Shawna Franklin and Leon Sommé of Body Boat Blade International fill us in on their recent sea kayaking trip in Baja.
 

“20 years ago, Leon and I and two other friends started a kayak club through the University of Minnesota, just so we could rent a U of MN school van for 20 cents per mile! We drove it from Minnesota to Baja, where we put our “sea kayaks” on the water for the first time, and we spent our first Christmas together.

This past December and 20 years later, Leon and I went back to Baja together and spent the holidays paddling on the Vermillion sea again. We took a trip with Ginni Callahan, the owner of Sea Kayak Baja Mexico. We felt at home using Ginny’s great gear. She rents everything you’d need from Kokatat, Nigel Dennis Kayaks (SKUK) and Werner Paddles. We left Seattle at 7am arriving into Loreto, Mexico at 12:30 pm; it was so easy. We saw Ginni for a pre-trip meeting on the first night, went out for amazing fish tacos, and stayed at the local Iguana Inn.

Ginni met us at the put in the next day, and we loaded our kayaks full of water and food for the 8 day circumnavigation of Carmen Island and Danzante Island. The islands are part of a Marine preserve of the Mexican Government and Carmen is also a world heritage site. Wildlife sightings included the blue footed boobies, brown pelicans, bottle nosed dolphins, rays that literally jumped by the dozens into the air, and a tarantula too large to fit on a dinner plate – hence our desire to sleep inside a mesh tent on this trip. We spent our days paddling in nothing more than Kokatat’s Neoflex Shorts and MsFit Tour PFD; if the wind kicked up we threw on our short sleeve Blast top on, and in camp our Destination Wear was perfect for sun protection!

During the trip, we witnessed the total eclipse of the moon on the Winter Solstice. Great ending to our 2010, and a really nice beginning to 2011! Sea kayaking has taken Leon and I all over the world to the most beautiful places we can dream about, now we are planning destinations for the next 20 years!” – Kokatat Sea Kayaking AmbassadorsShawna Franklin and Leon Somme. Photos by Ginni Callahan.