Bioluminescent Kayak Tour
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Come Kayak With Us
Experience Bioluminescence!
Departing at sunset from Roche Harbor, join our professional staff on a 3-hour long guided kayak tour in the sheltered and still waters of the Salish Sea in search of these unique microorganisms. Stirring of the water by small animals, fish, and paddle strokes ignite the reactive plankton, creating a phosphorescent glow.
Here in the Salish Sea, the bioluminescence is most active after hot and sunny days and is most visible during the new moon. For this reason, we only offer this tour during select times throughout the summer to maximize visibility of the glowing plankton.
Bioluminescent Tours are adult tours (13+ years). If you have younger children and would like to join, call us to set up a family specific tour!
There is not a ferry off island after this tour, you will need to plan on staying the night of your tour on San Juan Island.
Bioluminescent Tour Itinerary
15 minutes prior to tour time - Check-in at our dock, right off the shoreline from the Madrona Bar & Grill (which is a great spot to grab dinner before your tour!). If you haven't already, we will fill out waiver forms. Arriving early allows time to utilize the restroom facilities, fill up water bottles, grab a snack at the General Store, or chat with your fellow paddlers! We time our bioluminescent kayak tours so that we have some daylight to help us gear up and load into boats.
Tour Start - We will guide you through all of the gear and kayaking techniques needed to have a great experience on the water. Our Bioluminescent Kayak Tours are perfect for beginners and seasoned paddlers alike. We take the proper time to ensure everyone is comfortable in their gear before loading up into our tandem Expedition Sea Kayaks. Our dock slips allow us to enter and disembark the boats without touching the water - score!
On the Tour - Our typical Bioluminescent Kayak Tour route heads north past Pearl Island, passing by Posey Island State Park. Our Guides know all of the darkest pockets of water where the bioluminescent effect is most vibrant. This paddle is at a slower pace, where we encourage folks to play around with the bio using their paddles or hands.
Back to Land - As we cruise back into Roche Harbor by the glistening marina lights, we'll reflect on our time on the water. If you feel inclined, our Guides accept gratuity via cash or Venmo. Thanks for paddling with San Juan Island Outfitters!
What to Wear
Top - Layers! We recommend a comfortable athletic base layer, a warmer outer layer, and top windbreaker shell. We can store any extra layers in our locked boxes at the dock if you decide to leave any layers behind.
Bottoms - We recommend wearing athletic bottoms that you are comfortable sitting in for multiple hours.
What to Bring
We provide dry bags that you can borrow to keep any extra items nice and safe. Most of our PFD (life jacket) models have a front pocket, perfect for cell phones and small cameras.
- Warm layers
- Footwear you don't mind getting wet - You won't be exciting the kayak on this tour, but there may be residual water in the boat.
- Camera - Please note that typical phones do not detect the bioluminescent effect in photos or videos, despite the color being vibrant to the human eye!
- Snack
- Water bottle
- Please no alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana.
All of our kayak tours depart from the historic Roche Harbor Resort, located on the north side of San Juan Island. From the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal, it is a scenic 20-minute drive. Free extended parking is available at Roche Harbor. Walking on the ferry? Ask us about scheduling a complimentary shuttle between Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor!
San Juan Island is accessible only by Washington State Ferry, plane, or private boat. Ferries depart the mainland from Anacortes, Washington. Ferry reservations for vehicles are strongly recommended. Ferry questions? Give us a call anytime at (360) 378-1323.