Moon over Honey – The San Juan Islands
My husband and I went on a kayaking trip around the San Juan Islands, located off of the Washington coast for our honeymoon. We are both Conservation Biologist who are professors at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, hence our love of the outdoor activities and exploring new habitats. You have no idea how excited we both were to view an orca (killer whale) in the wild. And sure enough, we got to observe several orcas, including an incredible show by one that breached (jumped) out of water.
It was both exhilarating and a bit scary due to their immense size. The people who also traveled in our group turned out to be an awesome bunch. Plus in the end, we kayaked over 50 miles in five days.
(Story by Bean. Photo credit: Kim)
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I LOVE orcas and I’m so glad I read this because I’m definitely booking my next vacation there! It’s a breath taking experience despite how frightening it can be, I’m glad you enjoyed your time there.
Whales actually scare me, quite a lot. I think they’re beautiful, but if I’m around a live one, or even sometimes when they are on TV, I get really freaked out. Your trip sounds wonderful, still. I’ve always wanted to go to the San Juan Islands.
My husband and I recently took up kayaking. What great exercise and a peaceful experience. I would love to kayak in this beautiful place and am really looking forward to investigating it further.
Oh my goodness – orcas! That must have been positively amazing! It is always so breathtaking to experience a “real” animal in the wild! I can’t believe you were kayaking, though! I don’t think I’m ready for that yet!
It is so fun going up to the San Juan Islands! I have an uncle who lives up there who is a retired marine biologist, so he hooks me up with the best places around to watch for orcas and other assorted marine animals. But I have to admit that I’ve never gone kayaking up there, but I think that would have to be pretty fun!
My uncle lives up there and is a retired marine biologist, and he’s shown me many different places that are good to watch for orcas and other assorted marine animals. That being said, I’ve never actually going kayaking up there! I think that would have to be pretty fun!
First of all — your trip sounds absolutely wonderful! Kayaking, beautiful beaches, seeing killer whales in their natural habitat… simply amazing. That’s a breathtaking photo as well, with the Orcas fully exposing themselves among the waves.
I loved the part where you spoke of the Orcas jumping out of the water, giving you a full view of them. What a treat! Anyone can go to Sea World and see that from a few dozen feet away, but how often do we get to see it right in front of us, in THEIR habitat, surrounded by miles of ocean?
I know where I’ll be booking my next vacation now!
This looks like the perfect vacation!! It satisfies both the romance and adventure aspects all in one. I have never been close to any large sea mamas but like you I could imagine I would be nervous, but I bet the experience was to die for.
I love to kayak but normally stick to small calm lakes! I would have been terrified (I like to veiw large mammals from behind glass) but what an amazing experience that must have been, to really be right in there with nature.