Shearwater Kayak Tours

Fantastic 3 hour tour from Deer Harbor. The highlight of our weekend on Orcas. Really enjoyed the trip paddling around the islands past the harbor. Absolutely beautiful day and gorgeous scenery (and we saw a few harbor seals!). Our trip leader (Dan) was expert at guiding us through the winds and currents of the San Juans and kept up a very interesting narrative of both the islands and their wildlife. Equipment all in good shape, and Dan did a great job making sure everyone was comfortable with it and boats were set up just right for each person. Really an amazing experience, would recommend kayaking with Shearwater to everyone as the best way to get out on the water and see some nature while in the San Juan Islands

My mom and I took a kayak tour out of Rosario. It was a perfect day on the water. Our guide Scout was really easy going. He also was patient and kept the tour at our (slow) pace. We highly recommend this experience!

This was our second trip with Shearwater over the last few years. This trip was exceptional! Dan, our guide, was great at rating our ability to get in a fast paced paddle and see some more of our surroundings. On top of that, he was a super interesting guy! My husband and I really enjoyed our paddle with Dan and would highly recommend any trip he guides.

Shearwater Kayak Tours personnel are top rate. Jeff in the office was patient, informative, and had great recommendations. Jeff the kayaking guide was knowledgeable, amiable, and flexible. He tailored our tour to the participants' preferences so that everyone had a fun and memorable trip. Many thanks!!

We had an excellent trip with Dan as our guide! It was a gorgeous morning, calm water and just the right temperature for paddling. Dan was very knowledgeable on the flora and fauna, making our trip really interesting as well as enjoyable. We would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to get out on the water!

We used the Deer Harbor portal. With great energy and coaching skills, Guide Julia was competent and very knowledgeable about the San Juan Islands, flora and fauna. All in our party kayak already, and this tour was not for anyone out of shape! The scenery was jaw-droppingly beautiful. Worked our way upwind to pass close to 3-4 islands, then downwind return. Paddling time was around 2:20 of the 3 hour reservation. The rest was excellent orientation and safety briefing by Julia. Highly recommend Shearwater Kayak Tours, and their Deer Harbor location on Orcas Island.

We had a beautiful peaceful day with our guide Lee who knew and loved the islands. A couple of Bald Eagle sightings were great, and Harbor seals were lovely to see stretched out in the sun on the little islands, including two soft bits of gray fluff that were new pups, and two playful ones that Lee thought were yearlings that popped out of the water by our boats, curious to check us out. We enjoyed paddling in strong currents, with full moon tide-drama and the summer solstice tugging at the sea. It was fun to watch the strands of kelp streaming beneath the surface marking the currents, and to ferry angle across the strong currents in the deeper channels. Our guide taught us about he was reading the surface of the sea, and coached us about how to try to paddle like he did, he had the elegant conservation of movement of a pro, and was a good natured and gentle teacher as we did our splashy best to follow him. The day was a total joy. Loved this day!

My husband and I took the picnic Kayak tour. We had a lovely time both on the water and at Jones State Park. The water was calm and teaming with wildlife. Our guide Dan was fantastic! Super knowledgeable and personable! He gave great instructions and made us feel very at ease as first time kayakers!

We had an awesome experience! Our guide was fantastic, so kind, helpful and full of interesting information. We saw numerous bald eagles nesting and fishing, adult and baby harbor seals, interesting sea birds, porpoise, and even a very large Steller sea lion. Our guide scooped up a sea cucumber from the intertidal zone for us to feel. The trip was very safe and well organized while still being relaxed and fun. They have all the gear you need. Would definitely do it again.

What a magical experience. Even when a last minute shift in guides happened, we still had a fabulous time kayaking out to Yellow Island. This is hard work (take the gloves they offer to prevent blisters on longer trips) but it’s so enjoyable and fun!