Austin, Ben, Thom, Brandon, Lucas, Robbie, Carmina and Matthew! (Brad in front)
We are excited to have several new guides join us this year and pleased to welcome back both Thom and Lucas! Come down to Fisherman’s Wharf this summer to meet them.
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2016-05-16 19:36:142016-05-16 19:36:14The Kelp Reef Team 2016
This is Beecher Bay in Metchosen, a beautiful remote and rocky shoreline on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The kelp forests are teeming with life, the river otters call it home and here we call the harbour seals ‘rock sausage’.
And if we get lucky there is the chance to see orca travelling past the Bay.
We are now offering a full day kayak tour with transportation and lunch included for only $130 each! Meet your guide Lucas.
Launch from this little cove and paddle the intertidal zone looking at colourful sea stars, huge mussels and the noisy black oystercatcher. Have chance encounters with a barking sea lion or curious harbour seal. We will stop on a west coast beach for a picnic and then continue on around Wolf Island before returning to our Spirit Bay cove.
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2016-04-29 16:34:532016-04-29 16:34:53New Full Day Kayak Tour
It’s an exciting start to the season when the truck arrived with eleven new Necky Looksha kayaks. Plus getting to try them out are a couple new faces; guides Jeremy and Sam. The weather this Easter weekend couldn’t be better! We are offering two tours daily, 9am and 1pm through April with our shoulder season prices. Come meet Jeremy and Sam and paddle our new kayaks.
Call to reserve 250 386 7333.
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2016-03-25 19:26:142016-03-25 19:26:14Introducing the new fleet and new faces!
It’s officially Spring in Victoria! Brad has made another hit video to show you first hand…. It’s a great time to enjoy a relaxing paddle of Victoria’s Inner harbour and it’s sites. We are offering a two hour tour daily at 1pm for only $50 each. Reservations necessary.
Call today 250 386 7333.
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2015-03-14 05:04:132015-03-14 05:04:13Spring in Victoria
Brad has been in the editing room and gathered up the best harbour seal pup footage for our 2014 pupping season. By September we had names for several of the new seal pups. There were at least twelve and their curiosity and antics amused and entertained our guests. It is an incredible experience to witness these little seals dive and play, nurse and sleep and when we were lucky they approached us and allowed Brad to get some incredible video on his Go Pro.
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2014-11-23 02:26:152014-11-23 02:26:15Best of 2014 Seal pup season
At the end of a great season we must say goodbye to too many good friends. At the end of August we bid Spencer good luck to his studies at Thompson Rivers University and by mid September Alex was flying home in order to begin a new adventure overseas! We hope the winter passes quickly and you both will be back in Victoria soon!
Brad put together a video that will keep summer adventure in our thoughts and to give Alex a proper send off. We departed from Island View Beach on a windy but clear day and made good time across to Darcy Island where we spent the first night. As we rounded the last bend of the channel between the privately owned Little Darcy and the provincial park on D’arcy, we found another kayaker having a snooze on the beach. He was surprised to see Belle and Lucca pop out of our kayaks and up the beach to say Hi.
After a rest in the sun we had work to do to set up camp. Brad and I discovered to our disappointment that our tent had a not 1 but 2 broken poles and could not be used despite attempts to repair them. Since purchasing our Big Foot trailer neither of us had slept in a tent for 3 years and instead we slept under a tarp. We had the dogs to keep us warm but Alex was alone in our cozy Tarn2 on her first night camping in a tent.
Morning coffee was spent watching a pair of oyster catchers gathering breakfast. We ourselves had an egg scramble and broke camp in record time to catch the flood tide to Rum Island. It was sunny but cool and soon we were shedding our paddling jackets. We stopped at Mandarte Island to watch the cormorants as we enjoyed and orange each, a great kayak snack. If you drop it overboard it will still float!
We arrived at Rum Island by lunchtime and had the pick of the 4 raised tent pads, we had the small island to ourselves! Following a picnic of chicken and mashed potato we explored our new island. Unfortunately when we returned we met with a group of no less than a dozen kids from St Michaels University school. They were everywhere! We tried to make the most of our evening with a bottle of rum to honour the rum smugglers that the island was named for. But their tents surrounded ours and we spent the night listening to their adolescent voices.
Our last day took us along Sidney Island and through Cordova Channel back to Island View Beach. It was a calm and clear day and an enjoyable paddle but it seemed to take forever to make the beach as we all hungered for lunch and anticipated a shower! We had a great time and we are already planning our next staff kayak overnight outing for the Spring.
Thank you to all our paddlers and staff who made 2014 a stellar year!
Katharine Palmer co owner
https://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.png00Kelp Reefhttps://kelpreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo22.pngKelp Reef2014-11-23 02:12:572014-11-23 02:12:57Thank you Staff and Paddling Friends
The Kelp Reef Team 2016
/in News /by Kelp ReefIntroducing our guides of 2016!
left to right;
Austin, Ben, Thom, Brandon, Lucas, Robbie, Carmina and Matthew! (Brad in front)
We are excited to have several new guides join us this year and pleased to welcome back both Thom and Lucas! Come down to Fisherman’s Wharf this summer to meet them.
