Why a Kayak Tour is the Best Way to See Black Canyon Wildlife
It’s pretty mindboggling how quickly you can escape the 24/7 glitz and hubbub of Sin City and be happily enveloped in a tranquil desert wilderness. A Las Vegas kayak tour with Blazin’ Paddles will introduce you to one of the most impressive landscapes in the Southwest: the mighty Black Canyon of the Colorado River, within shouting distance of the Strip but worlds away in atmosphere.
Besides the geological grandeur and the sheer adventure, kayaking the Black Canyon offers some of the best opportunities for seeing native wildlife in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Paddlers on the river, after all, don’t prompt the same kind of anxiety or panic in critters the way a person on foot does, and as we explore the Black Canyon Water Trail, we’re accessing habitat that’s wonderfully remote from human development—in other words, prime stomping grounds for animals.
Black Canyon Wildlife
Our Las Vegas kayak tours go through the deep chasm of the Black Canyon and typically turn up sightings of the desert bighorn sheep, a truly magnificent creature superbly well adapted for this arid and rugged country. With their huge curls, rams in particular are awe-inspiring. We’re often able to drift quite close to the wild sheep, which can blend in impressively with the tawny canyon walls. Often we’re first alerted to their presence by the creamy white of their rumps!
It’s incredibly rare to see the desert bighorn’s number-one predator here, the mountain lion or puma, but a kayaker has a better shot at a glimpse than a terrestrial traveler. Generally fearful of people, these gorgeous big cats are elusive as can be: If you do luck out with a sighting, count it as the thrill of a lifetime.
Bald eagles, hawks, and ravens commonly soar above us as we ride the Black Canyon current; sometimes we’ll even spot owls roosted in the cliffs. Keen-eyed paddlers close to shore may see lizards such as the desert iguana sunning themselves on the canyon rocks.
Wildlife-Watching on a Blazin’ Paddles Trip
From lounging lizards to cliff-hugging bighorns, a Black Canyon paddle trip almost always turns up exciting fauna. Book the finest in Las Vegas kayak tours with Blazin’ Paddles, and get ready for an on-the-water desert safari!