NORFOLK, Va. — John Coplon is the owner of Norfolk Kayak Rentals. He started his business out of his love for the river.
“It's really just an amazing way to take in what Norfolk has to offer,” said Coplon.
Norfolk Kayak Rentals takes people out on the Elizabeth River for a variety of tours, giving participants the chance to get an up-close look at the area's wildlife. Coplon says it's nice to see people enjoying the river.
“I've seen it go from being a river that people aren't really on so much to being, you know, healthy again, where we can do activities, like recreate and be in a kayak on the river.”
The tour I went on highlighted the efforts of groups like the Elizabeth River Project to get the river cleaner and healthier.
“I think the best way to get people to really care about the environment and protect it is to experience it and get them excited about it,” said my tour guide, Alexandra Cantwell. “So, this is a really great way for people to have fun and learn.”
On the 90-minute tours, guides like Alex highlight the river’s ecosystem, issues threatening it, and restoration efforts as you paddle past all the creatures that make their homes along the river, such as raptors and jellies.
“There are so many jellyfish out on the river,” said Coplon. “It is wild. I've never seen anything like it in my entire life.”
“I think it's a really fun way to kind of cement a lot of those concepts and people and introduce them to the world of conservation,” said Cantwell. “And then again, they get to see a lot of really great conservation efforts in action while they're enjoying the kayaking tour.”
In gratitude for all the work done to get the river healthy enough to get out on, Norfolk Kayak Rentals is donating proceeds from these tours to the Elizabeth River Project.
“It's important to know that [the river's clean and healthy state] doesn't just happen ... It takes years and decades of efforts of restoration,” said Coplon. “You're able to do the activity that you're about to do because of the Elizabeth River Project.”
If you’re interested in participating in one of these tours, there will be two more opportunities to get out this summer for a Nature & Eco Tour on Tuesday, August 22 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, September 17 at 9 a.m.
You can sign up here!
