please read the following equipment list carefully, as it indicates what you will need to bring with you to help ensure you enjoy a comfortable tour.
Ocean River Sports stocks many of the items listed below. If you need advice or would like to purchase gear, please visit us or check out our online store!
Cotton keeps you cold when it’s wet, and takes a long time to dry. If possible, bring clothing designed for outdoor wear and made from Merino (wool), silk, or synthetic materials, such as polyester, polypropylene, or nylon.
- Eyeglass retainer strap if you wear glasses
- Sunglasses, sunscreen
- A broad-brimmed sun/rain hat
- Clothing like you might wear for a short hike (dress in appropriate layers depending, on the weather). Bring a light rain jacket on days when there is a chance of rain. If you don’t have one, we can provide you with a waterproof paddling jacket.
- Low-heeled shoes
- Water and snack (optional)
- A watertight plastic bag for electronics (optional)
- A camera (optional)
We cannot be responsible for damage to or loss of your items, so please ensure valuables are stored securely in watertight plastic bags or dry bags and placed in the watertight storage compartments of your kayak. Secure storage is available for personal items you choose not to take on the water!
- Waiver/Medical Forms
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Please review the following form prior to your program. Please sign/initial the form in the presence of your instructor/guide, who will act as your witness.
- Testimonials
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To read all of our reviews, click on the Trip Advisor logo below!
- Bob led us on a great tour around Winter Cove and Samuel Island. He was patient and helpful, encouraging us to improve our paddling and confidence as we enjoyed some great sights. We even beached at Irish Bay and went for a quick swim! This was a highlight of our trip to Saturna – thanks!
- Bob and Rosemary at Ocean River Saturna led our group of seven around the waters of Saturna Island, a perfect three hour paddle! Both our guides knew the area well, were very competent kayakers, which made for a relaxing, fun outing. We were on the Swartz Bay ferry (walk on, no need for a car!) at 9 am, had a fabulous paddle followed by lunch at the pub close by, returned home to Victoria on a late afternoon ferry, arriving at Swartz Bay around 6:30. A perfectly lovely day with friends!
- My wife Kim and I had a great visit to Saturna Island, especially the kayaking with Bob from Ocean River. As we were not experienced kayakers, Bob was the perfect guide, he was patient, helpful plus took us to wonderful places along the ocean shores and alongside steep rock faces with nesting birds explaining what we were looking at. He even brought some snacks and drinks, as we forgot. One evening Bob invited us to a Saturna SeaTalk function, where whale experts presented whale learnings from their research, plus explained their interesting research programs. Saturna locals also pitched in with personal experiences of wonderful whale encounters while in kayaks or walking on the shore. We’re already planning our next kayaking trip in a month back to Saturna with Bob and team.