A guided sea-kayak tour is an excellent way to explore the bays, coves, lakes, deltas and islands of Washington and British Columbia. Sea kayaking will allow you to enjoy a waterbird's-eye view of the Pacific Northwest.

WASHINGTON

Take a day trip through the chilly, kelp-riddled waters that surround the rocky northern tip of Cypress Island.

With so much shoreline in the Seattle area, there are ample opportunities to explore watery nooks and corners.

The Skagit River delta (in which the Skagit Wildlife Area is located) is one of the most important spots for wintering waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway.

Kayaking through the myriad sloughs, islands and wetlands of the Snohomish River estuary feels like paddling into the past.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Bountiful with oysters, clams, crabs, salmon, wildlife and scenic beauty, Clayoquot (pronounced KLACK-kwit) is known as a world-class kayaking destination.

See orcas galore on a kayaking trip to Johnstone Strait, the waterway between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

Take a kayaking trip that offers orcas, First Nations culture and much more in the Broughton Archipelago.

A few hundred yards from Victoria's Inner Harbour, the pleasures that come from a near-wilderness experience abound — if you are in an ocean kayak.