Kelp Reef Adventures

We took a cruise via Holland America summer 2015 and one of the biggest and best excursions that we booked go cancelled due to a plane crash that occurred the week before. WE were supposed to dog sled etc… and my three kids (14,13 and 11) all felt ripped off most of the trip as this was the highlight of the trip! With that being said, I looked for another adventure and found Kelp Reef tours on our last stop of the 7 day cruise. This was AMAZING, Refreshing, Adventurous, A decent workout and we learned a lot! Not sure what my favorite part of the trip was but our guide (His name just left me but he was AWESOME) gave us a great tour where we paddled up to some ROCK SAUSAGE (take the tour and learn what that is), we ate fresh kelp and other sea veggies, paddled across the path of big boats, toured the village area where people live on the water and we had access to unlimited drinking water as they provided us with the water bottles to hang off our boats! This was something my kids still talk about and we would love to come back some day! The employees were all super friendly and never made any of us feel stupid for lack of knowledge related to boating this way.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Borner Family– tour taken July 3^rd 2015
Atlanta, GA
USA

Thom was a great guide on our kayak adventure. Highlight of our trip to Victoria. A great cross between educational and recreational tour. Thanks Kelp Reef

We had an opportunity to go kayaking with Brad in December. Brad is an awesome and knowledgeable guide & comes prepared for every emergency, forbid there is one. We had a wonderful experience and learned new things. They also provide you with water proof neoprene gloves. a dry jacket, dry bag and toque. If you have an opportunity this is a wonderful experience & thank you Brad for being a wonderful guide! We spotted river otters, a bald eagle and various other bird species as well.

My wife and I went kayaking for the first time in Victoria for our 9^th anniversary; we enjoyed it so much, we did it again a few days later.
Brad took us out the first time, and he did a great job at helping us feel relaxed, safe and secure. The second time we went out we had Kathy; she is one of the nicest people you’ll meet, and she even convinced me to eat some seaweed she pulled from the ocean! :)
They are both awesome people, it felt like we were spending time with good friends. We highly recommend going if you’re in Victoria.

Definitely worth it! Explore the harbor in a kayak, you won’t be sorry. Not physically exhausting at all (nothing like rowing). We saw wildlife up close and personal (including a birth of a seal pup). The picture you see is truly Mamma’s 1^st Kiss! Our guide, Brad, knew where the seals and other wildlife were. It was an experience sharing the harbor with ferries and sea planes! No other experience like it. Just loved it!

There are many ways to see Victoria: by bus, by carriage, by pedicab, and definitely by a variety of boats. But for my money, the BEST way is to book a kayak tour with Kelp Reef. Run by a lovely, extremely knowledgeable couple named Brad and Katharine, the company has just 3 guides (I think) who all have extensive knowledge of the area. They’re also dedicated to the experience of each guest, so they keep the tours very small. I booked a morning tour, which took just over 3 hours and included a delicious picnic brunch on the water. Brad was our guide, and I can’t imagine a more helpful or friendly admiral for our little fleet of kayaks. We got to see the harbor ships and sea planes up close, and two mama seals with their day-​old pups. We also saw herons and other sea birds. It was windy, so we kept to the inner harbor, but on calm days they’ll take you to the outer harbor too. They also took good care of my old-​ish mom, so I can tell this group is family friendly and offers a great experience to people of all abilities. Finally, they offer a variety of trip options and a few deals, so it’s affordable for all!