I never get bored of kayaking, it is my favourite water-based activity.
Even when you’re smack in the middle of a city, when I’m gliding along the surface of the water it is a peaceful, calming experience. plus, you’d be surprised how much urban wildlife lurks around the edges of rivers that snake their way through cities like Milwaukee!
Kayaking in Downtown Milwaukee
I was able to explore the Milwaukee River with the good people at MKC (Milwaukee Kayak Company). We got a different perspective of some of the buildings along the waterfront of the Historic Third Ward and had a fun time exploring this cool city. I did spot a good amount of wildlife too! Mostly birds, like ducks and herons.
The kayak gear shack at MKCGetting our paddling plan at MKC
Paddling along, we went along the Milwaukee River to the confluence with the Menomonee River. There are quite a few rivers in Milwaukee, which I didn’t know before. Going in the other direction, the Milwaukee River joins the Kinnickinnic River, which outlets into Milwaukee Bay in Lake Michigan. There are a ton of paddling options around the city, which made me a bit jealous. In Toronto, we can’t paddle some of our downtown rivers.
Let the Kayaking Begin!
With some interesting restaurants and even breweries along the river, I kind of wanted to turn the kayaking trip into a bit of a bar-hopping adventure. How fun would that be to pull up to a brewery in your kayak and order a pint at the Milwaukee Ale House? Dockside delivery, anyone? I’ve seen more than my fair share of kayaks with cup / beer holders on them!
Contemplating stopping for beers at MKE Ale House on the Milwaukee River
As fun as that may sound, being responsible, we paddled up and down the river and waited to enjoy our drinks after the kayaking adventure. Even without any crazy white water rapids, or jungle scenery, this was a great way to spend part of an afternoon discovering Milwaukee.
Scenery along the Milwaukee River
On the walk back to my hotel after this fun adventure in the midst of Milwaukee, I strolled along the walkway beside the river. There is an impressive riverfront area here for walking too. Our kayaking actually went along what is part of the Milwaukee Urban Water trail.
Boats and Bridges in Milwaukee
Of course I stumbled upon a famous Milwaukee landmark too – the Fonz statue! A classic cool character from the 80s show Happy Days. Love finding random things like this while travelling!
Gliding along the surface of the water, dodging tiny bits of brash ice, I aim our kayak at the large iceberg in the distance. There are some black specks on it. Could it be penguins?
Isolation of Kayaking at Cierva Cove, Antarctica
The water is only a degree or two above freezing here in Cierva Cove, Antarctica; but the air is warm, with temperatures actually warmer than back home in Canada. No, that isn’t a global warming thing, it is typical weather along the Antarctic Peninsula during the November – March tourism window, when temperatures are often above freezing.
It makes the kayaking more enjoyable, as we don’t have to deal with fear of frostbite. With hand pogies on our paddles it is actually quite warm paddling, and I find myself occasionally dipping my hands in the water to cool down.
Kayaking at Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
The preparation process for kayaking in Antarctica is somewhat arduous. We’re all bundled up with many layers, and are prone to overheating on the ship before we get to actually go out on the water. A base layer, a fleece layer, a winter jacket shell, two pairs of socks, a toque, a buff, some kayak gloves, booties and a dry suit make up the Antarctic kayaking outfit. Once assembled, we pretty much walk the same as the penguins around here.
We’ve had a couple of false starts to our kayaking adventure, which is very common down in the southern ocean. It takes time to pile on all this gear, unload the kayaks and get our small group of a dozen paddlers out on the water. With vast open spaces and soaring mountains, weather in Antarctica is constantly changing, without any reliable forecasting. Katabatic winds coming down off the surrounding mountains and glaciers can whip up at any time, turning a scene of serenity into one of white water and misery.
A bonus is that sometimes us kayakers get to be the first to leave the ship and start exploring, while everyone else who is going direct to land, to hike or see penguins, has to wait. We still get to join up with them after and tend to have more than enough time to commune with the penguins, seals and enjoy the land activities too.
A windy day created rougher seas once we got out kayaking at Half Moon Island
Today, Cierva Cove remains calm and puts on a wonderful display of nature. In an overcast sky, with the sun struggling to pierce through the mist, the cove is slow to reveal itself to us. We paddle quietly along, scraping past small icebergs called bergy bits, always on the lookout for seals, penguins or whales. Some of the tiny icebergs here appear black, as they’re clear in the water. My paddling partner spots one she wants to keep, it’s shaped like heart.
Fur Seal at Cierva Cove, Antarctica
In the distance we spot two tiny black specks on one of the larger icebergs. Anything that isn’t white here stands out, so we paddle over to investigate this anomaly and discover two Gentoo penguins perched atop this large chunk of ice. We can’t help but wonder how these small flightless, awkward birds managed to get atop such a big iceberg?
The water is flat, like glass, enabling me to pull out the DSLR camera and snap a few photos without fear of getting wet. Cierva Cove isn’t done with us, as we soon come upon a sleepy fur seal who pokes his head up, wondering who dares approach his piece of ice.
Heart Shaped Ice at Cierva Cove, Antarctica
Out here on the water, dotted with icebergs and bits of ice of all sizes, we’re all alone. The rest of the travellers from our ship have gone off on zodiac cruises further away. Aside from the sounds of our paddles in the water, it is pure silence. We take a moment to soak it all in.
