Summer has started and it is great to see that large schools of bait fish have returned to the wharf area. Seals, sea lions, dolphins, pelicans, terns, loons, cormorants and many other sea creatures can be seen fattening up on this yearly bounty. At other times of the year, we see Bottlenosed Dolphins once every week or two. But lately we have been graced by their presence on a daily basis as they come into Santa Cruz Cove to feed on the schooling sardines. It is hard to predict exactly when they will appear, since they travel constantly up and down the coast, but mornings seem to be the best time to catch up to them near the river mouth or by the kelp forrest near Lighthouse Point. An early morning kayak rental will get you out there. We open at 10 am during the week and 9 am on the weekends, but we are happy to open up early or stay late for you. All you have to do is make a reservation a day or two before by calling the kayak hotline at 831 427 2267 or the rental office at 831 425 8445.

The blustery spring weather continues this week, but our guests this past weekend will look at the weather in a new light. We broke out the kayak sails on Saturday and reaffirmed that old saying; go with the flow. We started with a warm up paddle in the lea of the wharf. Then we got a good workout paddling against the wind, across the cove, to the shelter of the cliffs near Lighthouse Point. After visiting with the local sea otters, we lifted the sails and skimmed over the kelp and across the waters to the end of the wharf. Grinning ear to ear, everyone was amazed at how easy it was to sail a kayak with the Venture Sail, a Venture Quest exclusive. We use these sails with small groups where we expect to have a good downwind run. They are best used with the double kayaks, but if it is not too rough out, single kayaks can use them too. Paddle upwind, point the boat downwind, tuck your paddle away under the deck lines, and hold the sail up. Another method is to put the sail up behind your seat. Just undo the spray cover in the back, slide the sail in and lean against it. Other kayakers will look at you with envy and say things like “that’s cheating”. But it’s not, I looked it up. Dave

It is the end of another Grey Whale watching season. We had some outstanding trips. My best memory was looking up at the tale of an adolescent whale as it prepared to dive off Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz during our Whale Watch Lite Tour on May 9th. On April 17th a mother and calve surfaced several times right in front of the whole group in the open water off Davenport. Mid-March provided the largest numbers of whales per day as it seemed to be an early year for the migration. It was a mild El Nino year which meant above average rainfall and bigger ocean swells in general. Because of the rough conditions, many of our open water tours were moved into the Bay where the calmer waters gave us safer and better wildlife experiences. When we were able to paddle the open ocean off Davenport, we had nearly 100 percent success in spotting whales. Besides whales, we paddled with Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbor Porpoises, sea otters, Harbor seals, California Sea Lions and Stellar’s Sea Lions. Among the more interesting birds we spotted were hundreds of migrating loons, Marbled Murelets, and even a few Rhinoceros Auklets. Due to the increased popularity of these trips, we will have more offerings next year. If you would like to be informed of our schedule when in comes out in the winter, just drop me a note ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and I will keep you posted. I will also notify you if the Summertime Humpback Whale Trips are on. There is no greater pleasure that I have out on the water than giving my paddlers a close up look at a whale. It is an experience that they will never forget. Sometimes it may take a few tries, given the uncertainty of the weather and Mother Nature. But it is definitely worth the effort. Dave