Katchemak Bay Kayak Tours
If your idea of a good time is to get up close and personal with seals, porpoises, whales, otters, gulls and terns, then sea kayaking in Kachemak Bay, near Homer, Alaska, may be for you. Kachemak Bay is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. A bracing tour by sea kayak can take you through tide pools full of crustaceans and mollusks, past dramatic cliffs full of nesting seabirds and through inlets where otters bob up to check you out. Dozens of Homer-based guides offer kayak tours, from day tours to overnight camping tours or more comfortable lodge-based tours.
Sea kayaking trips here range from a half-day guided trip to overnight and multiple-day trips that include lodging in cabins on one of the islands in Kachemak Bay. If you are already an expert sea kayaker with some experience in Alaska, you may opt to check out kayak rentals. If you're looking for an education, the Center for Alaskan Coast Studies provides guided nature tours with experts who can combine sea kayaking with hikes and yurt camping. Most tour operators provide a water taxi from Homer to the beginning point, which may be Gull Island, or to Kachemak Bay State Park. They also provide specialty equipment such as life jackets. Other amenities may cost extra. The Homer Chamber of Commerce website provides links to kayak tour companies.
Kayaking in Homer, with its comparatively mild weather, is not always best done on a sunny, bright day, says Diane Borgman, owner of Homer Ocean Charters, which organizes kayaking tours. The bay is choppier on a sunny day and calmer if there's a light rain. If you are looking for tourist facilities such as restaurants and shops that are open and operating, visit between May and September. If you don't mind weather in the 30s and 40s and want to avoid the main tourist season, visit in late fall or early spring, but not all kayak operators are open year round.
Most adults in good health and with good upper body strength are capable of handling a kayak, especially with an expert guide. But children 10 and under usually not strong enough for the 19-foot, two-person kayaks used for exploring Kachemak Bay islands and inlets, says Borgman. Borgman suggests most children over 12 are strong enough to handle paddling a sea kayak. .
Borgman cautions against kayaking in Kachemak Bay without a guide. With a guide, even those who have never paddled before will get expert instruction. Most sea kayak guides will begin your trip with an orientation at the dock if you need it. Borgman also suggests kayakers dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, pack a light lunch or snacks and bring light rain gear.
Homer was named for a gold miner and con man, Homer Pennock, who set up a base camp in 1896 on Homer Spit at the end of Kenai Peninsula. Today, due to its year-round milder weather, Homer is a favorite destination for local tourists, as well as those from the lower 48 and around the world. Views of the Kenai Mountains and glaciers, as well as beaches, hotels, an arts community, services and activities give rise to the Kenai Peninsula's reputation as "Alaska's Playground." After a long day of kayaking, visitors can go fishing, take in a play or a concert, eat a gourmet meal, shop at the farmers' market, visit the famous Salty Dawg Saloon, fly over glaciers in a plane or helicopter or hit golf balls at Kachemak Bay Lynx.