My family and I just completed a fun kayaking tour with Eli & Maddie! We booked the Eagle Island excursion through the Royal Princess on our Alaskan cruise. This was the perfect way to spend our time in Ketchikan. We saw sea stars, seals, a bald eagle and more! Eli & Maddie were patient and informative. Highly recommend! read more

Southeast Sea Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Rose and Bree took us on a fantastic kayak journey. Saw bald eagles and leaned much about the ecosystem. read more

Southeast Sea Kayaks - My brother and me - Tours Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Great trip out to "Eagle Island". I think I prefer single Kayaks but the trip was great. read more

Booked an excursion for the kayaking at Orcas Cove. We lucked out and had amazing weather for our experience. The staff were nice and kind. Easily located our guide after getting off the cruise ship and was quickly escorted to the speed boat. The speed boat ride was a quick 10 mins and we arrived shortly to Matt's boat to board our kayaks. Our guide was very informative and shared useful information on the wild life that we saw. She actively sought out starfishes, jellies and urchins for us to see up close and feel. We even saw a bald eagle-the only one during our entire cruise actually. It was a magical experience and well worth the money. Hands down the best part was the service and the people that helped us. Gave us great hospitality and recommendations not only for Ketchikan but other cruise ports we were visiting for our trip. Highly would recommend booking this excursion! read more

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Great time. Our guide, Allie, was very accommodating and patient. It wasn't a fast-paced tour and my sons got a little impatient. I love that she took pics of us and encouraged us to jump in the water. Ideally we could have gone on the amazing rope swing we saw but I get the liability issues. Overall, a relaxing kayak plus gorgeous weather and scenery including eagle nest read more

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We had an amazing time yesterday! Luke was captain of the boat and made a slight detour on the way to the kayaking area so that we could enjoy some time watching a large pod of orca. Once out to the catamaran, Matt took over as our kayak guide. He was very informative about the area and the local history. He pointed out petroglyphs, an eagle flying by with nesting materials, and spoke about the local sea life. The only downside was that the tour had to end. We could have spent the whole day out there. read more

This was a wonderful excursion. I was not on a cruise ship, and you apparently can't book this trip via a cruise ship anyways. It's owned by a very nice local couple that's originally from Australia. Locating our guide was easy and simple. We then walked over to their floating office on a boat and geared up. They provide pants and a jacket, as well as lifejackets, etc. We then took an 8-mile boat ride to another boat where we got a quick lesson on kayaking and boarded our kayaks. All kayaks are tandem. I was a solo traveler and got to kayak with our guide. The groups are very limited in size, which makes for a great experience. We kayaked all around Orcas Cove and the Tongass National Forest. It was amazing to see all the sea stars clinging to the rocks as the tide was out. And we saw bald eagles. And I got to hold a moon jelly. Truly a wonderful adventure! We didn't see any whales, but it was still great. It was neat to see all the jumping salmon. The kayaking wasn't difficult and our guide was wonderful about being patient with the kids that were part of our group. It was raining and cold, but it wasn't bad at all. I would definitely agree with the recommendation of bringing gloves. Gloves would've been really nice. After a couple of hours of kayaking, we re-boarded the boat and were greeted with warm towels, hot chocolate, and delicious salmon. We then made the journey back to the office and picked up our belongings. All in all, this was a great experience! read more

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This was the second kayak trip that my mister and I took while in Alaska. We originally had wanted to book the Icehouse Cove excursion, but the timing did not align with our cruise port schedule. Luckily, we were able to book the Orcas Cove excursion instead, and we had a phenomenal time! It ended up being only my mister and I on the trip, so we were pleased to go at our own pace. Adam was our guide, and he was fun and easy going. Despite not being a native Alaskan, he was very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. We met up with Adam at the rain gauge (it is very, very well-marked) and headed over to the "office" area to pick up some gear and to take a twenty minute boat ride over to the cove and mothership to pick up our kayaks. We also took the same boat back to get to the port, and it was interesting to see how the tides shift. Our trip back was very bumpy, so heads up to those who might get seasick. We didn't see any whales while kayaking, but we saw lots of jumping salmon, star fish, sea cucumbers, and many bald eagles. The water was very calm, and I wished that the tour lasted longer because we had such a good time. The picnic was a great end to our excursion, and the smoked salmon was very delicious. read more

