Whale Photo Credit: Kingfisher Wildlife Adventures

Two Things. 

One.    To gather best practices and promote our mission, Paddle Florida staff embarked on a new adventure this summer. We joined Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures in Vancouver for their "Kayak with the Whales" base camp trip. The experience was a stunning success, highlighted by remarkable wildlife, an idyllic base camp, and exceptional staff. Highlights included waking to the sound of humpback whales, observing orca pods from our kayaks, and witnessing seals and eagles in their natural habitat.  Thanks to Kathy Hancock for planning all the logistics and inviting us along. 

Two.  We are pleased to feature the Delta 14 as this year's raffle item! A touring kayak known for its performance and comfort. 

~ Performance: It has a long waterline and V-shaped hull that provides a good balance of speed and stability.

~ Weight: The kayak is lightweight, at around 45 pounds, making it easy to carry.

~ Comfort: The Delta 14 features a spacious cockpit and a multi-position Contour II Seat System.

~ Features: It also includes a proprietary Press-Lock Hatch System for watertight storage and a skeg for better tracking. 

~ Drawing will occur April 26th, 2027, pick up in St. Augustine

In this issue, read more about our whale watching trip with Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures in Vancouver "Kayak with the Whales", learn about Florida’s Whales: Two Species, Two Coasts, One Need for Protection, view the North Atlantic Right Whale Sightings Interactive Map , and discover Great Places to Spot Whales in Florida

Special note: We have 2 spots available for Santa Fe trip! Get ‘em while they’re hot!

We look forward to our 2025-2026 Season, our 94th to 99th trips, paddling with you!

We had heard fantastic things about this trip and were eager to try it for ourselves. We were especially drawn to the guides' approach, which focused on respecting the environment and the wildlife we would encounter while paddling. Our previous experience paddling the Baja years ago to see gray whales—a trip where we saw none—left us particularly excited at the prospect of observing orcas in British Columbia.

The very first night, during orientation, the guides emphasized their goal: observe, not interact. They explained that we would be viewing whales and other wildlife—including orcas, humpbacks, dolphins, porpoises, harbor seals, sea lions, numerous invertebrates, kingfishers, harlequin ducks, and bald eagles—from a safe distance to avoid interfering with their natural habitat.

We took a boat to our base camp on Hanson Island in British Columbia. Before we even had a chance to unload and settle into our glamping tent, a group of orcas swam by on Johnstone Strait, clearly visible from the beach. It was a breathtaking "wow" moment!

From our camp, each morning began with coffee and a warm breakfast before we set out to explore the island and its critters. We were fortunate to have a great group of people, fantastic guides, and incredible food. The island itself was stunning, but our favorite experience by far was being woken by the sound of orcas passing by our camp. We highly recommend this trip!

Every year, pregnant North Atlantic right whales travel from their feeding grounds in Canada and New England to calving grounds off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. Floridians can view these large baleen whales from Fernandina Beach to Cape Canaveral from December to March. Florida’s coastal waters are relatively warm, calm and shallow compared to much of the whale’s range, providing safety and respite for mothers and newborn calves, which benefit from increased survival rates in warmer waters.  

Although North Atlantic right whale protections date back to the 1930s, the species has not recovered. After years of small recovery gains, the right whale has been declining since 2010. Only approximately 360 whales remain today, of which only 70 or so are reproductive females. […Read More…]

The Right Whale Sighting Advisory System (WhaleMap) aims to reduce collisions between ships and endangered North Atlantic right whales by alerting mariners to their presence. Vessel operators can check WhaleMap for the latest whale detections and management measures.

The sighting information collected for the system is authorized under the OMB Control Number included in the Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Information Collection page. We obtain it from a variety of sources such as aerial surveys, shipboard surveys, the U.S. Coast Guard, whale watch vessels, commercial ships, fishing vessels, and the general public. […Read More…]

How To: Spot Whales in Florida

Click here for the video