Kayaking enthusiasts are a lot like birds: they tend to head south in the winter. This time of year, most kayak outfitters are busy organizing trips to Costa Rica, Baja, and other tropical destinations. And while escaping the Bay Area’s rainy season to camp on the beach in Baja is a great vacation, there’s no reason not to stay active locally, too, right through the winter months. In fact, winter kayaking offers some of the best conditions of the year...
Kayak in, get a good look at the wildlife
By Scott Hargis
Published: January, 2006
Kayaking enthusiasts are a lot like birds: they tend to head south in the winter. This time of year, most kayak outfitters are busy organizing trips to Costa Rica, Baja, and other tropical destinations. And while escaping the Bay Area’s rainy season to camp on the beach in Baja is a great vacation, there’s no reason not to stay active locally, too, right through the winter months. In fact, winter kayaking offers some of the best conditions of the year.
I think it’s mostly a matter of perception, says John Granatir, owner of Blue Waters Kayaking in Inverness. People don’t know that in the winter, we have glassy, calm water and more birds and wildlife than at other times of the year.
In addition to seals, sea lions, and shorebirds, kayakers in Tomales Bay can see winter migratory birds such as loons, osprey, Brant’s Geese, and Western Grebes. These and over 200 other species of migratory birds are attracted to the 13-mile long, 1-mile wide bay, because of it’s calm waters, providing shelter, food and protection from the Pacific winter storms. These same qualities make Tomales Bay the perfect destination for a day of paddling and birdwatching.
Over 200 species of birds use the Pacific flyway to migrate each year from north to south in the winter and from south to north in the spring. Tomales Bay lies directly on their flight path. The bay is one of the best places for these birds to rest in all of California, and the number of birds seen on the bay can be staggering. Winter surveys by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association recorded 58 species of water-birds in Tomales Bay, including three loon species, six species of grebes, five pelicans, four herons, 28 geese and ducks, 3 falcon (includes Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Northern Harrier) and 15 other species, including gulls, coots and phalaropes.
Blue Waters Kayaking offers several specialized daytrips on the bay, including an Oyster Tour, a birdwatching tour, and even a trip to see Tule Elk grazing near the shore.
In a kayak, a birder can navigate into water that is only a few inches deep and observe shorebirds without disturbing them, says Chris Starbird, a naturalist and guide with Blue Waters. Mild winter conditions create windless days and calm water that makes a kayak the best birdwatching method around. The ability to glide silently to within a few feet of the shores and mudflats preferred by many of the animals allows birders unparalleled views of species normally seen only through spotting scopes. Says Starbird, On an average day a birder will tally anywhere from 60-70 species, just from a kayak. Add a short hike in Tomales Bay State Park or Point Reyes National Seashore and you’ll add another 15-20.
There’s little difference between paddling in summer and winter in Northern California, says Granatir. The water temperature is virtually the same, and since the paddler is skirted in in a closed-deck boat, the upper body is the only part exposed to the elements. Quick-dry fabrics, worn in layers and including a fleece garment will keep anyone warm and dry as they explore the shoreline. Blue Waters supplies a windproof paddle jacket and gloves for those who want them.
The winter months can provide some of best kayaking of the year. Pt. Reyes National Seashore, including beautiful Tomales Bay, is a world-class kayaking destination easily accessible to the Bay Area.
