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What do the kayaking trip costs include?
How
much experience do I need?
Is
it safe?
Where are your trips located?
Will
I be uncomfortable, cold or wet?
What
are the people like?
Are
there age limits?
What
if I'm by myself?
How
much do I need to get in shape?
When
is the best time to go?
How
much time do we spend with whales?
Where
will we camp?
Will
we be able to bathe?
What
should I bring?
When
do I need to be there?
How
do I get there?
Do I need a passport?
Which trip is best for me?
Which
trips are best for families/kids?
Why
should I choose Northern Lights?
What
do the kayaking trip costs include?
All equipment:
(tents, sleeping bags & liners, sleeping pads, pillows, rain
jackets and pants, and headlamps), guiding and meals during your
kayaking trip. Our camping trips include all meals from lunch on
the first day to lunch on the last day.
Not included: other hotel lodging, transportation to and from your
departure point.
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How
much experience do I need?
NONE! We design every
kayaking trip for people at all levels of experience. Other than
those who have traveled with us before, most of our guests will
be kayaking for the first time. Kayaking is very easy to learn;
with the assistance of our guides, you’ll quickly feel right
at home at a skill level adequate to fully enjoy your adventure.
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Is
it safe?
No one has ever had a
serious kayaking injury on any of our trips in our 25 years of experience.
Our number one concern while you are with us is your safety. Our
guides are trained in wilderness First Aid and carry First Aid kits
and two-way marine radios. Visit our Safety
page for more info.
Many
people ask about the possibility of any danger while kayaking in
the same waters whales are found. To our knowledge a killer whale
has never bumped a kayak or shown any aggression toward one. All
whales are acutely aware of their surroundings, especially what
they might be rising toward the surface to meet. From our many years
and hundreds of encounters,
we feel very safe in the presence of these wondrous animals.
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Where
are your trips located?
Our trips our located
in the heart of the orca rich waters of Johnstone Strait in the
Inside Passage of British Columbia. Our trips depart from Port McNeill
which is at the northern end of Vancouver Island, BC. To see where
our trips are in relation to Vancouver and the BC coast check out
our area map. For details on where our camps
are located please see our trip
location page.
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Will
I be uncomfortable, cold or wet?
Everyone enjoys the wilderness more when they are comfortable, warm
and dry. Summer weather is very pleasant in the Pacific Northwest,
with average daytime temperatures in the 70's. For campers, we provide
a luxurious sleeping bag & silk liner, sleeping pad and pillow.
Your tents are roomy and dry. For days with rain, we provide all
the specialized camping and kayaking gear you need to stay comfortable.
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What
are the people like?
Our guests are active and involved and enjoy sharing. We provide
a friendly, supportive environment; you do the rest. Our trips are
typically a mix of solo travelers, couples, families and friends
from all over the world. Our groups have a maximum size of 14 guests
with three guides; however, many of our kayaking trips are limited
to 10 guests with two guides.
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Are
there age limits?
The minimum age for most of our trips is 14 and is intended to insure
that all our guests are capable of fully participating in the kayaking
and other activities involved; we have no maximum age limit. The
ages of most of our guests range from the mid-twenties through mid-sixties.
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What
if I'm by myself?
There is no reason you can't come alone! About half of our guests
are couples; the rest singles. Please call us with any concerns.
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How
much do I need to get in shape?
Pre-trip time spent in any activity that uses your upper body will
help you enjoy your adventure with us. Expect a moderate workout
every kayaking day. We do require that anyone over 65 or with any
health or weight concerns consult us before signing up to make sure
you are up to fully participating. In the unlikely event of a capsize,
it will be necessary to re-enter the kayak from the water, with
the guides' help.
While the seats
in our kayaks are comfortable for most people, extremely heavy people
will not be able to be comfortable in the kayaks. In addition, those
people may not be able to participate for reasons of safety. If
you believe you may not be able to fit comfortably and safely in
a kayak, please call our office and talk with one of our staff before
making a trip reservation.
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When
is the best time to go?
Any of our kayaking trips offer a great chance of excellent conditions.
We expect an average of only one day with rain each week. June and
September are special because you'll see the fewest other people.
You'll see hundreds of eagles in June. July through October are
best for whales. June and September are our guides' favorites.
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How
much time do we spend with whales?
On Inside Passage trips (Wildlife Discovery & Orca Humpback
Odysseys), we often see whales a number of times on most trips from
both camps and kayaks. On any of these occasions we may have very
close encounters.
For our Wild
Orca Adventures, we expect to see whales on average at least once
a day. Some days we may see them five or six times. This includes
from camp and from our kayaks. Of course some days will be “whale-free”
on any of our trips, as that’s the way of nature.
The optional
whale watching boat day trip gives you the opportunity to spend
several more hours viewing whales and gives you great photo opportunities.
Orcas, minke whales and humpback whales are all common to this area.
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Where
will we camp?
We choose sites for their beauty and solitude. Each has beautiful
views and lookouts for whales and other wildlife. Where the whales
travel figures heavily into any camp location we choose. Read more
about our kayak trip locations
here.
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Will
we be able to bathe?
We carry "solar showers," and the ensure warm water, we
typically use stove-heated water for the "solar showers."
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What
should I bring?
Just your personal belongings. Upon signing up, you'll get an informative
handbook that includes a detailed list of clothing and other recommended
items for your kayaking trip.
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When
do I need to be there?
- Inside Passage
(Wildlife Discovery & Orca Humpback Odyssey) and Wild Orca Adventures:
the evening before we begin, for a pre-trip orientation in Port
McNeill.
- Grizzly Watching: 7:30 am in Telegraph Cove.
- Whale Watching: 9am in Port McNeill.
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How
do I get there?
Our meeting points are easy to get to from anywhere. Port McNeill
is near the north end of Vancouver Island and easily accessible
by car, commercial airline or sea plane. Please click
here to get to our Travel page.
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Do
I need a passport to enter Canada?
As
of January, 2008, the rules change and passports are now required
for anyone traveling between Canada and the US. Please see our Passport
Information page for more details.
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Which
trip is best for me?
Let’s look at length of the trip you’re considering:
as kayakers and wilderness lovers, we still think more is better
and we are aren’t likely to change that point of view. So
we’ll tend to refer to the many times we hear “I should
have done the longer one; it was so hard to leave” or something
of that nature. But realistically, many folks simply don’t
have the time for a full six-day adventure. So it’s really
as simple as: how much time do you have? Because once you experience
kayaking in these waters, you’re likely to feel a month is
not enough. Nevertheless,
with so many people with limited time, we have seen tremendous popularity
of our four-day Wild Orca Adventures.
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Which
trips are best for families/kids?
The Guest House is available for families and groups to reserve
exclusively. This offers you the opportunity to choose each activity
to suit your family while having no need to meet others’ schedules
or desires and is a great way to have the most relaxing vacation.
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Why
should I choose Northern Lights?
Experience. Quality. Service. Safety. Integrity. Peace of Mind.
Location. These are among the most powerful reasons we all choose
one service over another. Northern Lights’ reputation for
excelling and far surpassing the “standard” in each
of these categories is what has separated us from other outfitters.
For more, please click here.
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Other
Questions?
Please call
us at 800-754-7402 or 360-734-6334, or e-mail us at info@seakayaking.com
for more information, answers to any questions, and just to get
to know us better.
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