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Orca Cove Sea Kayaking: Small-Group Wilderness Tour with Local Snacks
4.9
284 Ratings
Ketchikan
Escape the crowds and kayak in the wilderness of Alaska with Orca Cove Sea Kayaking. Enjoy local snacks and beverages on this small-group guided tour.
Escape the crowds and kayak in the wilderness of Alaska with Orca Cove Sea Kayaking. Enjoy local snacks and beverages on this small-group guided tour.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- 8G3G+JF Mountain Point - If you imagine Alaska as a place to get away from it all and enjoy the serenity of the wilderness then Orca Cove sea kayaking is the tour for you! The entire 3 hour experience is on the water. A 20 minute fast boat ride is an excellent way to escape the crowds in Ketchikan and potentially spot marine life before we even…
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8G3G+JF Mountain Point - If you imagine Alaska as a place to get away from it all and enjoy the serenity of the wilderness then Orca Cove sea kayaking is the tour for you! The entire 3 hour experience is on the water. A 20 minute fast boat ride is an excellent way to escape the crowds in Ketchikan and potentially spot marine life before we even get to the kayaks. When we arrive at our 57’ catamaran in Orca Cove you’ll meet your guide and get geared up to paddle the beautiful islands and coastal coves. The true highlight of the Orca Cove tour is exploring the secluded coves and rainforest islands up close and personal from sea kayaks with your knowledgable guide, although the snack of local smoked salmon and hummus from our favorite local cafe’ on board the mothership after paddling is ranked a close second by many of our guests.
After paddling and snacking, enjoy another boat ride back to town. Keep your eyes peeled!
Tour Highlights:
Small boat cruise to and from Orca Cove
1.5 - 1.75 hrs wilderness sea kayaking
Explore islands and watch for wildlife
Friendly, professional and knowledgeable guides
Only 6 guests per group
Smoked salmon, dip, hummus, crackers, veggies, hot beverages, Alaskan Beer.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Life Jackets, Waterproof Jackets, waterproof Bibs and Pogies
- Drybags for guest cameras etc.
- Smoked salmon, dip, hummus, crackers veggies, hot & cold beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
- Local taxes
- Professional guide
- Life Jackets, Waterproof Jackets, waterproof Bibs and Pogies
- Drybags for guest cameras etc.
- Smoked salmon, dip, hummus, crackers veggies, hot & cold beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
- Local taxes
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Bring a cap, warm hat, scarf or neck buff.
- Gratuities
- Bring a cap, warm hat, scarf or neck buff.
Additional Information
This intimate, guided sea kayaking and boat tour through Alaskan wilderness is ideal for anyone with ambitions of kayaking in Alaska. Stay away from the city’s hustle and bustle (with a maximum of 6 guests per tour) and dedicate the duration of your tour to the ocean. We provide roundtrip boat transfer from downtown Ketchikan to Orca Cove. Journey…
This intimate, guided sea kayaking and boat tour through Alaskan wilderness is ideal for anyone with ambitions of kayaking in Alaska. Stay away from the city’s hustle and bustle (with a maximum of 6 guests per tour) and dedicate the duration of your tour to the ocean. We provide roundtrip boat transfer from downtown Ketchikan to Orca Cove. Journey through forest-drenched islands and guarded coves via sea kayak, with entertaining and well-informed guides. Satiate your hunger with a range of local smoked salmon, hummus, and other bite-sized snacks accompanied by warm refreshments or a chilled Alaskan beer prior to your boat ride back to town.
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Sea kayaking requires a moderate level of physical activity. It is not recommended for guests with back problems, limited upper body strength or anyone who is prone to seasickness. In addition to paddling a kayak, guests need to be able to climb short sets of stairs; walk to the departure point; climb on and off the office boat; ascend and descend a short ladder; and sit on the dock or loading platform to get in and out of kayaks.
- A maximum of 6 people per booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Location
420 Water St
Water Street
We meet at the shelter on the dock at Berth 3. Next to the "Visitors Information - Restrooms" building and Sockeye Sam's Store. The walk is approximately 2-6 minutes depending at which pier you are docked. We'll be present 10 minutes before all departures holding a BLUE sign that says "Orca Cove."
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(284 Ratings)
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Natalie_v
May 27, 2025
Orca cove - Amazing excursion, worth every penny for this experience, we ended up going out just 2 of us with Lucas as our guide who was very knowledgeable of the wildlife and surroundings went above and beyond taking great pics of us so we could just relax and enjoy our surroundings, on our way back at end of trip Devon even stopped and let us take some awesome video’s of a humpback he had spotted , recommend this trip , also lovely salmon dip made by Matt I polished off !
