Boat Activities

Very pretty lake in Tishimingo State Park.

Rent ski boat from State Line Marina near Wahweap and tour the lower portion of the lake--Lone Rock, Glen Canyon Dam, Navajo Canyon, etc. Waterski and wakeboard around Lone Rock and through Navajo Canyon.

Launch blow-up boat with 6 hp motor from campground and explore the waters and islands of Western Bay on the west side of Mt. Desert Island.

Paddle boating around the mountain lake in the Spirity Pond KOA

Launch blow-up boat with 6 hp motor and explore Halls Creek Bay

Rent ski boat from Echo Bay Marina and tour the Overton Arm, waterskiing and wakeboarding along the way.

Cruise along the Chesapeake in the Bleakley's 45-foot Carver

Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown through Herring Creek Channel into Lake Tashmoo

Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown along the northern shore of the island into Menemsha Pond

Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown through "The Gut" into Cape Poge Bay

Cruise in our 20' Grady White from Town Launch on Edgartown Bay Road from Katama Bay out to Edgartown Harbor and the Lighthouse and then through "The Gut" into Cape Poge Bay

5-hour boat tour, which includes a cruise around Crater Lake with an interpretive ranger from the National Park Service explaining its geological history, and a 3-hour drop-off on Wizard Island to explore on your own. The tour leaves twice a day (9:30 and 12:30) and costs $45 for an adult.

Launch boat and cruise around the perimeter of the lake, photographing and fishing

25-mile cruise from Keyport to Sandy Hook Bay and back

Short evening cruise on our first night from the marina across Boulder Basin to get an unobstructed view of sunset on the colorful cliffs

24-mile (RT) boat cruise to Indian Canyon Cove to spend the afternoon swimming and floating on our yellow raft

23-mile boat cruise from the marina, through the Narrows to the entrance to Virgin Basin, and back to Sidewinder Cove to camp for the night

19-mile boat cruise from Sidewinder Cove out through Narrows and north on Overton Arm to Cathedral Cove to spend the day swimming, floating on our yellow raft, and hiking into the slot canyon

36-mile boat cruise from Cathedral Cove back through the Narrows and Boulder Basin to the marina

Longtail boat ride across the Mekong River to the small island of Don Sao in Laos.

17-mile cruise up the lake from Stateline Boat Ramp in Page

45 miles along the main channel (Colorado River) from Gunsight Canyon to Chuckwalla Springs.

63 miles from Chuckwalla Springs to Halls Creek Inlet with side trips to Hole-in-the Wall and Lagorce Arch (along the Escalante Arm)

Cruise north on lake to Forgotten Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to the Defiance House Ruins

50 miles from Halls Creek Inlet south to a cove a few miles up the San Juan Arm

Cruise 8 miles south to Forbidding Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to Rainbow Natural Bridge

Cruise 48 miles back to Wahweap and take boat out at the Stateline Boat Ramp

3-hour boat ride on a 6-passenger panga (small fishing boat) to see the gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio. During our 90 minutes in the Reserve area where they hang out, we got to see dozens of whales up close, spouting, breaching, and spyhopping. Unbelievable experience. Boat tour is $50 U.S. per person and camping is $7.

Cruise along the love channels and coves of the Sacramento River, McCloud River, and Pit River arms

24-mile cruise up the lake from Stateline Boat Ramp in Page through the Narrows of Antelope Island to Gunsight Canyon

52 miles from Gunsight Canyon north to a cove a few miles up the San Juan Arm

48-mile cruise, up the San Juan Arm and back, into Reflection Canyon, and north on the main channel to Register Rock

48 miles from Register Rock to Halls Creek Bay

Cruise north on lake to Forgotten Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to the Defiance House Ruins

Panga ride to a beach on North Seymour Island

Panga ride to a beach on Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island

After breakfast, we hopped aboard the pangas for a wet landing on Puerto Egas where there was a lovely sand lava beach.

A golden sandy beach where every year female sea turtles come in early March to nest.

Our last activity of the day was a panga ride along the steep cliffs near Buccaneer Cove, with dolphins accompanying us much of the way. Buccaneer Cove was a haven for pirates and whalers in the 17th and 18th century, as a source of freshwater, wood, and tortoises.

The volcanic cliffs were beautiful, with layers of eroded tuff volcanic rocks forming amazing shapes. They were a stunning red in the late afternoon light.

Panga ride exploring Punta Vicente Roca, a marine-only visitor site (no landings permitted). The scenery around the Point was stunning - spectacular cliffs formed out of tuff (volcanic ash) from the remains of two ancient volcanoes.

We continued into a sea cave, whose purple and yellow walls flickered like flames in the morning light. It was surreal.

After cruising back out of the cave, we continued along the cliff walls mesmerized by the early morning activity of a very interesting and diverse group of wildlife - marine iguanas clinging to the vertical walls as if they had suction cups on their feet, a flightless cormorant plucking a large piece of seaweed from the surf, and valiantly hopping (because he can’t fly) 20 feet up a rocky cliff to build a nest, a Galapagos penguin peering out to sea

Dry landing on a high tide only dock

Panga ride to a dry landing on Tagus Cove to hike to Darwin Lake

Panga ride to Elizabeth Bay, a mangrove inlet with lots of green sea turtles and stingrays. There are no landing sites here, so we stayed in the pangas, exploring a beautiful secluded cove, lined with large red mangrove trees.