Indeed we have been the lucky ones on this day, with our close encounters with the fur seal and penguins as our non-kayaking counterparts only had fleeting glimpses of wildlife on this afternoon.
We’ve kayaked at spots on South Georgia Island, and now along the coast of Antarctica. penguins have porpoised out of the water around us, we’ve pulled up onto mini icebergs for a rest, and we’ve even had some snowball fights. It’s truly a weird and wonderful setting.
At Neko Harbour, the next kayaking experience is a bit more boisterous, and a bit more icy. The ice here is slushy, with some new ice creating a thin layer on the surface. Larger pieces have a bit of snow on them, as fluffy flakes have been falling. It is truly a winter wonderland scene out on the water. The thin layer of ice is easily broken by the bow of the kayak or our paddles, creating an otherworldly-like paddling experience. There is a calming satisfaction to “crashing” through the ice with our kayaks.
Snowballs Ready! kayaking in Antarctica at Neko Harbour, Andvord Bay.
We’re enjoying a spontaneous kayak snowball fight when our fun is interrupted by what sounds like a rolling thunderstorm approaching. It turns out to be a large chunk of glacier calving into the ocean off in the distance. Minutes later a small wave bobs our kayaks up and down about 15cm; had we been kayaking at the foot of the glacier we would have all been swallowed up and capsized by 6m surge.
Icebergs are generally only 10% above the water, meaning you miss out on seeing most of these majestically carved ice creations. We steer clear of anything of decent size (anything taller than the bow of the kayak must be given a wide berth according to our kayaking guides Ewan and Sophie). For low-lying bergs and smaller bits, we have fun maneuvering our kayaks beside, through, and onto them. Peering down into the depths of the Antarctic Ocean you can see the entire immensity of these white and blue-hued bits of ice.
Kayaking St Andrews Bay at South Georgia
Antarctica toys with your imagination, making it difficult to portray to others. Kayaking past oddly shaped icebergs and glaciers, with funny animals swimming around you gives everything a bit of a Dr. Seuss-esque vibe in Antarctica, just without any crazy bright colours. Despite the mostly monochromatic scenes, you still experience sensory overload, as everything is on a grander scale here.
Nowhere is that more apparent than when you’re gliding along in a tiny kayak.
Side notes:
Not all expeditions to Antarctica offer kayaking
Kayaking groups are small, typically 10-15 in size, and tend to sell out early
While some experience is preferred, kayaking is only done in favourable conditions
I travelled with Polar Latitudes, one of the most respected travel operators to Antarctica
Depending on the length of your trip (and number of changes to go kayaking) it should cost between $600-1,000. Whatever the cost, it is worth it!
Photo time while kayaking at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia
Sea kayaking is one of my favourite water activities and since I’m in Ontario, with no actual “seas” around, the best kayaking to be had is on beautiful Georgian Bay.
For those who haven’t been, Georgian Bay is almost the size of Lake Ontario, so we’re talking about a big, open body of fresh water. How is that for a nice bonus over our coastal provinces who have to deal with annoying salt water on their kayak excursions?
Kayaking on Georgian Bay!
Kayaking along the coast of Georgian Bay you glide through calm channels, past light houses and cottages and colourful, rugged rocky coastlines. The windswept trees and classic Canadian Shield scenery have drawn people here from far away who yearn to escape the crowds and be with nature. It was a favourite area for famous Canadian artists like Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
On my most recent kayaking adventure on Georgian Bay, it was a hot day, but thankfully quite overcast, so we avoided getting burnt to a crisp while out on the water. It was a half day paddle out of Snug Harbour, which wasn’t long enough for me! It was really just a tease of a kayak ride that the people from White Squall Paddling took us on. We did get out towards some bigger islands like Franklin Island but didn’t have time to explore, which left me yearning for more and wanting to pull out some smores and pitch a tent to go camping.
Kayaking through a channel with my kayak buddy Jill.
Ahh, no kayak camping trip this time, but it was still a great trip and gave me a bit of an introduction to an area of Georgian Bay that I hadn’t been to before – an area I will definitely return to. Despite having a little bit of wind on our way out towards some islands, my kayaking partner Jill, from Jack and Jill travel, and I got into a good rhythm and were gliding through the water quite effortlessly.
Some colourful, odd rock formations along the Georgian Bay coastline
Kayaking is definitely a peaceful watersport and it isn’t as hard to learn as some people may think. You can just float along and take in the surroundings with nary a sound, aside from the occasional splash of your paddle. I think that is one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much. No motors or noisy engines to disturb the peace. But don’t confuse peaceful with boring. Kayaking is anything but boring. One of the great fun things with kayaking is trying to “surf” waves when conditions are ideal. It’s really quite amazing how fast you can get going in a kayak once you have some momentum built up!
As summer starts to wind down now, I’m thinking it may be time to return to Georgian Bay for some more paddling. Come September the summer camps and crowds will be gone, making it an even more peaceful paddle out on the bay.
More kayaking buddies – Aaron and Lisa in the tandem, and Anita behind our White Squall paddling guide
Editorial note: I had this post written for quite some time but never got around to publishing it for some reason. Then, today I learned that one of the people I had the pleasure of kayaking with on this trip, and getting to know while exploring part of Ontario with for a few days, is suddenly no longer with us. This post is dedicated to the memory of Anita MacKinnon, who had a passion for kayaking, an infectious smile and will be missed by many.
