The second day of the trip was the only full day we spent kayaking. Most of our morning was spent paddling out around Cattle Point. We ended up turning around and eating lunch at the beach near Third Lagoon. While there, a few members decided to collect a bit of bull kelp and cut it in a way to make horns, that were fun to make, hard to play, and nasty to use. From there the group split up and half of us went on a hike while the rest went back to the campsite. A few of the hikers were brave enough to take the long walk to Cattle Point lighthouse barefoot after being inspired by our kayak guide Max. By the time the hikers returned to the campground and those who had stayed behind had finished their game of Uno, it was time for campfire chili. We ate around a campfire and some played a few rounds of BS while others experimented with putting s’mores on brownies. Once the fire had been put out and the sky had turned dark, Max and most of the campers headed out to watch the bioluminescence. Max explained the science of the chemicals luciferin and luciferase and the impact of the bioluminescent protists on the ecosystem. We were fascinated by the glow of the plankton and zooplankton. Sadly, their glow was not bright enough to be caught on camera. Eventually, we decided to head back and some returned to sitting around the campfire to make s’mores or to dry off. After that, everyone went back to their tents to go to sleep.

First two pictures by: Max (Kayak guide)

Last two pictures by: Alex Karanov

Today was officially the last day of our three day kayaking expedition around San Juan Island! Our day started late; a little extra sleep was needed after staying up late for our bioluminescence kayak (see day 4 blog for details). Breakfast consisted of granola, yogurt, and bagels, which was thoroughly enjoyed with hot tea and coffee. After breakfast, we set out on the difficult task of packing up our supplies and playing tetris with our belongings to fit them back into our kayaks. Along the way, we met a few friends; we stumbled upon a family of Garter Snakes who were sharing the campground with us! Carter, who had dealt with snakes before, was able to gently scoop one of them up for us to see. Surprisingly, the Garter Snake was extremely friendly; we were able to touch and feel it, and it didn’t seem to mind. After greeting our snake-neighbors we loaded up the kayaks and prepared to embark dormwordbound. 

After the kayaks were packed we set out and started paddling down the coast of San Juan to the vans on the beach. We heard the reports of Orcas heading South down San Juan Channel! We were all very excited because we were heading in that direction. On our trip we saw many Harbor Seals swimming and relaxing on the rocks. We passed by a very nice old couple on a crab boat and they handed Max a big delicious Dungeness Crab. Dylan and Carter picked up a giant piece of Bull Kelp which they would use for later. After rounding Dinner island, Jackson beach was in sight!

After landing on Jackson Beach, we unloaded our kayaks, packed up the van, and made sandwiches for lunch. While the rest of us were eating, Dylan and Carter fashioned more  makeshift horns out of the bull kelp they had collected earlier. 

Finally, we drove home and said goodbye to our guides, Max and Maya, who had guided us along our kayaking journey. The rest of the day was spent recouping and recovering to compensate for our long journey. With pizza for dinner and a relaxing night ahead, I would call today a success.

By Athena, Uma, and Akira.

We woke in a rush to meet our kayak guides, Max, and Maya. We left from Jackson beach and paddled south around dinner island were we spotted some Harbor seals resting on rocks. We continued down south and stopped at Mulno cove for lunch. After filling our tummies we paddled until we reached the Griffin bay D&R site where we set up camp for the next two nights

After setting up camp we set off to explore Jackle’s lagoon. During our exploration some of are fellow kayakers fell victim to the smelly lagoon (they fell in) after drying off we decided to hike up mount Finlayson. To end our day we paddle back to the campsite to rest after the long day of kayaking, where we had Burritos for dinner.

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