Eastwaters The Marine website of Newfoundland and Labrador
A sea kayaker's paradise:
GETTING CLOSE TO NATURE ON THE OCEAN'S SURFACE
(All photos courtesy of Stan Cook Sea Kayaking)
Experiencing nature up close is drawing water-loving people to the relatively new pastime of sea kayaking. Sitting right on the ocean's surface, using their tiny craft as extensions of their own bodies, kayakers can feel almost at one with the sea and its wild creatures, its cliffs, coves, beaches, caves and even waterfalls. The spectacular and diverse coastal features of Newfoundland and Labrador are making the province a mecca for sea kayakers seeking this experience.
Stan Cook's Sea Kayaking Adventures is a family operation. Stan Sr., a retired high school physical education teacher, was one of the pioneers of outdoor adventure tourism in Newfoundland in 1970. Twenty years later Stan Jr. joined the business and convinced his father to turn the summer sideline into a full-time enterprise, expanding from canoe camping to coastal kayaking. Also involved is Stan Sr.'s wife Nancy who oversees the administration and office work.
The appeal of sea kayaking, says Stan Jr., is catching on quickly here among both local residents and tourists. "The interest is great," he says, "mainly because this province is one of the best places on the globe to kayak." Being able to interact with marine life is one reason for its popularity. Another is the vast variety of unspoiled features along the coastline.
Kayaking under towering cliffs
Although the Cooks' business is based in St. John's, their tours are run out of Cape Broyle about 45 minutes away on the Southern Shore or Irish Loop highway. There the Cooks' Adventure Centre has washrooms, changerooms and whatever else clients may need to enjoy their outing, including onshore orientation and safety instruction. Cape Broyle also is in the heart of the East Coast Trail hiking country which permits clients to taste both sea- and land-based outdoor adventures together.
Sea kayaks are small, slender craft whose paddlers sit virtually right on top of the water. The Cooks' kayaks have designed-in stability so that even beginners of most ages can feel secure and easily be taught how to handle the boats. The guides themselves are trained and certified to ensure safety is a priority and that clients are comfortable.
With recent sharp growth in the number of kayak tour operators right around the province's coast including Labrador, standards of safety and service are being carefully watched. "Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) is the umbrella organization for the Adventure Tourism Association of this province," says Stan Jr. "Both groups are working towards increasing and maintaining high quality of product and safety standards for sea kayak operators." The regional small boat safety office of the Canadian Coast Guard also works with operators and recreational paddlers to raise knowledge of issues regarding kayaking around the province.
The Cooks' excursions vary from two-and-a-half hours, to four hours, to full days. The pace tends to be leisurely so clients can absorb the rugged beauty of the coastline, the sea and its abundant wildlife such as seabirds, dolphins and whales, and even icebergs, depending on the season. Guides are well versed in the folklore, culture, history and natural surroundings along the Newfoundland coast. Many are university and graduate students who have special knowledge of marine biology and geology.
Like many serious tourism operators, the Cooks enjoy their customers and often the learning experience works two ways. "Kayaking this way appeals to some very interesting people," says Stan Sr. For example, someone who was raised in nearby LaManche, a now-abandoned outport, returned to Newfoundland and took one of Cooks' tours "...and was able to point out for us the places where a rogue wave demolished parts of LaManche and Brigus South back in 1966." Another client from New York with an interest in rock formations said the Cape Broyle shore is "an absolute mecca for geology, with so many formations concentrated in such a small area." These tid-bits of information added to the guides' lore fascinate clients and enhance their experience. This, plus all the coves, waterfalls, rock arches, wildlife and history in that part of the coast the Cooks feel makes their location "a God-made beautiful place."
The Cooks also will customize tours. Multi-day excursions on Trinity, Placentia and Notre Dame Bays are especially of interest to tourists from outside the province who want to experience other parts of the island. Stan Jr. is closely involved with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador which works to market the province to out-of-province visitors, and through these connections the Cooks are gradually expanding their clientele to the international sphere. As interest in adventure tourism grows, the business is also gradually extending its operating season to begin earlier and close later each year.
Stan Cook Sr. and Stan Cook Jr.
Stan Sr. caught the bug for outdoor activities early in life at his father's holiday cabin near Cappahayden just south of Cape Broyle. "He taught me safety in boats and the outdoors generally," he says. Later, attending summer camp in Ontario, Stan Sr. learned how to handle canoes and use them on camping trips to explore the wilderness. In his teaching career, he drew on that experience to teach canoeing as part of the high school curriculum. He also became involved with Red Cross boating safety activities, still focussing mainly on canoeing. During summer holidays, he began taking students and adults on canoe trips in the Newfoundland wilderness, and thus began the business as it is today.
He had always enjoyed kayaking and, with the growing popularity of sea kayaks he offered them as options to his clients. When Stan Jr. joined the business in the early 1990s they decided to take it to a new level and gradually expanded to its present stage. The Cooks insist on controlling their growth, however. "We're not going to try too much too soon and spread ourselves too thin," says Stan Jr. Although they know well the potential of adventure tourism, having pioneered the business here they want to keep the quality of their services high to ensure clients fully enjoy experiencing Newfoundland's coastal areas up close.
Visit the Cooks' website at http://www.wildnfld.ca
Return to Top of Page Return to Home Page
Contents copyright (c). All rights reserved.