Look. At. That. Freaking. Whale.

You know those videos where the whales get up close and personal with the kayaker? 

And the kayaker makes a noise that’s like an exponent of utter delight? 

This is how to be that guy. 

Now, you can’t predict a whale. They have things to do. Eat. Mate. Migrate. Delight humans even when humans are horrible to them. 

But if you want to demonstrate to someone that you love to honor nature and they should too? Show them a whale. 

As luck would have it, we’re now coming into whale season — first gray whales, then humpbacks. And the guys at Santa Cruz Kayak will help you spot one. (Did we mention there are no guarantees in nature? Well, no guarantees but sea otters: sea otters are a sure thing, they say.) 

Call them up and they’ll design a day on the water to your specs, leaving either from Santa Cruz or Moss Landing, about 30 minutes south. Bring your cameras. If, for some reason, you’d rather keep it low-key, ask for a tour of Elkhorn Slough, where your chances of spotting marine life are highest, they say. (No whales, though — it’s an inland waterway.) 

But didn’t you come to bet big? We thought so. 

While you’re at it: the guys at Santa Cruz Kayak can fully outfit your party. But nothing says “explorer” like “explorer’s own kayak,” and for this sort of gear, we like to go to our favorite local purveyor of such: Oru. 

Maybe test it out on the water with the their favorite paddle in town — shared exclusively with us.

And then: Operation Whales. 

Like we said: bet big.