Tomales Bay Guided Kayaking Tours

All of our tours are led by local guides with many years of experience on Tomales Bay. Paddling with a guide can be an excellent way to enhance your kayaking skills and expand your knowledge of the area at the same time!

Kayaking Day Tours

Tomales Bay Expeditions offers guided kayaking tours of Tomales Bay. Tours typically run 3 hours and begin in the morning to take advantage of the best paddling conditions (longer tours available by request). All tours include instruction on safety, paddling technique and proper use of the kayaks before going out on the water. Paddlers will experience the epic scenery, abundant wildlife and favorable kayaking conditions that make Tomales Bay a world class destination for recreational paddling.

Kayaking Night Tours

A unique way to experience Tomales Bay is to take a night tour! Led by our highly experienced guides, these 3-hour tours explore the wonders of Tomales Bay after dark. These can include bioluminescent organisms, nocturnal predators such as owls, and if the skies are clear, excellent star gazing! Tours leave from various locations depending on tidal conditions.

Tomales Bay Bioluminescense!

Tomales Bay has become well known as a great place to see planktonic bioluminescence at night. This phenomenon occurs in many oceans around the world but is best viewed in a place like Tomales Bay where low ambient light makes the effect much brighter. It is usually seen as sparkles or a glow around anything which disturbs the water. Paddle strokes, the wake of a kayak or even a fish will leave a beautiful trail of light. Bioluminescence tends to be strongest in the summer and fall, although in recent years it has been seen regularly throughout the spring as well. All of our scheduled night tours have a good chance of seeing bioluminescence, however there are many factors which affect its density and brightness.

At Tomales Bay Expeditions safety is our top priority; conditions on Tomales Bay can vary and we call on our years of experience to determine the best times and places to paddle. As such, all of our tours (especially night tours) are subject to environmental conditions such as tide and weather.

Winter Wildlife Tours

During the late fall and winter, the Point Reyes peninsula becomes a hotspot for viewing marine life. As shoals of herring return to the protected waters of Tomales Bay to spawn, they provide an essential food source for a variety of other species. With the increase in biomass, migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and marine mammals are often seen in feeding frenzies or trolling the bay for a meal. Our closed-deck sea kayaks are an excellent way to get out on the water for a closer look at the goings-on without sacrificing comfort. We often encounter wildlife on our guided tours throughout the year, but between the months of October and April it is most abundant. While we cannot control the whereabouts of any wildlife, our guides endeavor to create exciting opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing.

Some of the bird species we often see are surf scoters, mergansers, grebes, buffleheads, coots, herons, egrets, loons, cormorants, sandpipers, willets and marbled godwits. Above the shoreline we see birds of prey including kingfishers, osprey, bald eagles and red tailed hawks. Paddlers can also see marine mammals such as harbor seals, sea lions and even river otters. While the clarity of the water varies this time of year, we may also see jellyfish and cartilaginous fish like betrays and leopard sharks.