Adventures on Water in Snohomish County, Washington

On the Waves & Below the Sea: Adventures
on Water in Snohomish County, Washington
From anglers to white water rafters, water
sports enthusiasts of all ages and abilities
will find exhilaration and fun upon the
rivers, lakes and marine waters of
Snohomish County.
New Whale Watching Tours Set for 2015
With departures from Edmonds and Everett, visitors can now enjoy seeing graceful gray
whales, majestic humpback whales, and resident orcas and still have time in their day
for other adventures in Snohomish County.
Island Adventures’ Gray Whale Watching Tours, Departing from Everett
Early spring is the best time to see
migrating gray whales that stop to feed
near the south end of Whidbey Island.
Now through May 8, Island Adventures
will take guests on a three-hour tour
where they will also learn from wildlife
experts to identify the variety of marine
birds and animals seen during the tour.
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The Island Explorer is a fully equipped vessel with spacious upper viewing decks, large
indoor heated cabins, a snack bar, and plenty of outside viewing space.
Guests board at the dock on the waterside of Anthony’s Homeport restaurant at the
Everett Marina.
For tickets, schedules, reservations, and more information:
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Go to Island Adventures Cruises whale watching
Call 1-800-465-4604
Puget Sound Express’ Gray Whale Tours & Whale Watching Tours,
Departing from Edmonds
The company’s fleet of vessels include hydrophones,
underwater microphones that can pick up the
whales’ calls and broadcast on the P.A. system for
all to hear. Trained marine naturalists help guests
identify the myriad of marine life and sights seen on
each tour. In the galley, be sure to enjoy a slice of
fresh-baked blueberry buckle, a type of coffeecake
made from a family recipe.
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Gray Whale Tours, Mar. 21 – Apr. 25
During their migration to Alaska’s Bering Sea, many gray whales stop to feed on plentiful shrimp and small crustaceans in the waters around Everett, Camano
Island, and Whidbey Island. Guests can choose either a 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.
departure for their two-hour tour.
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Whale Watching, Starting May 23
Summer and fall are the best times to see humpback whales and orcas (often
called killer whales) in and around the San Juan Islands. The 4.5-hour tour is
made possible via the speedy Chilkat, a hydrofoil-assisted catamaran that travels
at speeds over 40 miles per hour.
For tickets, schedules, reservations, and more information:
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Go to Puget Sound Express whale watching
Call 360-385-5288
A Fisherman’s Dream: From Rainbow Trout to Coho
Salmon
Cast Your Own Line
Dozens of places dot the shorelines of Snohomish
County’s lowland and highland lakes for fishermen
to cast for a variety of trout including brook,
cutthroat, golden, and rainbow trout.
Everett’s 10th Street Marine Park Pier,
Mukilteo’s fishing piers, and the Kayak Point
County Park Pier are favorite places for anglers
seeking to catch coho salmon, shiner perch, and
other saltwater fish.
Be sure to buy the appropriate Washington State fishing license before heading out.
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Charter Sport Fishing
Want to get out onto the water, increase your
chances of catching a whopper, or leave your
gear at home? Then choose one of more than
a dozen outfitters who offer individual and
group charters including:
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All Season Charters, Edmonds, plies
the waters of Puget Sound for salmon
and bottom fish.
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Chinook Expeditions & Bald Eagle Float
Tours, Index, offers custom Skykomish
River fishing trips.
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Puget Sound Sport Fishing, Edmonds, offers year-round charters for salmon,
lingcod and other marine fish.
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Ridge to Rivers Outdoors, Stanwood, fishing on the Skykomish and Snohomish
Rivers and Puget Sound.
Kiteboarding at Jetty Island
Jetty Island’s wide shallow water beach,
warm water, and consistent afternoon
breezes makes it a perfect playground for
kiteboarding and watching the veteran
kiteboarders skip along the water, often
somersaulting into the air.
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In spring and summer instructors from Seattle-based Urban Surf teach private
individual and small group classes to beginners and those curious about the sport. Fees
include kiteboard gear and transportation to and from Jetty Island.
For reservations, prices, schedules, and more information:
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Go to Kiteboarding
Call Urban Surf at 206-545-9463
A Paddler’s Paradise: Kayaking & Stand Up Paddle
The 1,400-acre Snohomish River estuary is
home to more than 300 species of birds,
numerous marine mammals like river otters and
seals, and a critical habitat for salmon. By
quietly plying the waters, kayakers and stand up
paddle (SUP) enthusiasts often see these
animals up close and personal.
