Paddling Dewatto Bay on Hood Canal - Trip #22

Paddling Dewatto River

Dewatto Bay isn't really in the book, but is just outside of the map on Pg 135.  About six miles north of Union and across from Hoodsport, it's a protected cove tucked into the eastern shore of Hood Canal south of Seabeck.  Crystal clear water allows for great sea life viewing (see Lions Mane Jellyfish on previous post), and warm water in summer makes it a great spot to gunkhole and swim without a wetsuit.

A winding creek with multiple channels empties into the bay and is a great spot to explore. Several homes on stilts and some only accessed by the water or walking in align the shorelines north and south of the bay.

Dewatto Bay

Recommended Access:  
Rent a SUP or kayak for Union Paddle & Row (Hood Canal Marina) or hire Captain Lee Geist take you there with your paddle gear.  His boat is moored at Alderbrook Resort in Summer and is available for private trips on the Canal.  He also offers SUP tours of the bay.

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at rob@salmonbaypaddle.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish

In summer on Pacific NW saltwater waterways, you'll begin to see jellyfish appearing in large numbers.  The two most common jellyfish are Moon Jellies, and the largest of the two is the Lion's Mane, (cyanea capillata). 

More Info from National Geographic online..
"The world’s largest creatures reside in the ocean, and its depths are home to unusual species whose surprising proportions are unknown on land.

Here, an underwater view captures the billowing tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish. The most potent species of jellyfish, the lion’s mane can reach a diameter of 6.6 feet (2 meters) with tentacles topping 49 feet (15 meters)."

Here's one shot just below the surface in Dewatto Bay on Hood Canal in July.  Camera: Oregon Scientific ATC9K.