New Full Day Kayak Tour
/in News /by Kelp ReefThis is Beecher Bay in Metchosen, a beautiful remote and rocky shoreline on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The kelp forests are teeming with life, the river otters call it home and here we call the harbour seals ‘rock sausage’.
And if we get lucky there is the chance to see orca travelling past the Bay.
We are now offering a full day kayak tour with transportation and lunch included for only $130 each! Meet your guide Lucas.
Launch from this little cove and paddle the intertidal zone looking at colourful sea stars, huge mussels and the noisy black oystercatcher. Have chance encounters with a barking sea lion or curious harbour seal. We will stop on a west coast beach for a picnic and then continue on around Wolf Island before returning to our Spirit Bay cove.
Introducing the new fleet and new faces!
/in News /by Kelp ReefIt’s an exciting start to the season when the truck arrived with eleven new Necky Looksha kayaks. Plus getting to try them out are a couple new faces; guides Jeremy and Sam. The weather this Easter weekend couldn’t be better! We are offering two tours daily, 9am and 1pm through April with our shoulder season prices. Come meet Jeremy and Sam and paddle our new kayaks.
Call to reserve 250 386 7333.
Kelp Reef Adventures 2015
/in News /by Kelp ReefRiver otter kits @ Fisherman’s Wharf
/in News /by Kelp ReefSpring in Victoria
/in News /by Kelp ReefIt’s officially Spring in Victoria! Brad has made another hit video to show you first hand…. It’s a great time to enjoy a relaxing paddle of Victoria’s Inner harbour and it’s sites. We are offering a two hour tour daily at 1pm for only $50 each. Reservations necessary.
Call today 250 386 7333.
Vancouver Island- Fall Road Trip
/in News /by Kelp ReefBest of 2014 Seal pup season
/in News /by Kelp ReefBrad has been in the editing room and gathered up the best harbour seal pup footage for our 2014 pupping season. By September we had names for several of the new seal pups. There were at least twelve and their curiosity and antics amused and entertained our guests. It is an incredible experience to witness these little seals dive and play, nurse and sleep and when we were lucky they approached us and allowed Brad to get some incredible video on his Go Pro.
Thank you Staff and Paddling Friends
/in News /by Kelp ReefAt the end of a great season we must say goodbye to too many good friends. At the end of August we bid Spencer good luck to his studies at Thompson Rivers University and by mid September Alex was flying home in order to begin a new adventure overseas! We hope the winter passes quickly and you both will be back in Victoria soon!
Brad put together a video that will keep summer adventure in our thoughts and to give Alex a proper send off. We departed from Island View Beach on a windy but clear day and made good time across to Darcy Island where we spent the first night. As we rounded the last bend of the channel between the privately owned Little Darcy and the provincial park on D’arcy, we found another kayaker having a snooze on the beach. He was surprised to see Belle and Lucca pop out of our kayaks and up the beach to say Hi.
After a rest in the sun we had work to do to set up camp. Brad and I discovered to our disappointment that our tent had a not 1 but 2 broken poles and could not be used despite attempts to repair them. Since purchasing our Big Foot trailer neither of us had slept in a tent for 3 years and instead we slept under a tarp. We had the dogs to keep us warm but Alex was alone in our cozy Tarn2 on her first night camping in a tent.
Morning coffee was spent watching a pair of oyster catchers gathering breakfast. We ourselves had an egg scramble and broke camp in record time to catch the flood tide to Rum Island. It was sunny but cool and soon we were shedding our paddling jackets. We stopped at Mandarte Island to watch the cormorants as we enjoyed and orange each, a great kayak snack. If you drop it overboard it will still float!
We arrived at Rum Island by lunchtime and had the pick of the 4 raised tent pads, we had the small island to ourselves! Following a picnic of chicken and mashed potato we explored our new island. Unfortunately when we returned we met with a group of no less than a dozen kids from St Michaels University school. They were everywhere! We tried to make the most of our evening with a bottle of rum to honour the rum smugglers that the island was named for. But their tents surrounded ours and we spent the night listening to their adolescent voices.
Our last day took us along Sidney Island and through Cordova Channel back to Island View Beach. It was a calm and clear day and an enjoyable paddle but it seemed to take forever to make the beach as we all hungered for lunch and anticipated a shower! We had a great time and we are already planning our next staff kayak overnight outing for the Spring.
Thank you to all our paddlers and staff who made 2014 a stellar year!
Katharine Palmer co owner
Goodbye Spencer
/in News /by Kelp ReefSpencer, or to those who have paddled with him,
Bear leaves us today to return to school in Kamloops.
Thanks Bear for 3 excellent seasons with us in Victoria!!
We wish you the best in your new adventures and you will be missed.
