Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

Experience Upper Newport Bay by Kayak

3/6/2015

 
Picture
Guided kayak tours of Upper Newport Bay are a great way to experience one of the largest estuaries in Southern California.

Gliding through the waters of Upper Newport Bay provides an up-close and tactile way to experience the beauty and serenity of this natural estuary. Volunteer docents lead groups through the bay, discussing the ecological, geological and geographical history of this important estuary while you paddle along the shallow shores taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this preserved natural aquatic setting.

The tours are led by Newport Bay Conservancy in the waters of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve. The family-friendly tours are a relaxing, fun and easy way to see the bay, and are great for novice and experienced paddlers alike. Reservations are required, but no previous kayaking experience is needed.



The kayak tours begin at the Newport Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, where participants will check in at the reception desk before heading to the bay-side dock area. There, docents will run through brief instructions and safety checks, making sure each participant has an appropriate life vest, paddle and detachable kayak seat-back. Paddlers will either ride in their own kayak or with a fellow paddler in a double kayak. The minimum age for participants is 8.


Once on the water, paddlers will follow a guide to several stopping places along the bay where the volunteer naturalist will discuss the native plants, birds, and other marine life that call this saltwater marsh estuary home—including some endangered species. While looking out for interesting flora and fauna, the guides may also stop to discuss the geological forces at work in the bay. Nearby sandstone cliffs are a visible example of plate tectonics at work. The sedimentary layers of the cliff have become very obviously diagonal as they are forced up by shifting tectonic plates.

For those interested in birding, the kayak tour of the bay is a great way to get close to an array of bird life. Birds seem to be much less threatened by a person in a kayak than by people on foot, and allow for much closer observation. Watch and listen to Pelicans (Pelecanus) glide just overhead in impressive V-shaped formations, occasionally diving into the water of the bay for fish. Several other small waterfowl species can be seen actively diving and fishing along the shores of the bay, sometimes just feet from the kayakers.

An elevated nesting platform near the Back Bay Science Center on the southern shore of the bay has been home to a pair of breeding Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) since 2006. These majestic raptors, or birds of prey, can often be seen perched on their platform, or hunting for fish in the water of the bay. Seattle football fans might be interested to know the Osprey is also known as a “Seahawk”.

In addition to discussing the variety of animal life in the bay, docents also inform participants about the adaptive plant life that thrives in the open water, mudflat, salt marsh, freshwater marsh, riparian and upland habitats that make up the Upper Newport Bay. Visitors learn how certain plants have adapted ways of excreting salt, making it possible for them to thrive in the brackish water of bay.

Kayak tours are held every Saturday and Sunday morning, from 10 am until noon, weather permitting. The Newport Bay Aquatic Center is at 1 Whitecliffs Drive in Newport Beach. To participate in the kayak tour, reservations and a fee of $25 are required. To learn more about the tour policies and dates for upcoming tours, click here. To learn more about Newport Bay Conservancy, visit their website at NewportBay.org. 

Comments are closed.

    About

    Welcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agua Chinon
    Baker Canyon
    Big Canyon
    Birds
    Black Star Canyon
    Bommer Canyon
    Buck Gully
    City Of Irvine
    City Of Newport Beach
    Crystal Cove
    Dripping Springs
    Equestrian
    Family Friendly
    Fire
    Fire Watch
    Fremont Canyon
    Grasslands
    Habitat Restoration
    Hicks Haul Road
    Hiking & Fitness
    Interpretive
    Invasive Plants
    Irvine Open Space Preserve
    Irvine Ranch Open Space
    Irvine Regional Park
    Laguna Coast
    Limestone Canyon
    Mesa Loop
    Mountain Biking
    Native Plant Nursery
    Native Plants
    Native Seed Farm
    Nighttime
    OC Parks
    OC Zoo
    O'Neill Regional Park
    Orchard Hills
    Peters Canyon Regional Park
    Quail Hill
    Red Rocks
    Round Canyon
    Safety
    San Joaquin
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park
    Stewardship
    The Sinks
    Tracking
    Trails
    Trail Work
    Upper Newport Bay
    Volunteers
    Weir Canyon
    Wilderness Access Day
    Wildflowers
    Wildlife

    RSS Feed

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate