Latest news with #kayaking
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
A beaver's warning slap
Steven Hiltz was kayaking on Darlings Lake on Darlings Island when a beaver disturbed the once-calm waters.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kayaker pops into Pembrokeshire for Welsh cakes on incredible European tour
An intrepid round-Europe kayaker has been welcomed to Pembrokeshire this week with a bag of Welsh cakes - thanks to a local teacher who he met in Spain last year. Urban Heupgen from Germany and Dylan Davies, who teaches at Haverfordwest High, had a chance encounter last August while Dylan was on a summer tour in his camper van. Dylan, from New Hedges, near Tenby, was astonished to learn that Urban had paddled thousands of miles on his incredible journey, encountering all kinds of marine hazards on his way. 'I bumped into Urban last August in Spain, and when I asked how far he had come, he surprised me and said 'Germany," explained Dylan 'We got talking and it turned out he was on a multi-leg trip over a few years from Estonia through the canal and river system in Germany into the Med. "He has been met with range safety vessels, multiple species of whales, container ships, ferries and even a close call with a helicopter.' Dylan was fascinated by Urban's voyage which the solo kayaker has documented on his social media pages. Urban can be followed via on Instagram and his blog The Pembrokeshire reunion was 'a special moment', said Dylan, pictured here as he greeted Urban (centre). (Image: Dylan Davies) 'He was so unassuming," said Dylan. "When I met him, he had around 100 followers and minimal specialised kit - his sea kayak, paddle and lifejacket. "Though he isn't doing it for any fanfare or recognition he will be the first to circumnavigate Europe when complete." Dylan kept in touch with Urban through his social media, and last Saturday, July 12, he boarded his own boat to sail out for a rendezvous on Caldey Island. 'It was a very special moment," said Dylan. "The weather couldn't have been better and as he didn't have any shorts with him, as he didn't expect a hot British summer I gifted my swim shorts and a bag of Welsh cakes.' Dylan's dog Larry, was all aboard for his master's meet-up. (Image: Dylan Davies) Urban is now paddling his way across the Irish sea to the east coast of Ireland, from where he will work his way clockwise around Ireland, then to Scotland, hoping to finish this year in the Shetlands. Added Dylan: "It would be great if people could give him a follow to watch his epic and unassuming journey." You can follow Urban's voyage on his social media pages, linked above.
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Travel + Leisure
4 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
You Can Now Kayak or Camp Solo in Antarctica Thanks to This Expedition Cruise's New Program
If you've ever dreamed of kayaking or camping in Antarctica, this might be your chance. HX Expeditions, the world's oldest cruise company, recently announced that they will launch the industry's most diverse kayaking and camping program in Antarctica, greatly expanding their existing capacity. From October 2025, HX Expeditions will increase their kayaking capacity by 188 percent and double their number of camping spots, enabling more visitors to experience Antarctica in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. There will also be opportunities for solo traveler access to camping and kayaking without a partner required. HX Expeditions is introducing new solo, inflatable 'Discovery Kayaks' for self-guided paddling with no language requirement, as well as new 'Bivvy Bags' for camping, which are lightweight, Scandinavia-sourced, and custom built. The activities on offer now will include two types of kayaking, two styles of camping, snowshoeing, a polar plunge, and extended hikes. 'With expanded kayaking and camping capacity, plus greater flexibility and access, we're opening the polar regions to more adventurers than ever before. It's about making these once-in-a-lifetime moments available to everyone on board, while delivering them in small, intimate and responsible groups,' Karin Strand, VP of Expeditions Development, said in a statement shared with T+L. 'Whether you're gliding past icebergs on your kayak or sleeping under the stars, we're here to help you write your own Antarctic story. And importantly, all experiences are designed in harmony with nature and in strict adherence to the environmental regulations that govern human activity in Antarctica.' HX Expeditions has over 20 years of experience programming Antarctic travel, and is a founding member of IAATO, a member organization that advocates for safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel in Antarctica. 'Experiencing Antarctica must come with responsibility,' Strand stated. 'Every step we take is guided by the principles of sustainable tourism. We work within the framework of IAATO guidelines to ensure our presence leaves no trace, minimising impact, respecting wildlife, and preserving the pristine beauty of the polar environment for generations to come.' All kayaking and camping bookings in the new 2025/2026 season will be managed in real-time by the Expedition Team onboard, allowing for flexibility based on guest preferences and weather. The bookings will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the previous lottery system in use has been discontinued. If activities get cancelled, the company will either reschedule or provide a full refund for that activity.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Dear Flamingos: Thanks for coming to the Space Coast. Please don't ever leave