Review provided by Viator
Anthony_t
May 27, 2025
Due to unfavorable wind... - Due to unfavorable wind conditions at Orca Cove, our tour was changed to the other side of the island.
Didn’t see any whales, but did see eagles, a seal, a starfish, and a mink. It was beautiful on the water.
Our guide, Forrest, was great. And the rest of the staff were friendly and efficient.
The company is well run and I would definitely do this outing again.
Review provided by Viator
Abigail_g
May 18, 2025
15/10 recommend, such a wonderful time - We cannot say enough good things about this excursion! We met our guides right outside the cruise ship pier and boarded a small boat to take us to the cove. Devin is a great storyteller and made us feel very welcomed: he even took extra time to see if we could see a whale that was reported in the area. Matt and Lukas were our guides and such genuinely sweet and knowledgeable people! Matt’s dad jokes had us laughing and he knew so much about the local environment. We got to handle two types of starfish and a sea cucumber and even saw some seals. Both guides had such great stories about the local wildlife and history of the area and it was evident they love where they live. The kayaks were tandem and we had no problem operating them; safety was paramount and our guides were very vigilant in watching the currents and changes in wind. Lukas even took some photos for us and sent them after we were done which we loved! We had a few snacks and drinks after our adventure and then Devin picked up back up and took us to a smaller marina to head back to the ship (the waves were rough so he chartered us back a different way). There was a van waiting to take us back and driver Chris gave us great info on the town and a couple recommendations for lunch. All in all this excursion deserves more than five stars for the wonderful folks working it!!
Review provided by Viator
Lisahg9228wn
May 15, 2025
Great Day of Kayaking! - We were originally scheduled for an excursion to Orca Cove; however due to the weather and windy sea conditions it was cancelled. Luckily, we were thrilled when Ketchikan Kayak company contacted us and offered another adventure for us! We had the best day kayaking! We saw humpback whales, seals, bald eagles, sea lions, and even sea stars! It was definitely a bucket list check off day! Our guide, Forrest was awesome and very knowledgeable of all the wildlife and history in the area. We highly recommend Ketchikan Kayak Company for your Ketchikan adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J4304ryhaileym
Jan 27, 2025
Local guide, excellent views and fantastic service - Great photo opportunities! I was taken out by an excellent local guide who is passionate about the area and giving tours as a career, not just a job. I came in off season for work and was accommodated even though I know it was an inconvenience. Don’t miss out on an amazing opportunity!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z7275hctonyaw
Dec 25, 2024
Small group of 5! - Great tour with only 5 of us! Watching Orcas and seals and bald eagles along the coastline with our own guide was amazing!
Taking a boat from downtown was fun and our captain spotted a pod of orca on the way to Orca Cove. The baby jumped out of the water a couple of times and totally made our day!
Great gear. Nice people. Thanks so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thefun1
Nov 29, 2024
Best tour for a short port call. - Best quick tour in town! I love kayaking and I could paddle all day, but so many cruise stops in Ketchikan are short. This tour only had 6 people on it and we hopped on their fast boat right there at the same dock as our cruise ship. So easy! Really nice to not have to spend a lot of time waiting for a big group to get geared up and moving.
We took a boat ride for about 20 minutes and before we pulled into Orca Cove we were greeted by 3 humpback whales feeding right in front of the boat! So amazing to watch them coming straight up out of the water with their giant mouths open.
We kayaked for about 90 minutes and explored the sea stars along the coast and saw seals and bald eagles trying to pull fish out of the water. The smoked salmon dip and Alaskan beer was a great touch on the catamaran before the fast boat returned to take us back to town. I wish we could have spent all day out there but the 3 hours on the water was great and left us just enough time to walk through the little town, see creek street and do a little shopping.
Would definitely go back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_c
Oct 18, 2024
Incredible honeymoon highlight - Atreyu and the team met us off the cruise ship and brought us straight to the very chilled houseboat where we would get our gear and set off in kayaks around the area. It was so relaxing and the most beautiful scenery. When we got back to the houseboat a lovely snack platter had been prepared and even a few beers. My wife and I were on our honeymoon and had the most amazing time, it encapsulated our whole trip to Alaska and was easily a massive highlight. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Rachelws5014wb
Sep 15, 2024
Book it you won’t regret it! - Once in a lifetime experience! Saw orcas, humpbacks, and sea lions! Watched a pod of orcas from only a couple hundred of feet away. Adam did a great job of safely getting us the best view!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kym_m
Sep 13, 2024
Top notch tour company - Top notch excursion company! We didn’t see any whales or much wildlife but the entire kayaking operation and scenery was amazing. Calie and Jake were the best! We took their suggestions on purchasing salmon and the owner of salmon etc. gave us a sweet deal! Thank you!
Review provided by Viator