Inspire + Protect

In everything we do, we strive to inspire our guests to reclaim an active stewardship of the natural world.

Purposeful Operations

Before our season begins, our environmental ethos directs our purchasing, from gear and equipment to cleaning supplies to merchandise we sell in the shop. Whenever possible, we purchase products and services locally, to uplift our local economy and community. We recycle and reuse as much as possible, and think holistically about the full life cycle of our purchases.

Extensive Guide Training

As Guide Training begins each year, we have organized local experts to speak with our staff about glaciers, geology, climate change, Native history, ecology, wildlife, earthquake stories, oil spill impacts, local weather patterns, and even taking photographs. This background allows our guides to engage in a purposeful dialogue on our tours, with an emphasis on education.

During our training, we also collaborate with local operators, government agencies, and land management organizations to make sure our tours properly manage risk to participants, wildlife, and the land we visit. As a WhaleSense certified company, we abide by guidelines for responsible whale watching. We encourage you to look out for this certification as you travel in Alaska.

Kayak. Pick. Give.

In peak summer season, our mission is in full bloom, as we get to share this place with visitors from around the world. On every tour, our guides share how our three nonprofit partners are actively working to protect Alaska’s wildlife, landscapes, and cultures. At the end of each tour, every guest chooses which nonprofit most resonates with them. We keep track of these choices with small wood tokens and at the end of the year when we fulfill our 1% For The Planet pledge (to donate 1% of our annual sales to environmental nonprofits), we divvy up our donations accordingly.

We involve our guests in practicing Leave No Trace principles on our tours, so we ask you to help us in leaving this place as wild as we found it. We pack out everything we pack in, including human waste; we don’t have campfires in the fjords, as they scar the rocks on our camping beaches; we view wildlife from a distance and with respect for their needs and behaviors; we respect other visitors to the area. 

You!

We have gratitude for our guests, who choose to travel with purpose and responsibility towards the places they visit. We seek a customer base who values learning and information, not just access to wild places and wildlife. We do our best to connect our guests with initiatives working to give voice to and to protect Alaska’s lands and wildlife, so that you may continue engaging beyond your tour. 

Throughout the year, whether it’s in our off-season while we’re planning and preparing, or when we greet you on the front steps of the shop in the summer, our mission to inspire and protect is at the forefront of our actions. We hope this vision is in line with your goals for your Alaska kayaking trip, and we look forward to partnering with you to take care of this planet we all call home.

With Thanks,

The Kayak Adventures Worldwide Team