Southeast Sea Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

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My wife and I recently went on the Orcas Cove trip with Adam as our guide, and it was perfect. The company is very easy to work with, and the helped me find the best trip that worked with my cruise schedule. Adam was promptly waiting for us at the rain gauge, and he called me when we were a minute late to see if we needed any help. Trips will leave without you if you are too late, so be timely! We walked with Adam to the office, which is a boat in the harbor. We were outfitted with dry jackets, spray skirts, and flotation devices. Then we hopped into another boat and took a short ride to...another boat, which functions as a floating kayak base. The staff are all very helpful and gave us clear directions for getting into and out of boats, putting on equipment, and how to operate the kayaks. Within minutes, we were ready to go. Our tour was at 7 in the morning, and we saw Orcas Cove at low tide. Although we didn't see any whales, seals, or otters, we saw eagles, sea cucumbers, starfish, salmon, and more. Adam was a great guide, and he pointed out creatures to us, found a sea cucumber for us to hold, and had detailed explanations for every part of the tour. At one point, a bald eagle swooped down in front of us to feed in shallow water, and we were within 10 feet of it. Needless to say, my eagle pictures were awesome. When we came back to the kayak base, a nice spread was waiting for us, which included some of the company's own smoked salmon. Everything was delicious. The salmon is also for sale at the office boat, and I bought a few cans. It's priced cheaper than other salmon available in the area, and it's nice to know the exact story behind it. In short, book with Southeast Sea Kayaks. You will have an amazing time. read more

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Amazing tour! Great views of the town. Kassandra was the perfect tour guide. Such an informative tour and went through Creek St and Tongass Narrows. Best views of the islands, ships, and airplanes landing. Best two hours on land. read more

My family (group of 4) booked the Orca Cove Kayak Tour. Our tour guide was named Ren (sp?). She was friendly and knowledgeable. I booked online separate from the cruise ship (Celebrity). For $159/pp, we had a tour that was nearly twice as long as the cruise sponsored trip and farther out into Orca Cove, rather than sticking near Ketchikan. Southeast Sea Kayaks also offers a similar tour as the cruise excursion, but we chose the longer, more interesting trip for the same cost of the cruise excursion. Finding our tour guide was very easy and we had plenty of time to get off the ship to find our meeting spot. The tour was maxed at 6 people, so it was just my family and another couple. We were each given waterproof gear and then took a boat out to the cove. We spent a relaxed 2.5 h paddling around the cove, spotting plenty of eagles, exploring the tidal sea life, and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. The exercise level might be slightly strenuous for younger children or more advanced age, but Ren was very accommodating and I'm sure the activity level can be tailored for the group. We were in our late 20's and late 50's respectively, so the activity level was just right and very relaxing. At the end of the tour, we were served smoked salmon that the owner personally orders and smokes just for his company. Smoked salmon, crackers, and hot tea/chocolate following a kayaking adventure? What could be better! The owner, Greg, is extremely knowledgeable and personable. Overall, I highly recommend this excursion. It's easy, reliable and a deal compared with booking with the cruise line. Plus, the smoked salmon was delicious! read more

We had originally booked the 4-hour Orcas Cove tour but, due to strong winds, were told we could either cancel and get a full refund or they could take us on a shorter tour. We chose to do the shorter tour and I thought it was nice that they gave us either option instead of just canceling it altogether. By the time we were ready to hit the water it was even more risky to go out around the surrounding islands so we stayed right in the harbor and went up the creek that runs alongside Creek Street. We saw several seals (they swam right under and beside us, so cute!), tons of salmon, and took a very leisurely paddle in the rain. Our guide was great and I feel terrible that I can't remember his name! I want to say Luke but I think I'm confusing him with a guide from another tour during our vacation. Anyway he was very knowledgeable and friendly. The other employees were also super friendly and later that day we received an e-mail apologizing for the weather affecting our tour, the refund was in my account the next business day. I highly recommend taking a tour with these guys! read more

