Day 1 Juneau | Embarkation
After a day of exploring Alaska’s Capital City of Juneau, there’s nothing like a hearty greeting from your crew and some bon voyage bubbly. With all souls settled in on board, you’re underway. The adventure starts now. From the first moment, your expedition team is all hands-on deck looking for the first whale spouts of the week. Out on the bow, Southeast Alaska welcomes you with coast and mountain views. (Dinner is included today)
Day 2 Captain’s Choice
We’re in the backcountry. The Tongass National Forest is a vast, infinitely discoverable place. Your Captain and Expedition Leader make the call on where we’re headed today. The seasons and movements of wildlife dictate every choice we make about location. The water is calm and inviting. The guides help you gear up and lead your adventures into the woods or along gentler terrain in back meadows and mellow shorelines. By kayak or paddle board, this is your day to get familiar with the water, enveloped in the vastness of Southeast Alaska’s wilderness. Bald eagles dot the tree tops. Harbor seals bob up for air and slip under the water. Spouts from the humpback whale pepper the horizon line. This is your introduction to Southeast Alaska, and it welcomes you to learn and experience more. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 3 Glacier Bay National Park
At 3.3 million acres, this UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve are massive. In the calm of the night, the ship’s crew takes you deep into Glacier Bay National Park. It’s early in the morning – hot coffee and pastries are out in the lounge – and directly off the bow is Margerie Glacier, or Johns Hopkins Glacier, depending on the time of year and ice access. Less than 1% of visitors to the park have the opportunity you are about to have – get on land with, or kayak in front of, a deep blue, mile-wide chunk of ice. The morning is intimate, calm, and inspiring. Tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots and marbled murrelets are just a few possible sightings. Arriving at South Marble Island, you can hear and smell ‘em before you see ‘em—it’s a haul out for sea lions. Watch for mountain goats, and lower along shore, foraging bears. Lounging harbor seals laze on bits of bergs. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 4 Icy Strait
The Pacific Ocean flows into northern Southeast Alaska via Icy Strait. This interface between land and sea is remote and wild. The plan for the day? Whales and marine mammals. The northern coast of Chichagof Island is rugged and filled with life. Spouts and fin slaps are certain giveaways. Sea lions surf in the swell, and birds hover over the water's surface in search of fish. Porpoises and dolphins hitch a ride on the bow of the boat as you move from cove to cove. On land, trees that pre-date the country are tucked just inside the forest edge. Bushwhack through old growth, pausing to appreciate the scope and scale of North America’s Amazon. Skiff along the shoreline searching for intertidal life; paddle along kelp-threaded channels as Stellar sea lions follow your party through blue waters that invoke visualizations of more tropical climes. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 5 Chichagof Island
Welcome to the west coast of Chatham Strait – one of the largest, longest, and straightest fjords on the planet. We’re deep within a nutrient highway, and endless coves and glacial fjords draw unsuspecting lines along the coast. Chichagof Island is home to the coastal brown bear supported by the lush meadows, rich berries, and prolific salmon runs. Each cove and bay hold their very own microcosm of the greater ecosystem – and your guides are getting into the granular details of the connections between place, species, and time. The time of year dictates the destination. Spring meadows are filled with wildflowers. Summer salmon runs bring bears to the freshwater cornucopia of the largest return of nutrients from sea to land on earth. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 6 Baranof Island
Seek out the elusive Coastal Brown Bear along this rugged coastline. The East side of Chichagof Island includes three specific areas that have exceptionally good opportunities for sighting these wonderful creatures. Your Captain will use his knowledge to put you in the best spot, which changes regularly. This day may include the opportunity for hikes ashore, kayaking, skiff rides and hopefully watching brown bears from all our small boats and kayaks. The bear population is abundant in this area. The day concludes as we get underway, and guests share their experiences and photos with fellow travelers. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 7 Krestof & Nakwasina Sounds
There aren’t many straight lines along Baranof Island. Its western side is spattered with remote, uninhabited islands - endless opportunities for adventure. Secluded coves, windswept shorelines, and cliffs battered by winter storms provide ample habitat for migratory birds. Drop anchor, pick your modus operandi, from kayaking to snorkeling, and get going. Rocky intertidal zones are Alaska’s touch tanks – sea stars and edible kelps abound - turn a stone or two to see what’s underneath. There are no groomed trails here—get out on a guided hike that John Muir himself would approve of (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included today)
Day 8 Sitka | Disembarkation
Welcome to Sitka-by-the-Sea. A quaint fishing town, Sitka is as endearing as it is remote. Enjoy your last meal onboard and wish farewell to your crew, traveling companions, friends made along the way. Disembark and transfer to the airport. (Breakfast is included today)
Cruise information is subject to change without notice based on navigating conditions. Itinerary order is also subject to rearrangement based on permit allocations.
