WaterTreks EcoTours

WaterTreks EcoTours is led by Suki Waters, a Kashaya Pomo descendant who has been a kayak instructor and ecological educator since 1979. The depth of place-based knowledge is the editorial differentiator no other operator on the coast can match. WaterTreks specializes in the unique estuary where the Russian River meets the Pacific at Jenner, a Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary site of harbor seal haul-outs, salmon migrations, and one of the highest concentrations of marine bird species on the California coast. Suki's tours pair kayak instruction with the ecology of the place: the Native plant uses, the geology, the seasonal patterns of the wildlife.

Tours run seasonally with rentals available year-round at Jenner, walking distance from where the Russian River widens into its tidal mouth. The signature offering is the guided ecological tour: two to four hours on the estuary, beginning at the Pomo land that became Sonoma Coast State Park, ending at the haul-out beaches where seals (often hundreds at a time in winter) sun on the sandbars. Beyond the day tours, Suki runs the Living Classrooms Project for school groups, bringing K-12 students to learn the estuary firsthand. WaterTreks is also the operator of the seasonal bioluminescent algae kayak tour at Jenner: a different format from inland Russian River, with the open Pacific behind the kayaks. The cultural depth and conservation focus distinguishes WaterTreks from any commodity kayak rental.