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Your first day trip:
What if I've never
kayaked before?
How many
miles will we paddle? Environnmental
Programs and Awards:
Preparing for the trip: Wildlife:
What if I've never kayaked before? You are not alone. For about 75% of our guests, their trip with Orcas Unlimited is their first introduction to sea kayaking. Our guides provide a safety & orientation briefing, will outfit you with a kayak that meets your needs and abilities, and are trained in emergency procedures. back to top I'm concerned about kayaking on the open ocean. What's it like? Our groups of 6 or fewer travel together, generally along coastlines near shore and shallow water. Unless we are guiding experienced paddlers, we avoid rip tides, high currents, and large ocean swells. Occasionally weather conditions cause us to seek sheltered water. Kodiak's irregular coastline and relatively calm summer weather usually allows us to find flat water to paddle. We pace the trips according to the needs and abilities of our guests, so we will ask for input from you along the way. back to top Do the kayaks tip over easily? We buy kayaks featuring good initial stability, meaning they sit solidly upright in the water. Although capsize is possible, these stable boats and our calm paddling conditions make it unlikely. Since 2004, we have had two capsizes in over 300 client days, for a capsize rate of less than 1%. Neither case involved injury or hypothermia. back to top Can we bring young children? Children 12 and younger may have difficulty maneuvering our kayaks, the smallest of which are 14 feet in length. Children under this age can sometimes be placed in the front seat of a double kayak with a stronger paddler, usually a parent, in the rear. We make every effort to accommodate families. Please contact us if you have further questions. back to top We're getting older and aren't as fit as we used to be. Is kayaking for us? We guide people of all ages, as long as they are have moderate fitness (can walk a mile) and flexibility (can sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you). In terms of cardiovascular requirements, sea kayaking is similar to a brisk walk, although it uses different muscle groups. When clients are concerned about their upper body strength or ability to keep up, we typically pair them in a double kayak with a stronger paddler or one of our guides. Obesity, bad backs and circulatory problems in the legs can cause complications. To discuss your options, please contact us. back to top Will we see whales? Although no sightings are ever guaranteed, our chances of encountering whales are very good. Dozens of humpback whales migrate from Hawaii to Chiniak and Marmot bays every summer, and spend the entire summer feeding just a few miles outside Kodiak city. Farther afield, we typically encounter fin and minke whales, and sometimes grays and orcas as well for a total of five possible species. In 2007, approximately 4 out of 5 trips involved whale sightings for both the Chiniak Bay sealife cruise and Marmot Bay mothership tours. back to top
Is there a shower onboard? No. Be sure to grab one before you go! back to top How comfortable are the beds? Each one of them is long enough for your 6'2" guide to sleep in. Four bunks are arranged a v-shape in the forepeak of the Celeste. A fifth bunk is in the main cabin area. All mattresses are 3" thick foam. We provide linens, blankets and/or sleeping bags as necessary. back to top How are your rates structured? Our rates are each per person, and do not include a 6% city sales & service tax (up to $45) Rates decrease as the party size increases. If your party of two wishes to reserve a trip on a given date, your initial deposit will reflect the size of your party only. The balance is due on the day of the charter and will reflect a rate based on the total people onboard that day. Example: On March 1st you call Orcas Unlimited to book for a July 4th Marmot Bay mothership tour for two people, $240 per person x 2 people = $480 x 50% deposit = $240. By July 4th, 4 other people signed on to the trip for that day. Your balance reflects the 6 person rate of $200. $200 x 2 = $400 - $240 deposit = $160. Taxes are applied to the total amount on the day of the charter. back to top Do you accept gratuities? We accept gratuities only if our performance and ethic exceed your expectations. back to top
How many
miles will we paddle?
We typically paddle
a conservative 10-12 miles per day. Depending on your
fitness and skill level, we are usually more conservative at the
beginning of the trip and work our way up to this range or beyond,
in order to get your paddling muscles warm without over-doing it too
early. As you acclimate to your boat and your conditions,
you'll also relax unneeded muscles and fine-tune your stroke,
becoming more efficient. The last thing we want is to wake up
on the second day of a 5-day trip to a camp full of groaning
stiff-arms!
back to
top How do you handle meals in camp? Guests are asked to bring their own cookstoves and cookware as they would on a backpacking trip, and to cook their own food. All types of white gas and bottled fuel are available at our local outfitters. If you are traveling without a camp stove or cookware, please let us know it advance and we will plan accordingly. back to top What are carbon offsets? Carbon offsetting is the act of mitigating ("offsetting") greenhouse gas emissions. A well-known example is the purchasing of offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions from personal air travel. As OU, we offset 100% of our internal operations (e.g. office space, storage, vehicle miles), 100% of our external operations (e.g. boat fuel, waste), and 20% of our client air travel, a percentage derived from the ratio of average trip duration (1.22 days) to the average Kodiak visit duration (6 days). back to top How do you calculate Orcas Unlimited's emissions? We partnered with Sustainable Travel International to conduct a Carbon Emissions Assessment of OU's operations, from fuel consumption to waste generated to office and storage area energy consumption. Click here to read the Carbon Emissions Assessment. back to top How can I offset the rest of my air travel? STI provides a free carbon calculator to help you calculate and offset the remainder of your air travel. We encourage you to do so! What renewable
sources do you invest in? Orcas Unlimited supports`the funding,
construction, and operations of renewable energy projects that
reduce CO2 emissions through the puchase of Mini-Green Tags.
Each individual Mini-Green Tag reflects the avoided pollution that
results from substituting new wind, solar and other renewable
electricity sources for coal or gas. What kinds of things should I bring? Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Rain jacket/windbreaker, Hiking boots or sneakers, Wool socks, Synthetic fabrics. back to top What should I leave behind? Cotton clothing, Jeans back to top What paddling equipment do you provide? Kayak, Paddle, Lifejacket, Spray Skirt, Dry Bags, Lunch (full day only) back to top What other items do you recommend bringing? Binoculars, Camera (with zoom lens), Video camera, Pocket Field Guides, Seasickness medication, Battery chargers back to top
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| Download or Print a Packing Checklist (pdf): | ||
| Day Trips | Multi-Day Trips |
Week Trips Weekly Packing List (coming soon) |
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Sea Life Sightings Sea Otter, Harbor Seal, Steller Sealion, River Otter, Humpback Whale, Dahl's Porpoise, Harbor Porpoise, Orca Whale, Fin Whale, Minke Whale back to top
Bird Sightings Tufted Puffin, Horned Puffin, Black-legged Kittiwake, Glaucous-winged gull, Mew Gull, Common Merganser, Parakeet Auklet, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Great Blue Heron, Northern Fulmar, Parasitic Jaeger (dark phase), Surf Scoter, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-faced Cormorant, Harlequin Duck, Green-winged Teal, White-winged Scoter, Lesser Yellowlegs, Rock Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black Turnstone, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Phalarope, Cliff Swallow, Pigeon Guillemot, Black Oystercatcher, Common Eider, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle back to top
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Orcas Unlimited Charters of Kodiak, LLC - 2267 Forest Dr. - Kodiak, Alaska - 99615 - 907.654.7860 - info@orcasunlimited.com |
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