
Kayak Oregon’s Coast for Wildlife and Calm
byTake a kayak tour on the Oregon Coast for a peaceful escape into nature’s calm written by Cathy Carroll The lapping water is punctuated by the pterodactyl-like call of a blue heron. A bald eagle lands on driftwood near-by. A gray harbor seal, nearly 300 pounds, pokes its rounded head above the surface, its curious eyes and whiskered snout studying you. It’s just another day of kayaking on the coast. If life feels heavy, a kayak can fix that. Becoming buoyant, the weight of the world is literally lifted. A shift occurs—as if you’ve transformed into another species. No longer a two-legged creature on land, other animals such as river otters and elk observe you close up. “You’re just part of the ecosystem,” said Tony Gile, owner of Safari Town Surf Shop in Lincoln City, which leads kayaking tours in the area. “You don’t have a motor, so you’re not…