Amazing trip to Orcas Cove with our guide James!None of us had done sea kayaking before and he was very patient with our group of 6 (including two 11-year-old boys who were in a kayak together). We paddled for about 2 hours (which is about all I had the muscle for, despite swimming 5-10 miles per week!) and returned to an amazing smoked salmon spread. Despite being picky eaters, the 11-year-old boys loved it! My friend's husband said it was the best excursion he did while on our cruise, and was glad he did it because he never would have booked it himself. If I am ever back in Ketchikan I would love to do this again. read more

Southeast Sea Kayaks - Paddling along the coastline. - Tours Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

We just returned from our Alaska cruise and our kayaking tour with Southeast Sea Kayaks was one of the biggest highlights. I love that it was a small group (6) and our guide Brandon was awesome. We kayaked up Creek Street and also crossed the water to some nice cove areas. We saw a seal, lots of salmon, many lion head jelly fish and a beautiful bald eagle. This is a great trip for all ages and absolutely fine for first time and also experienced kayakers. Brandon was careful to make the getting in and getting out if the kayak safe and easy. They give you all the gear, dry bag, seat skirt, so none of us got wet. Brandon also gave us lots of history and info about Ketchikan, it was a great experience. We booked this separate from our cruise ship, I had read many good reviews ahead of time and my husband and I both really enjoyed it. read more

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Amazing tour! Had a blast and got to see a lot! What a beautiful city and state! The tour guides were born and raise Ketchikan natives and were full of knowledge and joy for the city. Highly recommend! read more

I was on a Princess cruise and chose the "Sea Kayaking" excursion. They had a beautiful route along the shoreline, across open water, into shallow areas, around small islands, resulting in great variety and views. The guides were enthusiastic and wanted you to enjoy your time, so they gave some tips and pointers on how to paddle (so you don't need to have prior experience, but some level of generalized physical fitness is probably a good idea). I lost track of time (because it was both hard work but such an amazing vista), but I think we were out on open for two hours. We'd paddle for 20 minutes, then stop and look for eagles for five minutes; then move on for another half hour and park it along the shoreline while the guides gave some pretty good insight into what to look for. read more

Charlie was a great guide & very knowledgeable We are still glad we went although it was pouring. I recommend a baseball cap & waterproof lightweight gloves-maybe like for a bike? read more

Southeast Sea Kayaks offers great tours for both those who are beginners as well as advanced. Their tours offer a great tour of the beautiful scenery found here in Alaska. Having never been kayaking before - I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I found exceeded all expectations, and has left me wanting to go again and again. Definitely a tour worth going on! read more

We organized our own shore excursion in Ketchikan. We chose to do the sea kayaking experience as a group on our own (not from the cruise line packages). We chose Southeast Sea Kayaks. It was a great experience. They were on-time with meeting us. It was very convenient location. The place where you actually kayak is very calm water. The showed us lots of wildlife. At all times we felt very safe. We would highly recommend. read more

Can't speak highly enough about the kayak tours. It was beautiful and our guides (Ren and Clay) were friendly, helpful, and informative. You'll get your exercise, but it's tons of fun! read more

Andrea was our guide and we had a great time. We saw bald eagles, jelly fish and starfish. Some of the water was very choppy and rough at places, while other sections were smooth. How your difficult your kayak rowing will be will really depend on the weather. read more

The family had a great time on our kayak tour with Shane - the gear was great, the guides knew a lot about the local sea life and area, and we felt comfortable and welcome. We even had a seal follow us around, popping up by the boat now and then... great experience and value. read more

What a fabulous trip! From the moment we were picked up in the van, to our greeting at the office, the boat ride out to Orca's Cove, and our safety demo on the boat...we were greeted with smiling, friendly guides. The kayaking itself was amazing: calm waters, sturdy kayaks, endless views of starfish and jellyfish, as well as deer and eagles around the islands. Our guide was a perfect balance of telling us information and letting us enjoy the peace of Orca's cove. With groups limited to 6 it made the trip pleasant and felt more personal than other big group kayaking tours we've taken in the past. We enjoyed the snack afterwards: chatting and laughing as well as the delicious smoked salmon. Back at the main office we bought 3 cans to bring back home! We'd highly recommend the Orca's Cove guided tour as a way to enjoy a quiet area and get in some good exercise. We'd like to visit again in the future for an overnight trip out to Misty Fjords! read more

