It felt like kayaking in a land that time forgot. Paddling across the Salton Sea, there wasn’t a drop of water out of place, glassy conditions prevailing during our kayaking and bird watching excursion. The only distinct sounds on the water were thousands of American White Pelicans. Feeding, frolicking and preening in the shallows, they were enjoying their winter stopover in this accidental manmade habitat as pink and orange hues swept across the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west.

Depending on your point of view, the Salton Sea can appear like a dismal, lifeless wasteland or a vibrant desert oasis for 400 bird species seeking refuge here each winter. California’s largest lake was created in 1905, when the Colorado River swelled and breached levees and dikes on its way to becoming the Salton Sea. We were paddling 228 feet below sea level in what was once known as the Salton Sink directly above the San Andreas Fault.

Once deemed the next Las Vegas in the 1940s and 50s, the Salton Sea held a resort-like atmosphere. Waterskiing, fishing and boating were favorite pastimes. There was a time when 400,000 boats used the sea each year when more people visited the Salton Sea than Yosemite National Park. But over the decades the Salton Sea has endured more flooding, which thwarted further development. Because there are no outlets for flood waters and the Salton Sea is 25 percent saltier than the Pacific Ocean, over time high salinity levels have induced mass die-offs of fish and birds. There used to be several species of fish living in the sea, but tilapia has proven to be the only fish able to tolerate such high salinity levels. Eventually the 110-mile shoreline lost its luster.

However, the Salton Sea still holds a certain allure, and it remains one of the best birding locales in North America. We paddled and explored its mud-cracked shorelines littered with dead fish, while scattered flocks of Western Sandpipers and Black-necked Stilts foraged in the crunchy brine. Eighty to 90 percent of the entire American White Pelican population winters on the Salton Sea. Statuesque Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets stood motionless in the shallows waiting patiently to skewer a tilapia swimming beneath them.

Soaking in the Salton Sea

Diversity of birdlife is what makes the Salton Sea so attractive to birdwatchers. Kayaking around the entire lake exposed us to throngs of American Wigeon, and Northern Pintail, Long-billed Dowitcher and Least Sandpiper, Herring and Ring-billed Gull. When we camped along its shores we saw Ferruginous Hawk, White-tailed Kite and Red-shouldered Hawk. Burrowing Owls were spotted several times close to our camps.

Busily working around our tents, the desert flora of creosote bush and cholla cactus was alive with Say’s Phoebe, Horned Lark, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit and Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Continuing southward, we pushed our kayaks into the silky smooth water just east of the sand dunes between a covey of Long-billed Curlews and American Avocets feeding in the brine-covered rocks. Nearby was an abandoned military test site. It appeared like something out of the apocalypse. A long black point extended far off the site and out to sea. At least a mile offshore it slowly began to move, almost rolling, as the desert played tricks on squinting eyes. Then in a massive flurry of black, thousands of Double-crested Cormorants took flight, running on water, flapping furiously for liftoff all in one direction. We soon discovered that the cormorants were the current keepers of the abandoned navy site.

Established in the 1940s, the test base was involved with the Manhattan Project and for atomic testing. Today it looks like it didn’t survive a nuclear blast, although there are reports of maneuvers in 1991 during the first Gulf War. Guano-covered pilings still stand, now prime nesting and roosting habitat for hordes of cormorants.

Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge

Paddling nine miles east, we skirted around Mullet Island, an extinct volcano and the edge of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge winters up to 30,000 Snow, Ross’s, and Canada Geese, and 60,000 ducks from November through February. Endangered species we observed on the refuge included the Southern Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, California Brown Pelican, Yuma Clapper Rail, and Desert Pupfish.

A significant Yuma Clapper Rail population nests on the refuge. Sensitive species utilizing the refuge also include the Fulvous Whistling Duck, Wood Stork, Mountain Plover, Western Snowy Plover, Burrowing Owl, and White-faced Ibis.

Sonny Bono Salton Sea Refuge was designed to reduce waterfowl depredation to adjacent croplands. Management practices benefit the high concentration of waterfowl and shorebird species that flock each winter to the refuge. They include an intensive farming program that involves cooperative farmers growing crops for waterfowl consumption during the winter. The refuge also manipulates water levels in ponds to provide ideal habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. The refuge extends a couple of miles out to sea, and small aircraft is required to stay clear of the multitude of avian species that hone in on California’s southeastern corner.

More recently, the refuge has become heavily involved with fish and wildlife disease and contaminant issues. The refuge routinely surveys the Salton Sea for dead or dying fish and wildlife. Fish and wildlife are removed from the area in order to prevent the spread of disease and sent to the lab for investigation.

Our last night on the Salton Sea, we camped on a sandy finger where the Alamo River and the Salton Sea converged. We barely had to leave our tents to absorb all the birdlife surrounding us. Flocks of American Avocet and Western Sandpiper tiptoed in front of us. A platoon of American White Pelican flapped their creamy white wings bathing in a fading sunset. Bird activity lasted well into the night, lulling us to sleep during a cool, crisp night on the Colorado Desert.

For more information

The best time to visit the Salton Sea is in the winter when day time temperatures are mild to warm. Evenings can reach freezing temps. Fall through spring is also the best time for bird watching. The Salton Sea is on the Pacific Flyway, and is one of the most important winter stopovers for migratory birds.

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area is located on the northeast shore. This is currently the best, most convenient place to leave your vehicle and begin your paddling trip. Call the park office at (760) 393-3052,www.parks.ca.gov.

