Quiet on the water: paddling with wildlife in mind
Kayaks let you get close to birds and animals. How to do it without disturbing them.
A kayak is silent, low and slow, which makes it the best way I know to see wildlife. Black-throated divers, beavers, ospreys and, if you are lucky, an elk wading in the reeds at dusk. That same closeness means paddlers can easily cause disturbance without ever meaning to.
Give them space
If an animal changes what it is doing because of you, you are too close. A bird that stops feeding, lifts its head or starts swimming away is telling you something. Stop paddling, drift and then quietly move away.
Nesting season
From April to July, many islands and reed beds on our lakes are nesting sites, and some are closed to landing. We plan routes around them, and our guides carry a map of protected areas on every trip.
- Keep at least 100 metres from nesting divers and swans
- Never land on small islands with nesting birds
- Pass reed beds slowly, along the outside edge
Leave the lake as you found it
Wash your kayak and gear when you move between lakes, so you do not carry plants or small creatures from one to another. And as on land, take every scrap of rubbish home with you.
Keep reading
By train to the trailhead
Most of our trips start at a railway station. Why travelling by train makes a better holiday, not just a greener one.
Layering for winter: stay warm without sweating
The secret to a good winter day out is not one big jacket. It is several thin layers, and knowing when to change them.
Rivers to cross: six days in the Icelandic highlands
Rhyolite mountains, steaming ground and glacier rivers to wade. A trek across the middle of Iceland.
