Thank you, Brandon for the wonderful tour! We as a family are pretty experienced kayakers and the whole family had a great time! We stopped in Victoria on our Alaskan Cruise and Brandon did a great job taking care of us! Thank you! read more

Kelp Reef Adventures - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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My husband was pretty reluctant to go kayaking for the first time in ages, but our Sunset Tour with Kelp Reef actually made him pretty happy. Called in morning of on Sunday and was glad there was still room for bookings. Turned out we were 2 of only 3 on the tour that evening, and Austin happened to be our guide. Because of unpredictable winds we went up the harbour instead of out to open waters, which was a little disappointing to me but ended up being fantastic, with lots of historic/fun facts about Victoria and sightings of a bunch of harbour seals. The 2-hour tour was just right for getting to the Selkirk Trestle and back, and 7-9pm was still the perfect amount of light in mid-August. 100% recommend and looking for a time to come back ourselves! read more

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TL;DR great kayaking trip with super friendly guide that showed us some super cute small seals, some otters, and great views. Prior to leaving the employees did a quick overview of the route we would be taking and the timing it would take to go. Then they got us all strapped into live vests, they provided water bags for phones so you could bring it out with you to take pictures, and bottles of water. Once they went over safety they started asking if people wanted to go in solo kayaks or doubles. We opted for the double which was fun. We left into the little Bay Area to paddle around and get used to how you steer while our guide got into their kayak. Then we headed out for about 2 hours where the guide who was very friendly giving out fun facts and pointing out the animals! Definitely suggest and after since it's on the pier highly suggest stopping and grabbing a bite to eat at one of the places there. read more

We went out on a guided kayaking trip a couple of days' ago, just 5 of us and Mitch our tour guide. What a great experience. Perfect weather, lucky us. Two hours in total. Crossing the channel, no concerns there with Mitch in charge. No stopping possible in that particular area, a quick dash across to avoid float planes! But it's all well co-ordinated. And water, sort of , 'traffic lights' tell travellers when a plane is due to land. About every 15 minutes at busy times. They have their own 'landing strip' on the water to follow. We got out to nearby small isle-ettes where sea lions were dozily soaking up the sun. Further on a sea lion nursery, females creatures only, where plenty of newly born pups were getting used to the great outdoors. We gave them a good 60ft distance so as not to alarm them. Deer and heron at different points. Both looking for snacks in different places! And so much informed and interesting information to be absorbed. I'd NO IDEA that kelp could be eaten straight from the sea! I braved trying some along with the rest of the crew. It tasted better than expected. Don't think I'll be adding it to my lasagna but understand some people do just that. Can't recommend the trip highly enough. There's nothing much more pleasurable than messing about in boats with the sun shining. Prices reasonable for the experience. Safety equipment supplied with nice, new life jackets. Rules and regs clearly gone over before setting feet in the kayak. There was no need to get feet wet, either boarding or unloading. The Kelp Reefers have worked out a floating strip for stepping onto from the dock and back. Some of our party were quite inexperienced. It was a trip available to all who were after a spot of adventure and different. We have two kayaks of our own, but wanted to get our sea legs here in Victoria with an experienced outfit for starters. We now have a thirst for doing some more. Unguided next time. read more

Kelp Reef Adventures - Mitch and water baby - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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We had the best time on the two-hour kayak tour of the harbor. We were a group of three: an intermediate kayaker and two beginners. Robert was an awesome guide. He led us around safely and smoothly, and he shared lots of history with us about this area of Vancouver. We saw some seals and a pair of bald eagles, and a group of Canada geese floated with us for quite a while. Kelp Reef also loaned us (for no extra charge) hats, jackets, and splash guards, all of which saved us from being wet, cold, and sunburned. This excursion was a highlight of our stay in Vancouver. We'll definitely do it again when we return. Thank you to the whole team at Kelp Reef Adventures! read more

My husband and I visited Victoria for the day and we're looking for things to do so we stopped by the kiosk and decided to sign up for a kayaking tour. The man who signed us up was very friendly and explain the whole tour with us and answered any questions that we had because we were first time kayakers. Our tour guides name was Lucas and he was very friendly as well. He explained everything from the very beginning of how we would start down to the very end of how we would come back onto the deck. We paid for the 2 hours tour, 130 Canadian dollars, and honestly it was worth every bit because we learned so much along the way and definitely got to see a lot of beautiful things while in the water. Besides the beauty and learning about nature I would say that the customer service at the center was extraordinary and I would definitely recommend it for a thing to do while you are in Victoria! read more

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This experience was amazing! Our tour guide Thom was very knowledgeable and entertaining. My only regret was that we went on the shorter tour! My bf and I will be back for sure!!!11!1!! read more

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AWESOME 3 hr kayak tour with Tom! Beautiful sights, and the company takes very good care of their guests. I highly recommend adding this to your trip itinerary, don't miss it! read more

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This was such a great experience. We went with our scouts July 2015. We had a wide range of experience down too inexperience in our group. We always felt safe and we all had a great time. Lucas and Stef were wonderful guides, they made it fun and educational. We can't thank you enough for such a great experience. 1St Hay Lake Scouts read more

Went on a 2 hour tour with some coworkers on Monday and it was awesome! Kat and Brandon were great guides - very friendly, knowledgeable, and funny! They even provided sunscreen, sunglasses, and waterproof bags for our phones so that we could take photos. Would definitely recommend a tour with Kelp Reef! I would love to come back for a sunset tour :D read more

