loading spinner
Washington

Kayaking the San Juan Archipelago

Program No. 23766RJ
Discover the rich array of fauna along the forested coasts of the San Juan Islands. Join expert kayakers and naturalists to relish vistas and discoveries you can only find by kayak!

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 13 - May 19, 2024
Starting at
2,549
Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
2,699
Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Sep 22 - Sep 28, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2024
Starting at
2,749
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 13 - May 19, 2024
Starting at
3,009
Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
3,289
Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2024
Starting at
3,369
Sep 22 - Sep 28, 2024
Starting at
3,369
Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2024
Starting at
3,369

At a Glance

Come explore the San Juan Islands — one of the top kayaking destinations in the Pacific Northwest and home to unique creatures of the land and sea, from orca whales and Dalls porpoise and harbor seals, to bald eagles, and unique intertidal creatures. Where forest meets sea, discover the rich array of fauna with expert naturalists while you relish vistas and discoveries unique to kayaking during four distinct kayak excursions. Paddle your way through sheltered waters along rocky coasts, through waters rich with seabirds and marine mammals. Plus, enjoy hiking in San Juan Island’s National Park with dramatic coastal vistas.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Four 3-hour excursions on two-person sea kayaks; two 1-3 mile easy/moderate hikes. On this program, the following equipment is provided: tandem kayaks (no solo kayaks); paddles, life vests and spray skirts. Dry bags are available upon request.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Paddle the archipelago in distinct locations around San Juan, Pearl, Henry, Fidalgo, and Burrows Islands.
  • Visit Limekiln Lighthouse — a whale research and observation outpost and one of the best land-based sites to spot Orca whales in their native habitat.
  • Enjoy a field trip to the Whale Museum to learn about the Salish Sea ecosystem, and visit the Pelindaba Lavender Farm — spread over 25 beautiful acres.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Cindy Hansen
Cindy received her Bachelor's degree in zoology with a focus on marine mammals from the University of Washington. She was the onboard naturalist for Mosquito Fleet Whale Watching for eight years, worked as the education curator for The Whale Museum from 2007 to 2016, and is currently the education and events coordinator for Orca Network. Since 2001, she has spent the winters migrating with the gray whales to San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico and working as a naturalist and group leader for Baja Discovery.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Cindy Hansen
Cindy Hansen View biography
Cindy received her Bachelor's degree in zoology with a focus on marine mammals from the University of Washington. She was the onboard naturalist for Mosquito Fleet Whale Watching for eight years, worked as the education curator for The Whale Museum from 2007 to 2016, and is currently the education and events coordinator for Orca Network. Since 2001, she has spent the winters migrating with the gray whales to San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico and working as a naturalist and group leader for Baja Discovery.
Profile Image of Shona Aitken
Shona Aitken View biography
Shona Aitken has a degree in ecology and a background in environmental education in her home country of Scotland, and from two years spent in Sweden. She is currently the education coordinator for Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on San Juan Island. She teaches people about local wildlife and increases awareness of the impact of human activities on wild creatures.
Profile Image of Keith Keyser
Keith Keyser View biography
Keith Keyser has spent more than four decades in the Pacific Northwest. He has backpacked and camped in the Cascades and Olympics and has explored the wilds of the foothills of the Rockies in Washington and Idaho. He enjoys kayaking with either his single or double mahogany kayaks that he built from blueprints. An amateur naturalist, Keith has had a longtime interest in birding, wildlife tracking, habitat preservation, and wild plant identification and uses. Retired from teaching, he now gardens, landscapes, and makes natural furniture.
Profile Image of Kevin Culmback
Kevin Culmback View biography
Kevin Culmback's years of travel as well leading wildlife excursions in Western Washington, make him a perfect group leader for the San Juan Islands and Pacific Northwest. Growing up outside Seattle, Kevin has always enjoyed all things outdoors. Kevin has spent years traveling the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii and beyond, exploring the natural world and capturing those areas through his camera lens. After 20 years in the San Juan Islands, his heart is in the Northwest... until the travel bug bites again.
Profile Image of Bill Engle
Bill Engle View biography
Bill Engle is a retired postmaster of Shaw Island. He grew with a mountain-climbing father and a gardening, birding, environmental activist mother, and has always had a passion for the outdoors. He has lived in the San Juan Islands for more than 30 years and is the founding president of the San Juan Islands Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society. Before becoming postmaster, his role as a part-time flex clerk placed him in every post office in San Juan County.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
San Juan Islands, Afoot and Afloat
by Marge & Ted Mueller
Thousands of visitors are drawn annually to the San Juan Islands, which are famed for their safe, scenic boating, lush meadows and dense forests, abundant bird life, and fascinating bits of history. Most of those visitors (and residents alike) have relied on this best-selling guide to outdoor recreation in the Islands. Now in a fully revised third edition, the book covers everything you want to know about park and marina facilities, beaches, shorelines, historic sites, natural science, and marine life. Whether you arrive by land, sea, or air, this fact-filled guide is a must for enjoying the best of the San Juans.
Rainshadow World: A Naturalist's Year in the San Juan Islands
by Susan Vernon
The San Juan Archipelago of Washington State is a wondrous place where the land meets the sea. In Rainshadow World, naturalist Susan Vernon explores the fascinating world of wildlife in one of the earth's richest biological realms. From rocky shores and tall grass prairies, to forests draped with mosses and lichens and resonating to the drumbeat of pileated woodpeckers, she encounters the first wildflowers of spring, watches a bald eagle's first flight, surveys rare island marble butterflies, and wonders at whales playing in the moonlight. Susan knows the secret places to explore and takes readers on a compelling journey through an island year.
The Light on the Island
by Helene Glidden
Classic story of a young girl growing up on Patos Island in the San Juan Archipelago. Her parents raised thirteen children while her father served as the Patos Island lighthouse keeper from 1905-1913. Helene reminisces about the adventure and heartbreak experienced on a beautiful but remote island where smugglers, old timers, and "God" weave in and out of their lives.
Friday Harbor
by Mike Vouri, San Juan Historical Society, Julia Vouri
A book that reviews the rich history and residents of Friday Harbor throughout the past 100 years.
Birding Washington
by Rob and Natalie McNair-Huff
As the first stop in the continental U.S. for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, Washington offers a wide range of birding opportunities and species, from the typical fall migrations of ducks and geese to the convergence of millions of shore birds in Grays Harbor each spring.
Living High: An Unconventional Autobiography
by June Burn
This autobiography chronicles Farrar and June Burns travels around the United States and their experience homesteading in the San Juan Islands, teaching Eskimos and traveling across the United States in a covered wagon. She wrote extensively for various periodicals and wrote several books. Burn's autobiography Living High: An Unconventional Autobiography (1941) documents much of her early life story, particularly her time on Sentinel and Waldron Islands in Washington’s San Juan Islands. The book has been republished several times.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.