Great family fun and adventure for the four of us. Our guide Andi made us feel very welcome and was as excited about seeing the wildlife as we were. Definitely a must for an excursion off a cruise ship. The highlight was seeing all the seals and watching them be so playful. Thank you Southeast Sea Kayaks and Andi. Worth the trip. read more

Really enjoyed this excursion. SE Sea Kayaks was so helpful in answering all our emails and questions about how it all works and setting everything up perfectly. We were met right off the cruise boat, quickly outfitted and taken out to Orcas Cove to get in the kayaks. On the way we saw a pod of orcas, proof that we were going to have a stellar day. Rob, our guide, had everything ready and did a great job teaching us how to easily and safely go from boat to kayak. We really enjoyed paddling out into the cove and the waters beyond - seeing humpbacks, sea lions, and eagles. It's the best way to really see Alaska. You are miles from civilization, crowds, and touristy nonsense. So quiet, so peaceful! It's really an awesome experience. I would heartily recommend it! read more

I went on the "Orcas Cove" kayaking adventure - purchased from shoretrips.com as we were on a cruise ship. This was an awesome experience. The equipment is top notch and the guide was even better. The tour was limited to six people which is nice and makes for an intimate experience rather than a tourist trap. We saw lots of wildlife, including kayaking with a bear which was swimming from an island to the mainland. Could not be happier with our tour. read more

Great trip on 9/9/13--was picked up by Tyler, who ended up being my back-seat partner on the kayak! Saw 6 eagles, thanks to Tyler, so got 4 good photo ops, also got confirmation I found a mink crawling around on the rocks. LOVED the camaraderie between Tyler and James(?), as the obviously love their job/area they live in...especially as we were getting dressed, follow the outline of layers, and HAVE A WATERPROOF CAMERA WITH NECK LANYARD. ALSO, SO LOVED the Salmon lunch. Only bummer was being bumped from sea plane ride, not anyone's fault other than the fact so many people from cruise ship wanted on (and I wasn't part of that so I was flexed to next day) Also got some free salmon for my troubles, all in all THIS IS A GREAT ACTIVITY FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING AWAY FROM TOWN!!! read more

My husband and I went on the Orcas Cove tour. We were staying in Kethchikan for the week, so we booked the tour ourselves. It was a nice small group led by Mary. I can't say enough about Mary. She had a great personality and loads of energy. She was very knowledgeable and just an all around positive person. We saw some jelly fish, a mink and a very large eagles nest in one of the trees. We were very lucky to have a nice sunny day to kayak. After the kayak we had a snack of smoked salmon that was so good we ended up buying 6 cans. The tour was a little pricey, but well worth the money. read more