This three-hour guided kayak tour was the best, most memorable, most exceptional thing we did while in Victoria. A group of five, plus our guide, kayaked out to a seal rookery and got to see baby seals! We also saw a variety of birds and undersea life, including trumpeter swans, oystercatchers, and purple starfish. Our guide, Chantal, was friendly, knowledgeable, calm, and extremely competent--exactly the kind of person you'd want with you if you hadn't been ocean kayaking before. Before we ever left the dock she explained everything thoroughly: all the gear, paddling and steering techniques, and safety precautions. There was even a full water bottle tied to every kayak, and a locked cabinet on the dock to stow our extra stuff while we were on the water. Kelp Reef Adventures gave us one of our most treasured family memories, ever. I enthusiastically give them five stars! read more

Definitely worth it! Explore the harbor in a kayak, you won't be sorry. Not physically exhausting at all (nothing like rowing). We saw wildlife up close and personal (including a birth of a seal pup). The picture you see is truly Mamma's 1st Kiss! Our guide, Brad, knew where the seals and other wildlife were. It was an experience sharing the harbor with ferries and sea planes! No other experience like it. Just loved it! read more

Had a wonderful time with Thom on our kayak adventure! We saw an amazing amount of local wildlife (I definitely suggest taking the morning tour for the best shot at seeing ALL the things!). We spotted otters, seals, sitka deer, racoons, herons, bald eagles, crabs, and more!! Thom was full of fun information and we even got a little hands on tutorial with some of the sea greenery. He helped us feel comfortable and able (even though we had little experience) and definitely made sure we were safe. He even gave is some tips on places to check out during our stay. The location is perfect to grab a delicious lunch after a great tour out on the water. Thank you Kelp Reef and Thom for such a memorable experience! read more

My wife and I went kayaking for the first time in Victoria for our 9th anniversary; we enjoyed it so much, we did it again a few days later. Brad took us out the first time, and he did a great job at helping us feel relaxed, safe and secure. The second time we went out we had Kathy; she is one of the nicest people you'll meet, and she even convinced me to eat some seaweed she pulled from the ocean! :) They are both awesome people, it felt like we were spending time with good friends. We highly recommend going if you're in Victoria. read more

We had an opportunity to go kayaking with Brad in December. Brad is an awesome and knowledgeable guide & comes prepared for every emergency, forbid there is one. We had a wonderful experience and learned new things. They also provide you with water proof neoprene gloves. a dry jacket, dry bag and toque. If you have an opportunity this is a wonderful experience & thank you Brad for being a wonderful guide! We spotted river otters, a bald eagle and various other bird species as well. read more

For me, the kayak trip with our guide, Stephanie, was the highlight of our recent trip to Victoria. We took the tour on my daughter's 16th birthday, and she and her friend loved the experience, as well. We went out at 7 pm on a warm evening: the water was calm and there was very little boat traffic. Stephanie was extremely knowledgable about the local flora and fauna--we saw seals, river otters, and herons. Stephanie also told us about bridges and buildings; she was a pleasure to be with. Safety was her top concern, and she did a great job making sure we all felt secure and comfortable and that we were snugly buckled into our flotation devices. I couldn't recommend Kelp Reef or this experience any more highly. If you're in Victoria, don't think twice about it, just go! read more

Thom was a great guide on our kayak adventure. Highlight of our trip to Victoria. A great cross between educational and recreational tour. Thanks Kelp Reef read more

Chantal was our guide. She took us out after an educational lesson on safety and the area we would be kayaking in. She was friendly and knowledge. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip! read more

There are many ways to see Victoria: by bus, by carriage, by pedicab, and definitely by a variety of boats. But for my money, the BEST way is to book a kayak tour with Kelp Reef. Run by a lovely, extremely knowledgeable couple named Brad and Katharine, the company has just 3 guides (I think) who all have extensive knowledge of the area. They're also dedicated to the experience of each guest, so they keep the tours very small. I booked a morning tour, which took just over 3 hours and included a delicious picnic brunch on the water. Brad was our guide, and I can't imagine a more helpful or friendly admiral for our little fleet of kayaks. We got to see the harbor ships and sea planes up close, and two mama seals with their day-old pups. We also saw herons and other sea birds. It was windy, so we kept to the inner harbor, but on calm days they'll take you to the outer harbor too. They also took good care of my old-ish mom, so I can tell this group is family friendly and offers a great experience to people of all abilities. Finally, they offer a variety of trip options and a few deals, so it's affordable for all! read more

My daughter and I went on a 2 hour kayak tour in June 2016. It was fantastic! We had never been kayaking before but the company made us feel at ease. The equipment is great, including kayaks with rudders for easier steering for newbies. They were very nice - delaying our launch time fo ra few minutes to allow us to finish eating our lunches and then storing the extra part in their refrigerator. Our guide was Thom, who was excellent. He was extremely encouraging and did a good job teaching us basic kayak techniques. He was very interested to talk to as we kayaked along and very knowledgable about the local flora and fauna. I highly recommend Thom and Kelp Reef! read more

ISABELLA was our gude. She was great! We had a 10 yr old child in the group and Isabella made sure she was safe and had fun. Isabella was very knowledgeable and was very enthusiastic. She loves her job and it shows. I would ask for Isabella next time for sure. FIVE STARS! read more

We spent a weekend in Victoria and took a two hour kayak tour with Brandon last weekend. It was an awesome experience! Brandon took us to see baby seals nursing. He also told us so much about the ocean life and the history of what we were seeing. We would go again next time and recommend him to our friends. Ben also took care of us in the office and was very personable and professional. Overall they all did an excellent job! read more