Today I paddled out on a 5 hour sea kayak tour with guests from all over the U.S.. We set off under graying skies, and encountered strong currents and big waves right off the bat. As we rounded Kellett Bluffs, we found ourselves paddling through rough water with the wind at our backs and waves breaking all around us. It was exciting to be paddling through such big water, and everyone had a wide smile on their face!
The skies cleared up and it ended up being a gorgeous day for a paddle, with two exciting wildlife encounters to boot! Just as we paddled out of the rough water a harbor porpoise emerged 30 feet off our bows. Although it became hard to spot as it swam through breaking waves, we saw it surface a few more times-- and quite close!
Then, as we sat in a forest of bull kelp, a few harbor seals began popping up all around us. They didn't seem surprised to see us, or disturbed at all. A light gray adult surfaced between our kayaks and twirled on the surface, showing his belly, closing his eyes slowly and snorting. Such a great chance to see a seal up close!