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Our itinerary & experience make the most of your time & curiosity
On our Alaska cruise excursions, each week aboard is crafted to offer you the most in-depth experience of Alaska possible. Flexibility is a hallmark of our expeditions, and often the day-by-day itinerary will change when we take advantage of a sighting of a pod of killer whales or linger on shore to watch a brown bear sow and her cubs forage. Extraordinary adventure is a guarantee.
Encounter legendary wildlife
See humpback whales, brown bears, and bald eagles—the iconic wildlife of Southeast Alaska. Search for killer whales in the wildlife-rich channels between islands and sure-footed mountain goats in steep fjords.
Travel in excellent company
Explore under the sure guidance of an expedition leader, five veteran naturalists, including a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, plus a wellness specialist––the largest and most knowledgeable expedition team in Alaska. Their knowledge and passion for Alaska is the key to your once-in-a-lifetime experience. Meet the team.
Arrive in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, which is nestled between Mt. Juneau, Mount Roberts and Gastineau Channel. Above it all sits the Juneau Icefield, at 1,500 square miles it is one of the world’s largest non-polar masses of snow and ice and is the source of many glaciers including Taku Glacier and Mendenhall Glacier.
Transfer in downtown Juneau with a stop at the impressive Mendenhall Glacier en route to the Alaska State Museum. Embark on the National Geographic Sea Lion.
This morning we will maneuver among the ice of LeConte Glacier, one of the most active glaciers in Southeast Alaska and the southernmost tidewater glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its discovery in 1887 the glacier has retreated 2.5 miles but is stable at this time. The glacier produces great numbers of icebergs that shoot up from beneath the surface of the inlet as well as calving from the upper face of it. These bergs get caught up on the shallow moraine and along the shoreline making for interesting sculptures for us to photograph. Our captain will bring the ship in as close to the glacier as he is able based on the amount of ice in the channel and if conditions allow, we will deploy our expedition landing craft and kayaks for tours among the ice.
This afternoon we transit the Wrangell Narrows, the breathtaking beauty of this convoluted 22-mile waterway is lined with 60 lights and buoys to mark it because of its winding nature and navigation hazards. Unlike the large ships which are forced to navigate “outside” waters our small, maneuverable ships can safely deliver you an incredible journey through this passage where eagles decorate the spruce trees like ornaments on a Christmas tree.
Explore along the rugged coastlines of Kupreanof, Kuiu or Prince of Wales Islands seeking out humpbacks and other wildlife along the shoreline, expert staff will be on deck with binoculars on the lookout. The area is home to Sitka black-tailed deer, black bear, Alexander Archipelago wolves, moose and around 300 species of birds. It is a perfect opportunity to search for black bear, eagles and whales that are all lured to the shoreline in search of salmon that populate these waters.
Later we will explore the coast by kayak or go ashore to explore bear trails and salmon streams learning about the rainforest ecosystem as we go.
This morning we arrive in the small town of Wrangell, AK located on Wrangell Island. The Tlingit people and their ancestors have made this island their home for thousands of years. Wrangell was founded by Russians as one of the oldest non-Native settlements in Alaska. They started trading for furs with area Tlingit in 1811 at the site of present-day Wrangell.
Spend the morning either on an optional jet boat excursion up the Stikine River or exploring town including a visit to Chief Shakes Tribal House and the Petroglyph Beach. The tribal house, a Tlingit Indian clan house of the Naanyaa.aayí Clan, has been restored several times, most recently in 2013 with the intent to preserve totem poles and traditional Alaska Native architecture.
Petroglyph Beach in Wrangell has the highest concentration of petroglyphs in Southeast and is easily accessible boardwalk to a deck that overlooks the glyphs, the Stikine River and Zimovia Strait.
This afternoon cruise we cruise Eastern Passage and Blake Channel, narrow waterways on the backside of Wrangell Island where others rarely venture.
We will spend the morning cruising down the 108-mile-long Behm Canal and into Behm Canal located in Misty Fiords National Monument.
Sculpted by nature, the glacially-carved cliffs of Misty Fiords National Monument, sometimes called “The Yosemite of the North”, is located near the southern boundaries of the 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest. Join naturalists out on the bow to gaze in wonder at the near vertical rock face that rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level and drop 1,000 feet below it. Taking its name from the almost constant precipitation that is characteristic of the area and the fine wispy clouds move in and out of the winding waterway. Explore by expedition landing craft and kayak for a closer perspective of the dramatic waterfalls that plunge down the steep fiord walls to the salt water below.
Disembark the ship in Ketchikan, the southeasternmost city in Alaska. Ketchikan has a colorful history, which once included a red-light district located on busy Creek Street. The city sports many different monikers such as the “Salmon Capital of the World” due to the large number of fishing boats and canneries, and the “Rain Capital of Alaska”. Ketchikan averages nearly 13 feet of rain a year! Visit the Totem Heritage Center to view the priceless collection of 19th century Tlingit totem poles rescued from abandoned village sites near Ketchikan. The airport, located on Gravina Island, is just a short ferry ride across the half mile wide Tongass Narrows from the city situated on Revillagigedo Island. Transfer to the airport for flights home.
Please note: All day-by-day breakdowns are a sampling of the places we intend to visit, conditions permitting.