Panga ride to a wet landing in Urbina Bay to hopefully see Galapagos Giant Tortoises.

Later that afternoon, we went for a panga ride to Punta Moreno and entered a grove of mangroves, where we saw Cow-Nosed rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, pelicans, blue herons, penguins, and flightless cormorants

We began our day with an early morning wet landing on Punta Cormorant, a beautiful olivine green beach on the north side of Floreana Island.

After lunch and a brief siesta, we went back out in the pangas for a wet landing at Post Office Bay, the closest thing to civilization we had seen in over a week. It’s one of the most historically famous island locations in the archipelago. Its origin dates back to 1793, when whalers began the practice of leaving mail in a barrel for homeward-bound ships to collect and deliver.

We took a panga cruise to an area called the Mirador de la Baronesa (Baroness’s Lookout), a rocky shoreline, where there is a sea lion colony.

Bright and early (as usual) we got on the pangas and cruised over to Puerto Ayora, an actual city with people in it, on Santa Cruz Island.

We started our day with a 6:00 a.m. dry landing on Punta Suarez, on the western tip of Española, where we were greeted by sea lions

Wet landing on a lovely crescent beach with a Sea Lion colony

We began our day with an early morning wet landing on Punta Pitt, a volcanic tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds - all three types of boobies, both types of frigatebirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and storm petrels.

Panga ride to Cerro Brujo, a beautiful white coral sand beach and lagoon, with stunning views of Kicker Rock, one of the Galapagos’s most iconic landmarks. Afterwards we cruised through Cueva del Brujo, an arch through which there is a great view of Kicker Rock and then into an inlet that ended with cliffs hundreds of feet high surrounding us on three sides.
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Wet landing on a long, narrow sand spit with a large population of sea lions, plus some marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoots.

The first 17 miles of our 226-mile journey. The first 62 miles from Lee's Ferry are actually in Marble Canyon rather than the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Badger Creek (7) and Soap Creek (5)

24 more miles downriver through Marble Canyon. Rapids run today: House Rock (8), the Roaring Twenties (a series of rapids every mile from ratings of 6 to 8), and Georgie (8)

Just a short 12-mile day continuing downriver through Marble Canyon. Rapids run today: President Harding Rapid (4)

Another short day on the river covering only 12 miles, but with a long, wonderful stop at the Little Colorado River. Herb and I paddled in the paddle boat today. Rapids run today: Kwagunt (a 6)

21-mile day continuing downriver through what was not the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Hance (10), Sockdolager (8), and Grapevine (8)

Short 11-mile day (stopping for the "exchange" at Phantom Ranch), continuing through the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Horn Creek (a Grand Canyon 9), Granite (a 9+) and Hermit (another 9).

25-mile day, continuing through the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Crystal (10), Agate (3), Sapphire (7), Turquoise (6), Emerald (5), Ruby (6), and Serpentine (7). and Waltenberg (8)

15-mile run down the river with a wonderful stop at Blacktail Canyon for a musical concert from our group. Rapids run today: Bedrock (8) and Deubendorff Rapid (9)

12 miles with a lovely stop to hike up Deer Creek to the Deer Creek Waterfalls. No major rapids run today

A short 9-mile day on the river day with a long stop at Havasu Creek, to swim and frolic in its blue-green waters. Rapids run today: Upset Rapid (8)

A longer 25-mile day on the river. Rapids run today: Lava Falls (10)

Another 25-mile day on the river bringing us within 10 miles of our pull-out at Diamond Creek. Rapids run today: 205 Mile Rapid (a 7) and 209 Mile Rapid (another 7)

Last 10 miles to get to Diamond Creek, our take-out point. Rapids run today: Mile 217 rapid (6)

We chose this cruise because they limit the number of passengers on it to make for a less crowded and intimate experience. There were only 40 passengers on our cruise.
The hour and 45 minute cruise took us up along the western shoreline first, providing us close-up views of the very impressive Mitre Peak. It then proceeded up the entire length of the Sound to the mouth, where it opens into the Tasman Sea. From there, we turned around and went along the eastern shoreline. A true highlight of the cruise was our up close encounter with Stirling Falls, which plunges 495 feet down a steep cliff face. The falls cascade from a "hanging valley," which is a valley carved by glaciers that ends abruptly high on a mountainside, creating a dramatic effect.

An hour-long morning boat cruise from Hahei Beach into the heart of the Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve. Highlights included cruising along the 9 miles of volcanic coastline as well as out to several islands, and entering the Orua Sea Cave, the second largest sea cave in New Zealand, where we gazed up at the blowhole 80 feet above us. Along the way, our knowledgeable captain gave us a history of the significance of these waters to the Ngāti Hei people.