We had an awesome Orcas Cove kayaking trip last week! I LOVED that it was a max group of 6 and we only had 4, so it was almost a private tour. It was easy to book online and their website was really good as far as what to expect (I'm a planner so I want to know all that stuff). Our guide was Angela, and she was very knowledgeable of the area, kayaking, local wildlife, etc. We met her a couple pier berths down from our ship at the rain gunge, then we walked over to their floating office with the other couple in our group (which was also from our ship), about 5 minutes away if that. We signed waivers, got lightweight paddling jackets and life vests, and stowed everything that we weren't taking in a dry bag (which they provide) in a bin. I'm glad I wore their jacket as it was lightweight and mine didn't get wet. Note that although you stay fairly dry, there is some potential for splashing, and although there is a spray skirt, you have to lift it up to get out of the kayak, so if there is some water on it, it can get on your pants. They don't provide gloves, so I had brought some waterproof ones as my hands get cold easily, but didn't end up needing them for the cold (although maybe would have protected against blisters). They provide a small bottle of water when you get in the kayak, so I ended up not needing mine. You really don't need anything besides a camera (someone in our group had a great iphone dry bag worn around the neck, although we just brought an old camera and put it in the dry bag) and any necessary meds or whatever (and wear sunblock, a hat, and sunglasses...even with that I got some sun out on the water). We then boarded a small boat with our guide and the other couple for the ~20 min ride out to Orcas Cove. The boat was brand new (10 hours) and really nice. It was a smooth ride on the way there but quite choppy on the way back (roller coaster spine-jarring bumpy). I had taken Bonine and wore my Sea Bands though, so I was fine. We then boarded the mothership boat in Orcas Cove. It wasn't the easiest transfer as it was a few feet up (I had been expecting a dock with having to board kayaks), but they had a safe & easy way for us to do it. We then put on our spray skirts (like suspenders) and got a safety & paddling briefing. Next we transferred one at a time to a raft to transfer into the kayaks. It was again a bit tricky as we had to blindly climb down a ladder and into a little rubber raft, but they helped us out and gave clear instructions. They helped us get comfy and tucked us into the spray skirts. Dry bags go under the spray skirts and you can't safely pass things between people, so its a pain to get at anything you do bring (they put the water bottle on the outside of the kayak), and you should plan ahead of time who will be the photographer if you only have 1 camera. I wouldn't bring a smart phone without its own little dry bag or any camera you care a lot about, as your hands and arms have the potential to get wet, especially if you are a clumsy paddler like me! We got lucky with a gorgeous warm day. Angela led us around to some scenic spots, like some tidepools (water was barely deep enough for the kayaks as we were almost at low tide), an eagle's nest, waterfall, etc. She picked up a sea star and some kelp and such to show us, and pointed out all sorts of cool stuff and all the landmarks. We even spotted some deer on the shore. I was told we were out on the water for about 2 or 2.5 hours. I'm out of shape so by the end I was quite tired & sore (even though we took lots of breaks and floated around and such), but it was doable. Then we repeated the process to get back to the boat (which does have a restroom). The owner had set up a lovely smoked salmon picnic. None of us had realized how hungry we were! My husband and I are admittedly salmon snobs, as we live in Seattle and are spoiled with the best of the best, and we loved it (they sell cans to take home at a really great price too, and also ship)...its high quality stuff in whole filets which they catch and have canned just for this tour, not the usual cheap mashed up pink Salmon. We quickly made work of the spread (there were crackers, cream cheese, cucumbers, the works), then it was time for the boat ride back. Angela ended up staying on the big boat as she had another tour coming up. We hadn't brought our wallets, but were able to leave a tip for her (which is also split with the other employees like the boat driver) at the office when we returned. All in all this was a great tour and a great value. I don't really have a single complaint (well worth the early wake up for a 7am tour). I'm glad we picked the Orcas Cove trip, as I don't think the in town trip would have been nearly as much of an experience. Even though we were only in port 6am-2pm, we still had plenty of time to walk around town afterwards (even spotted a seal below Creek St, who was quite a bit early for the salmon run lol). read more

Wonderful equipment, fantastic service, and knowledgeable staff, just what I want in an outfitter! Jared set us up with quality equipment for a five day trip to Misty Fjord National Monument. He and his crew were wonderful to work with. read more

We booked the Tatoosh Islands kayaking excursion while on a Disney cruise with our very adventurous kids (who are 18 & 20 years old) in June 2014 and we could not be happier! It was a wonderful day! K.T., Rob & Colton made sure we all had a GREAT time. This excursion was adventurous enough for our 18 year old Eagle Scout to be quite happy, while still being very "doable" for his 45 year old mom (& there were a couple of more mature couples in this group as well). Ketchikan gets a LOT of rain, so plan on going regardless of the weather. They provide rain gear (pants/jacket), but you might want some kind of flexible (waterproof?) gloves. My hands were rather numb until the sun decided to shine again. The views are stunning along the route of this tour (about 1.5 to 2 hours). Kayaks are for 2 people & the equipment is top-notch. We had a leisurely paddle along the route, we never felt rushed. It was incredibly relaxing and beautiful. The boat ride out to & back from the "base camp" is lovely in itself... a great ride with gorgeous scenery (keep your eye out for eagles!). read more