John MacGregor (sportsman)
John MacGregor, nicknamed Rob Roy after a renowned relative, was an English explorer, travel writer and philanthropist. He is generally credited with the development of the first sailing canoes and with popularising canoeing as a sport in Europe and the United States. He founded the British Royal Canoe Club (RCC) in 1866 becoming its first Captain and also founded American Canoe Association in 1880.
John MacGregor in his Rob Roy canoe captured during his exploration of the upper reaches of the River Jordan. Drawn by MacGregor himself.
A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word qajaq.
Whitewater kayaker at Great Falls, Virginia, United States
Inuit seal hunter in a kayak, armed with a harpoon
Interior 360 degree photosphere of a kayak at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Click for an immersive 360 degree view.
Kayaks are often used to get closer to marine animals, such as sea otters.