Earth Day Paddle In Trash Out Event

It's a beautiful afternoon for our sunset Earth Day Paddle In Trash Out Event at West Neck Creek in Virginia Beach. We are all set up and so excited for the turnout of volunteers arriving shortly. With all of the boats we loaned out for free, a family of five with two canoes, and a couple with their own kayaks, we should be able to pull a lot of litter from the creek today.

Our first group, a father daughter team, are all geared up and eager to launch.

And they are off! This is their first time kayaking and they are extremely excited to help out while experiencing a kayaking trip on West Neck Creek.

Our second group is all ready to go! This father son team is also on their first kayak trip and excited to lend a helping hand with our clean up.

This couple just moved to the area and were happy to help out. We were sad to hear that one of their boats was damaged in storage, but happy to loan them one of ours so they could both make it out with us.

This family of five from Maine came equipped with two canoes and a lot of enthusiasm!

Right from the start they were taking advantage of the low water from the recent North East winds and were collecting litter from the banks.

Our last volunteer is on her way. We are excited to see how much litter this group can collect!

My son Logan thought it was the perfect time to try out dad's kayak for the first time :)

 The thunderstorms were approaching from the West but good thing we were in the clear until the event was over. The storm clouds created some picturesque views in the sky and everyone was off working hard on the creek.

We ran into one of our happy volunteers on her way back to drop off a load of litter at the launch site so she could head out and get some more.

 How do some of these things get here? An entire tire and rim was pulled from the mud and loaded up on the kayak.

Everyone one has returned and we are all amazed how much debris we have pulled from the creek in a hour and a half. From cellphones, to tires, to a front door and bags of bottles and broken glass, this Earth Day event was a huge success! We are extremely pleased with the turnout and the amazing effort everyone put forth in helping to leave our waterways a little cleaner than we found them! Taking on the world (and litter) with a paddle! Adventure Kayak Tours!

Twelve Months of Kayaking April Edition

Continuing our tradition, we selected West Neck Creek in Virginia Beach, Virginia for our April edition of The Twelve Months of Kayaking. Spring has definitely arrived here at West Neck Creek. Conditions were perfect for a day long paddle and nothing but glass as I launched out from West Neck Marina.

Heading North, I  passed under the West Neck Road bridge, immediately spotting a cormorant sunning himself on an old Cypress tree root.

Casting along a shallow cove, I landed my first large-mouth bass of the day early in this paddle. The water is beginning to warm slowly and the fish are on a feeding frenzy before they get on their beds.

All the Osprey nests on the creek are extremely active this time of year. The females are beginning to sit on their nests and the males are busy hunting on the creek and rebuilding the nests.

West Neck Creek is one of the best locations in Virginia Beach to get an up close view of Osprey, especially in the Spring.

Now traveling on the West side of the creek I landed another large-mouth in the shallows. Today the conditions were perfect to catch these hungry predators.

From around the point, two very curious Canadian geese swam right up to my kayak to see what all the commotion was about.

These two guys appeared to enjoy my company. They followed right along side of me for quite a while as I traveled South down the creek.

Heading North I witnessed an amazing site as I was approaching the bridge again. Dozens of swallows were gathering around the top of a tree creating a hypnotic pattern.

The weather was amazing and there was barely a ripple on the water the entire morning. I found another favorite spot of mine untouched and I began to work the shore line on the way back to the marina.

My third large-mouth of the day and I could not be happier with all the success I was having, even with the water temperatures hovering around 58 degrees.

Two more visitors showed up to investigate, members of one of the local families of otters. They didn't seem pleased I was invading their fishing grounds. Lucky for them I always practice catch and release!

Well it's time to head back to the marina. I've worked up an appetite today and one of my favorite things about arriving back at this launch area is the slow cooked BBQ provided by Blackwater Trading Post Catering. I'm excited to see the evidence of Spring finally showing its face in Virginia. Another day, another month, exploring the waterways of Coastal Virginia. See you all on the water!