Kayaking With the Whales 30 Years in the Making

Many have assumed that our Sea Kayaking adventure was a wishlist item of Anthony's when in fact it was mine.  In the 1980's I was in high school in Kettle Falls, Washington and I stumbled upon a Sea Kayaking article in one of my mother's magazines.  I was terribly enthralled by the articles account of Sea Kayaking off the coast of British Columbia.   It described the amazing coastal wilderness as one of North America's 12 Best Wildlife Adventures.  They boasted an experience of spending days with skilled and highly experienced guides kayaking in the blue channels filled with wildlife encounters and fine dining.  Photographs featured tourists having encounters up close with a wide range of wildlife including Orcas, Humpbacks, dolphins, seals, bald eagles, and many others.  All they had to do was reel me in.  I was so determined not to let the dream fade that I signed up for their mailings and each year I would toss out the previous years brochure and replace it with the new one.

The above images are from one of the last trip brochure I received and saved from a company (Northern Lights) that is no longer in business.  My annual mailings stopped as they closed up shop but I still saved the outdated brochures in the nightstand next to my side of the bed.  You have to keep your dream close at hand just in case your Fairy Godmother shows up while you are sleeping.

Anthony and I have talked about trips and adventures we would like to take over the years and it was ironic because he was always consistently lukewarm regarding the Sea Kayaking adventure specifically faced with the prospect of kayaking in harsh conditions that the British Columbia coast is so well known for.

After almost 30 years it seems that my Fairy Godmother was a no-show but little did I know that slumbering next to me was the number one secret keeper and dream full-filler of all time!  On Christmas morning 2014 I opened a box that contained water proof paddle gloves, a splash jacket and a brochure from ROW Adventures for a 6 Day Sea Kayaking (Orca and Humpback Adventure).  I was speechless as I realized that he had booked us an adventure for August 2015.  Could the months drag by any slower?

Today I am on the back end of  humbly having the opportunity to experience this amazing adventure with my husband and best friend who went out of his way to stoke my long burning dream to life.  In addition to the highlights of ROW's brochure and varied daily schedule we also enjoyed the enthusiasm of our three guides (Mel, Colin and Bob) and were in great company with an exceptional group of outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world.  What a blessing indeed to share almost a week in nature with amazing well traveled and kind individuals, raw and rugged coastal beauty and the opportunity to encounter whales in their natural environment without interfering in their lives.

I can say that our trip was one of the most wonderful outdoor experiences I have had and I am so grateful and thankful to have had this unique travel experience.  Who knows what we will have on our wish list in the coming years (I do have more secret destination dreams) as this adventure will be hard to top!

Row Adventures:  http://www.rowadventures.com