Paddlers launch from several locations:
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Jetty Island and Boat Launch, Everett, for
easy access to Jetty Island, Snohomish
River, Steamboat Slough, and Ebey
Slough.
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Ebey Waterfront Park, Marysville, to
meander along the Snohomish River’s
northern most tributary and Ebey
Slough.
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Langus Riverfront Park, Everett, for bird watching at Ferry Baker Island area.
Lord Hill Regional Park, Snohomish, further south near the confluence of the
Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Snohomish Rivers.
The parks have picnic facilities and restrooms, and are minutes from restaurants and
grocery stores.
Hydrology Stand Up Paddle, Everett
The Everett-based company offers yearround basic and advanced lessons at the
Everett Marina and Silver Lake and spring
and summer tours around Jetty Island and
along the Snohomish River; it also rents
boards and equipment.
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Lessons: $55 per person; includes
board, paddle, leash, wetsuit, booties,
and personal floatation device.
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Rentals: $20 per hour; includes
board, paddle, leash, personal
floatation device, and short
introductory instruction. Wetsuit and bootie rentals also available at $10 per hour.
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Go to Hydrology Stand Up Paddle
•Contact:
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Erin Matthews, 425-330-4990 or [email protected]
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David Matthews, 425-330-6006 or [email protected]
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Catalyst Yoga
A growing segment of SUP
is stand up paddle yoga,
where practitioners use the
large and sturdy SUP board
as their yoga mat. Carly
Hayden, a certified yoga and
paddleboard yoga instructor,
offers classes and private
group instruction including:
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One-hour, heated
indoor classes at the
Forest Park Aquatic
Center; fees include
board rental
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Classes for tweens, teens and adults at Silver Lake, May – Sept.
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Classes at the Port of Everett, May – Sept.
Catalyst Yoga also partners with Hydrology Stand Up Paddle to offer workshops and
retreats.
For registration, prices, schedules, and more information:
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Go to Catalyst Yoga
Contact: Carly Hayden, 425-346-4192 or [email protected]
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A Scuba Diver’s Playground
The 27-acre Edmonds Underwater Park
is the most popular dive site in
Washington State. About 25,000 divers
– from beginners to experts – visit this
undersea playground with a rope trail
system that guides divers to dozens of
places to explore. Highlights include:
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Tube Henge, a 60-by-100-foot ring
of concrete arches similar to that
of Britain’s Stonehenge.
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The Slinky, a 72-foot long, spring-
like coil of plastic tubing.
Four metal-hulled ships: 94-foot tug Atilak (sunk in 1972), Fossil (1982), Molly
Brown (1996), and the 70-foot Triumph (1999).
The 325-foot De Lion Dry Dock, sunk in 1935, serves as a buffer between the
park and the adjacent ferry terminal.
A rich abundance of marine life, including alligator-sized lingcod, scuplin with
wing-like fins, flounder, sole, octopus, sea stars, hermit crabs, moon snails,
anemones, quill-shaped sea pens, and kelp.
The park is located on Sunset Ave. North at Brackett’s Landing North, adjacent to the
ferry terminal. Parking is available for four hours at Brackett’s Landing South, on south
side of ferry terminal.
One block south is Underwater Sports, a dive shop with friendly and knowledgeable
staff, sales and service, and information about tides and water conditions. Open daily.
264 Railroad Ave. 425-771-6322.
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White Water Rafting
The Sauk, Skykomish,
Snohomish, and Stillaguamish
river systems are some of the
best rafting rivers in the
Pacific Northwest. Spring and
early summer snowmelt from
the Cascade Mountains make
for heart-pounding, breathtaking
whitewater rafting. In winter the
bald eagle float trips offer upclose views of the birds and
wildlife on calm waters.
A few white water rafting companies include:
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Adventure Cascades, Darrington
North Cascades River Expeditions, Arlington
Outdoors Adventure Center, Index for Skykomish River trips
Go to the Water Sports page on Snohomish.org for more activities, venues, and tour
operators.
For more information on Snohomish County’s water adventures, contact Julie Gangler,
media relations, at 206-789-6647 or [email protected].
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