Why Choose Discovery

Quality, Adventure, and Safety

Exceptional Service and Quality

Experience and Leadership

Since opening the business, we have been the leaders in our local industry. We started determined to create a sea kayak guide training program that produced the best kayak leaders in the region. Our rigorous guide-training program now develops not only skilled paddlers but well-informed educators.

We emphasize excellent equipment and the highest safety standards, both of which are essential in our swift waters.

We are known for being leaders in innovation, whether it is developing new kayak tours on San Juan Island or offering the area’s first electric bike rental shop. We introduced the island’s first San Juan half-day, sunset, and bioluminescence kayak tours, and we are continually striving to provide you with the best possible San Juan Island kayak vacation experience.

Locally Owned and Managed

We have been running kayak tours from Friday Harbor, Wa for over 20 years. We take pride in being a locally owned small business. We are not just summer residents that come here for the summer and operate a business. We are a year-round part of the San Juan Island community. We are not connected to large organizations that contract us for kayak tours. We are in control of our process of providing the best kayak tour experiences on San Juan Island from start to finish.

Whale Watching

Many visitors to the islands come with the idea of experiencing the best whale watching in Washington State. The best way to think of whale watching from a kayak is as opportunistic whale watching. We select the best routes around San Juan Island for our kayaking tour routes. By selecting the proper kayaking routes we increase the opportunity to see whales on our kayaking tours.

While we recognize that seeing whales in the wild is a dream for most of our guests, guaranteeing whale encounters is impossible for any kayaking company with integrity to make. Our mission is to provide every guest on our San Juan kayak tours the best possible San Juan kayaking experience whether we see whales or not. Come and enjoy kayaking the San Juan Islands and if you have a whale encounter it will be an incredible bonus to an already amazing experience.

Small group kayak tours

We operate the smallest group kayak tours on San Juan Island. Small groups have many positives, including access, safety, and minimum impact.

Small groups provide better access to your kayak guide so you will have plenty of time to talk with them about the area and learn about the region. They offer a much safer kayaking experience. Small groups also make a lighter impact on the environment. Traversing the shoreline in fewer vessels, we can have less effect on nesting birds and newborn seals, as well as on our amazing pebble beaches.   Overall, small groups equal a richer and better overall experience.

Kayaking is our passion

Sea kayaks are made for travel, exploration, and adventure. Together, these attributes are what we are all about. Being on the water every day is what we live for. Having the opportunity to share the beautiful San Juan Islands with our guests is rewarding for all of us here at Discovery. You will see our passion for what we do when hit the water.

Equipment and Gear

We use quality equipment for every kayak tour. All of our guests, no matter what tour, will have a tandem fiberglass kayak. We provide all the equipment you need. Every tour gets dry bags and waterproof jackets and pants. Our multi-day kayak tours include all of the gear you need for both kayaking and camping with no extra rental fees.

Reputation

We stand by what we do. We are always open, honest and transparent about the experience we offer. We work hard to ensure that you leave the San Juan Islands with memories that will last a lifetime.

Sea Kayaking Tours of the San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are a small chain of islands in the Salish Sea. The area is a world renowned kayak tour destination in Washington State.