San Juan Island Bucket List - Kayaking with the Orcas

San Juan Island is one of the best places in the world to watch killer whales in the wild. While most people go on whale watch boats or try to see the endangered giants from shore, meeting Orcas in a sea kayak is a true, once in a lifetime experience. Now, keep in mind, Orcas are wild animals and are on their own schedule, so no one can guarantee that you will see them (whether from land, motor boat or kayak), but if you happen to be one of the lucky humans seeing these spectacular beings on their own dimension can be a spiritual experience. In a kayak you can hear them coming. A whale’s breach sounds a bit like a semi-truck coming around a corner. You can hear their song and whistle. You can experience first-hand, their size and sensuality.  When you look an orca whale in the eye, when she checks you out, you realize that you just might be looking at your intellectual equal. You realize that you and her are part of something much bigger, and that things like the phone bill and folding the laundry don’t matter as much as you thought.