Gray Whale Close Encounter!

At Hike Bike Kayak, we love that our customers have a memorable experience that connects them to the ocean ecosystems of our beautiful waters here in La Jolla. It is also extremely special that they get to witness marine animals in their natural habitats. Sea lions, dolphins, leopard sharks, to name a few, are abundant and have certainly captivated our customers with their unique behaviors and close encounters.

Speaking of close encounters, this gray whale swam just below our whale watching kayak fleet, and with help from our outrigging friend, Doug Hogan, we caught a photo of the migrating giant. 

Despite their huge size, gray whales can swim up to 10 kilometers per hour. So with go-pro camera in hand and with a quick drop into the water below, this picture was possible.

Whale Watching Kayak Tour-Photo Courtesy of Doug Hogan 2014

"Outstanding whale watching paddle with David. It was so enjoyable to go with a guide who was having as much fun as we were and was so knowledgeable. He knew right where to take us to maximize our chances of seeing whales and we did - up close and personal. Couldn't have been any better!" -A customer from Whitehall, Montana

Our Whale Watching Kayak Tour is definitely something you don't want to miss.Gray Whale migration through these waters typically dies down the end of March, and so do these fantastic kayaking tours.

Winter Heat Wave At Hike Bike Kayak!

January is bringing some record high temperatures here on the coast at Hike Bike Kayak. During the daytime, the temp hasn't dropped below 70°, and this week it hit up to 80°! The heat wave is due to a high pressure ridge which causes air to sink towards earth's surface, trapping the warmer air in our atmosphere.
This is great news for us in La Jolla Shores because it is prime weather for the great tours we offer! The Sea Caves Kayak Tour and Kayak Whale Watching Tour are our most popular kayak tours right now. Not only will they provide you the chance to kayak with dolphin, sea lion, leopard sharks, and gray whales, they will help you beat the heat!
Come join us for some sun, fun, and adventure!

Photo by TourGuideTim 1/14

Dolphin Sightings Daily!!

At Hike Bike Kayak, we've been seeing common dolphin as well as white-sided dolphin on our kayak whale watching and sea cave kayak tours!
Typically whenever there are masses of sea birds hovering over the water, there are dolphin feeding. Dolphins usually travel in pods, so it isn't difficult to spot them from our kayak tours.
The number in a pod can be several hundred or it can be in the thousands. The largest ones number over 10,000! They have a very complex hierarchy that keeps them orderly and they tend to create subgroups based on age and other factors.
Common Dolphin species are seen taking part in a variety of different behaviors including somersaults, pitch poling, breaching, and bow riding. They are very active and move through the water effortlessly.
These marine animals use vocalizations including whistling, whining, and clicking are very common. The dialogue though can be different based on the pod and that is a very interesting element of their overall behaviors.

 This is a photograph of a Common Dolphin pod surfing just off shore of La Jolla 

Aaron Chang Photography

Record Number of Whale Sightings this Season!!

It has been a truly exciting season of Whale Watching at Hike Bike Kayak. A record number of gray whales have been spotted along our coast since December. The San Diego Chapter of the American Cetacean Society has recorded at least 501 whales so far -which is double the amount of sightings from last December and more than they usually see in a whole year.
At Hike Bike Kayak, we've had some magical moments with these gentle giants. Occasionally it's a puff of mist, as the whale exhales, that calls us to get a closer look.

"Two huge gray whales caught our eye when they spouted from a distance. I guided our small group of whale watching kayakers to paddle a bit closer and we saw that they were swimming towards us. A couple in a tandem kayak had front row seats to witnessing these grays in their natural habitat. One whale swam right between our kayaks, so close you could reach out and touch it. The other swam on the outside of us, lifting its spout high out the of the water and fluking its tail."

Whether it be a spout, a tail fin, or just a glossy ring on the surface indicating there is a whale somewhere below, we are deeply invested in catching any precious glimpses of these gray whales. Most of the time, If we show up, so will they. Those special moments are what we live for.

Gray Whale Spouting within feet from the Kayak!!