By Noah Schlager
On level with the glassy surface, propelling oneself atop the watery element, a kayaker’s world is a primordial one of balance with the water. Unlike a powered boat, which fights the water to propel itself, a kayak works with the currents and motions. It allows one to share the water with the other creatures and nature that surround oneself. I have found that when one gets into the rhythm of kayaking, it sends one’s mind into a different realm.
Urban’s Outdoor Trips program offers several opportunities to get outside kayaking. On the October Tamales Bay trip, our group paddled right beside a bait ball-feeding event. Sea lions drove scattered baitfish into a ball near the surface, and plunged through the mass of fish to feed as pelicans dive-bombed along side. I witnessed one sea lion leap from the water to snatch a panicked fish midair. While kayaking alongside this event, I felt connected to it in a way I don’t think possible from land or a larger boat.
While kayaking around California I’ve had the fortune of encountering leopard sharks, sea lions, otters, numerous sea birds, and one particular young harbor seal who jumped into my kayak and later started towing it. It has always been the wildlife who approached me, not the other way around. I take this as a compliment to my ability to my kayaking skills.
Unfortunately, many abuse kayaking edict and frighten wildlife. With the freedom of kayaking comes the responsibility to respect the elements and creatures you share the water with. Kayakers who approach wildlife risk causing them a lot of unnecessary stress. If one approaches a nesting birds or mother seals, it them to flee, leaving their young at risk. There are many areas, including Richardson Bay in Marin, which are closed to kayakers for parts of the year in order to protect sensitive areas and species.
It is important to always view the water as first and foremost the home to these creatures. Only secondarily is it a place for us to kayak, surf, swim, and explore. Being balanced in a kayak is much more than properly distributing one’s weight in the water. It means not leaving a trace, not disturbing the surrounding environment, to work with the water and not fight against it. These basic ideas kayaking teaches one who is devoted to it. These lessons are ones that should be brought outside of the kayaking lifestyle, and brought into our daily life and mindset.
Urban offers a 3-day and a 1-day kayaking trip in the fall, and is offered as an out of school option during the winter festival.