Our adventure started early on a Friday with two kayaks loaded in the back of my friend Connie Harvey's pickup truck. We stowed towels, snacks, water, bug spray and sunscreen in the back seat and left Cocoa Village a little after 8 a.m. heading north to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Our goal was to find a pink-feathered swatch of paradise. We were running late, but we felt better about our tardiness when fellow paddler Jonnie Swann called to say she was 10 minutes behind us. We took a right in Titusville heading toward the Max Brewer Bridge as we followed the GPS directions given to us by Laurilee Thompson, who was leading our adventure. Our ETA for arriving at the kayak launch was 9:02 a.m., only two minutes after our requested arrival time. Then, a text popped in. 'Bridge is up.' This came from Ann Maloney. She and her husband, Colley Charpentier, were coming from Cocoa Beach, meeting our group at the Haulover Canal Kayak Launch. Figuring that's the luck of the drawbridge, we kept driving. We were three minutes out when we simultaneously got another text from Ann — 'Bridge is still up' — and a call from Laurilee. 'Looks like the bridge is out of order,' Laurilee said. Luckily, Laurilee isn't one to let a little thing like bridge mechanics get in the way of a nature expedition. She's arguably Brevard's most avid nature-lover; she did, after all, found the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, which celebrates its 27th year in January. 'Take a right just before the bridge and go to Bairs Cove,' she said. 'We can put in there.' The only hitch? Laurilee was on the other side of the bridge. 'I'll have to drive around the long way, so I'll probably be there after Jonnie,' she said. New plan in place, we unloaded our boats and Jonnie's and introduced ourselves to Tom and Lisa, Laurilee's brother and sister-in-law. Now, we had a wait, but leave it to the Space Coast to step up with entertainment. We were mesmerized by an aggragation of manatees dipping, flashing their tails and coming up for water snorts as they frolicked in the cove. More: I can think of so many things I love. I'll bet you can, too, and it's empowering | Leonard By 10 a.m., we were in the water, floating north toward Bird Island on flat water, a gentle breeze at our backs, pelicans drifting on the air currents above us. As we neared the island, careful to heed the signs asking boaters to maintain a respectful distance from the rookery, we saw mature and immature pelicans, roseate spoonbills, anhingas, ibises and several types of herons. Bird sounds filled the air and Florida's avian beauty filled the landscape. No disrespect to those amazing creatures, but we were in search of something else. 'Look at those pink dots in front of us,' Colley said, pointing to the left of a smaller island straight ahead. Were those pylons? Orange cones? It was hard to tell. I held a pair of borrowed binoculars to my eyes and tried to focus. The distance and the gentle rocking of my kayak made that effort futile. 'Do you want to turn back, or keep paddling?' Laurilee asked. 'We've come this far. Let's keep going,' I said. As we slowly moved forward, the pink dots rose from the water like leaves being whipped up in a fall wind gust. So the dots were birds! But now they were flying away. Sigh. Luckily, the disruption was temporary. After a few moments in the air, the dots settled back on a sandbar near the small island. We kept paddling. Finally, 14 flamingos took shape, gangly legs, black-tipped beaks and wings, pipe-cleaner necks and blushing plumage. We'd found our flamboyance. We sat awed in our bobbing kayaks, near enough to observe, but far enough so as not to startle them, watching as they preened and played and swished their beaks through the shallow water. I felt tears sting my eyes. Flamingos were plentiful Florida natives until the early 1900s, when hunters killed them to give fashionable ladies pink flourishes in their hats. This group arrived almost two years ago after Hurricane Idalia flushed them out of their home, probably in Mexico or the Bahamas. Most bird experts expected them to fly south again. Instead, they decided to stay. We'd all seen flamingos in zoos, but this was different — special. We were quiet and so focused on the shrimp-colored birds, we didn't notice the weather shifting. A rising wind churned the water, making the trip back more of a challenging paddle than a float out. None of us cared. We were buoyed by the miracle of nature, that something as destructive as a hurricane could deposit something so rare and beautiful into our midst. 'We live in paradise,' Laurilee said, as we turned toward Bairs Cove. Yes, we do. I hope those big pink birds think so, too — and that they stay forever. Suzy Fleming Leonard is a retired journalist who spent 25 years as a writer, editor and columnist at FLORIDA TODAY. Reach her at suzy@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Little things, like big pink birds, make Brevard special | Suzy Leonard Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Washington Post
The scars of the flood: Navigating loss on the Guadalupe River
WARING, Texas — Rob Albach knew every bend along his favorite stretch of the Guadalupe River, and before setting out, he warned of the hazards. 'We got sweepers,' he said of the overhanging branches that can brush a kayaker off their seat. Then there were 'strainers,' piles of logs and branches poised to ensnare a passing vessel. He spoke of rapids and boulder fields and the biting buck moth caterpillar but, in truth, he didn't know what he would find.
