Lessons Learned from the Maine Island Trail
Five Takeaways from a MITA Expedition Portland Paddle Guide Paige Simenz originally fell in love with sea kayaking while guiding in Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands, and began working with us almost immediately after moving to Maine. She spent three weeks last summer thru-paddling nearly the entire coast of Maine from Machiasport to Portland. Below, she…
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February 19, 2026
Announcing the 2026 Women at Sea Expedition!
This summer, Portland Paddle is excited to launch our new Women at Sea Expedition, led by and for female-identifying paddlers. This three-day trip will include island-hopping along the Maine Island Trail in Casco Bay while developing sea kayaking skills and enjoying the natural beauty of Maine’s coast. With the return of our annual Women at…
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February 17, 2026
Are There Sea Otters in Maine?
It’s a simple Maine wildlife question: Do sea otters live here? No, the animal you spotted on the Maine coast while sea kayaking was not a sea otter. But there are otters in the sea in Maine! How’s that? We’ll explain. First up, what are otters? Otters members of the mustelid family, the same…
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January 15, 2026
Check Out Our 2026 Schedule of Lessons and Multiday Trips!
Our 2026 Expeditions & Lessons are now open for booking! View our brochure below to browse our 2026 lessons and multi-day trips schedule and get started planning your summer paddling adventures. We’ll be running our three-day trips in Casco Bay and Muscongus Bay several times throughout the summer, along with additional dates for our longer…
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January 12, 2026
Who Invented Sea Kayaks?
The Arctic Origins of the Qajaq The decked kayak (qajaq, qayraq, iqyaq, qayaq, etc) and double-bladed paddle are inventions of arctic and subarctic peoples, particularly the Inuit, Yup’ik and Aleut of Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. These kayaks, first created at least 4,000 years ago, consisted of wood or whalebone frames over which animal hides…
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December 10, 2025
Give the gift of paddling this holiday season!
Give your loved one a gift they will look forward to all winter! Our gift vouchers are available for purchase all year and can be purchased online. Purchase a Gift Voucher Gift vouchers can be purchased with any dollar value or you can choose an amount to match a specific experience you think…
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December 9, 2025
How to Store Your Kayak for the Winter
Winter is fast approaching, and for many paddlers this means the end of the paddling season. Want to store your boats and paddle craft safely during the colder months? Check out our hot (actually cold!) tips below. (And for all of you year-round kayakers, be sure to take a look at our post on cold weather…
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November 3, 2024
Seabirds to Spot While Paddling Coastal Maine
When you’re kayaking on the coast of Maine, you’ll be sharing the water not just with fellow paddlers, but a menagerie of wildlife, especially seabirds. Seabirds are birds that are adapted to marine environments, and spend much of their life foraging or breeding at sea. To help you get better acquainted with some of the…
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July 25, 2024
A Paddler’s Guide to the Seals of Maine
A closer look at the most commonly spotted marine mammal on the Maine coast If you’ve been on the ocean in Maine, whether by paddle, oars, motor, or sail, you’ve probably spotted at least one seal. But did you know that Maine is home to four different kinds of seals? Some of these blubbery creatures…
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July 18, 2024
Know Thy Paddle Craft
Sea kayaks. Recreational kayaks. SUPS. Canoes. Rowboats. With so many kinds of paddle craft out there, it can be hard to know where to start, or which one can best help you achieve your paddling dreams. Read on to learn the difference between each type of vessel, and how and why to choose the one…
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July 16, 2024