04.15.10
From the issue Whale of a Time
Whoa Watching
There's whale watching and then there's whoa watching. Get up close to the largest animals on Earth from the seat of a kayak. Bob around the ocean as 50-foot whales cruise by, their massive dark silhouettes growing more clear until pshooo—blowhole! Dave Johnston of Venture Quest can make the magic happen; for the past seven years he's led whale kayaking trips during the spring migration. Gray whale mothers keep their calves in the safer waters close to shore as they journey north to Alaska, a behavior that optimizes chances to see them. Trips leave from Davenport Landing, about 10 miles north of Santa Cruz. Dave will outfit you with everything you need, including do's and don'ts for paddling among these beautiful behemoths. Venture Quest's whale-sighting record this season is 100 percent. Like those odds!
TIP: Warm up post-kayak with a coffee and pastry at Whale City Bakery just south of Davenport Landing on Hwy. 1.
Venture Quest (831-427-2267) leads whale-watching kayak trips from March to May. The cost is $70 per person. Trips are weather-dependent.