Contact the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWF at (760) 348-5278, www.fws.gov.

We have a lot of kayakers in our lives. I used to pretend to be one when I lived in Florida, but haven’t gotten back into it since being on the west coast. Aimee’s dad recently took a 5-day kayaking trip around the Salton Sea. His contribution are these beautiful photos.

Adam grew up in Florida with a brother who had free access to unlimited kayaks. His main focus is the importance of keeping your gear and food dry, emphasizing that bulkheads are not watertight:

If you’re camping on land, it’s really not much different than backpacking; actually a bit easier perhaps.  Just a few basic things to keep in mind:

1. Keep your food and cooking gear dry:
   • Dry Bags:
     • Roll-top dry bags are usually the most secure and convenient option. Many other options are out there, such as “waterproof” zippered bags, slide lock bags, etc. Just test them ahead of time and make sure they keep water out.
     • Check the holiness of your dry bags ahead of time by blowing into them and rolling them closed. If the air leaks out very easily, then you might want to search for holes and patch them.
     • Try to find clear dry bags. Some manufacturers make their bags out of clear plastic, which is very useful when trying to remember where you put a specific meal or utensil.
     • Having your food and gear in dry bags will also keep sand out of your gear and meals.
   • Some food may come in watertight packages (tuna, backpacker’s meals, etc), and it is not necessary to have it in a dry bag, but it’s still not a bad idea.
   • If you’re kayaking (especially on salty water), you’ll want to be sure to keep your stove and any metal utensils dryly stored away between campsites. Saltwater corrosion can destroy your gear quickly.
2. Cater to your boat (food pun intended):
   • Much like backpacking, your boat will have a definitive amount of bulkhead (hatch) space. You will need to carefully plan how much gear you can bring based upon how much room there is to store your food, water, tent, sleeping gear, Dirty Gourmet apron (TM), etc. in the bulkheads.
   • UNLIKE backpacking, weight is rarely an issue in kayaks. To a certain point that is. As long as it fits in the bulkheads and the lids close securely, a heavier load can be carried more comfortably in a kayak than in a backpack.
   • If there will be lots of portaging on the trip (carrying your gear over land between water bodies), pack accordingly. Try to consolidate your gear into as few bags as possible, and if you can put dry bags inside of a backpack and still fit the backpack into the bulkhead, carrying the gear will be easier.
   • Bulkheads are not watertight! You may be lucky enough to be in very calm seas and/or have a very seaworthy boat, but in all cases, bulkheads should not be considered to be completely dry havens for your gear. Hence the recommendation above to use dry bags for anything you want to remain dry.
3. Catching your food:
   • If you’ll be fishing along the way, it goes without saying that you’ll want all appropriate gear to catch, release, clean, and prepare your fish.
   • It’s important to know guidelines on what you can keep and what you should release. A fishing license of the proper type is also suggested.
   • When fishing far from shore, and catching multiple fish to keep, use a stringer to keep them alive in the water until you head into shore.
   • Once at shore, it is easiest to clean a fish on the bottom of your boat or a smooth, flat (large) rock.
     1. Flip your boat over on shore (far away from camp so as not to attract animals) and make sure it’s clean on the bottom (rinse if necessary)
     2. Use the hull as a cutting board, and wash fish remains off of boat when finished filleting.
     3. Dispose of fish remains/carcass in deep water if possible and be sure to leave as little as possible on land so as not to attract scavengers.
   • Carry oil, breading, and spices to make your fish dish more enjoyable and easier to cook.

Dan is always into the most adventurous side of things, and has focused mainly on the beauty of being able to catch your own dinners while kayaking. Here are his tips on kayak camping and eating:

First, if potable water is scarce, do not put all your water in one container. If a leak does occur in your sole container, the effect upon the trip can be catastrophic. The movement of vessels on the water often causes abrasion to material and loosening of lids. I suggest multiple 1-2 liter containers. Soft water containers are easiest to fit in your vessel. They tend to add stability to your vessel when stored low and amidships.

Second, I cannot emphasize enough the utter bliss of finding your own food while on the water. This can be in the form of clams, mussels, fish, scallops, etc.

15 minutes research of hunting possibilities on the Internet and a few small items can yield thousands of calories and hours of fun while on the water. The easiest item to bring is a hand line. For style points, this 100′ of line can be wrapped around an old can of PBR. Empty of course, silly! Other cans or bamboo will also do ok. A few hooks and weights can be placed in a film canister. The above mentioned canister may be jammed inside the can of PBR during transport. This method will is widely accepted worldwide. No joke!

More elaborate underwater killing machines include spear guns and Hawaiian slings. JBL and other manufacturers make traveler specific guns and slings that are compact for easy travel and storage in your kayak. Consider the “Travel Magnum” and Manni’s “Pole Spear” for starters.

In regards to cooking seafood, I never leave home without 4 items:

• Foil- cooking on/in a fire
• Oil-coats the foil, assists in frying on pan or hubcap.
• Salt-duh!
• Limes-universal seafood seasoning. Travel very well.

Put it together and you have a Luau!

We realllllly appreciate all of this information, and will take it to heart when we go on our next kayaking trip (which should be soon!). We’re starting with a trip out to Santa Cruz Island in two weeks. We aren’t quite ready to kayak to the island, but will definitely be kayaking around a lot while we’re there. Adam and Danny are coming with us, so we’re in good hands.