|
Our Alaska expedition explores the
magnificent Inside Passage of Alaska with an intimate
number of guests in the company of naturalists aboard
our small ship voyage.
Where can you wake to the cry of a
soaring eagle, watch tons of ice thunder from the face
of a glacier, walk in a spruce forest, and observe lunge-feeding
whales, while cruising in complete comfort aboard a
nimble expedition ship? In Southeast Alaska - a land
of fjords and islands teeming with wildlife. Since 1982
the M/V Sea Lion and M/V Sea Bird have explored the
magnificent Inside Passage of Alaska with an intimate
number of guests in the company of naturalists aboard
our small ship voyages. Walk forest trails to cascading
waterfalls, bird watching and identifying wildflowers
as you go. Enjoy Zodiac and kayaking forays, and learn
about Alaska’s rich Native American heritage.
A full day is spent in Glacier Bay National Park.
Dates
(2006) :
May 12 – 19
May 19 - 26*
May 26 – Jun 2
Jun 3 - 10
Jun 4 - 11
Jun 10 - 17*
Jun 11 - 18*
Jun 17 - 24
Jun 18 - 25
Jun 24 – Jul 1*
Jun 25 – Jul 2*
Jul 1 - 8
Jul 2 – 9
Jul 8 - 15*
Jul 15 - 22
Jul 22 - 29*
Jul 30 – Aug 6
Aug 5 - 12
Aug 12 – 19
Aug 13 – 20
Aug 20 - 27*
Aug 26 – Sept 2
Aug 27 – Sept 3
Family Expeditions 2006
June 25 – July 2*
Jul 2 – 9
Jul 22 - 29*
Aug 5 - 12*
Aug 12 - 19
* Indicates that this is a Reverse Itinerary
Itinerary:
Day 1: Juneau, Alaska / Embark
Ship
Your journey begins with an early
afternoon flight from Seattle to Juneau on Alaska Airlines.
In less than two hours, you’ll arrive in Juneau,
Alaska’s state capital. After claiming your luggage,
we’ll drive to the Mendenhall Glacier, just 13
miles from downtown Juneau where you’ll quickly
realize you’ve entered another world as you gaze
out upon an iceberg-studded lake with an enormous ice
field cascading down the valley, ending in a spectacular
glacier. Before embarking the ship, we stop by the Alaska
State Museum for an artful introduction to this unique
state. The Museum has a fascinating permanent collection
with an emphasis on Alaska’s native peoples and
natural history. We’ll embark ship in the late
afternoon and have some time to settle into our cabins
before dinner. After dinner onboard, a local entertainer
engages you with a music and slide presentation. If
you prefer, take a few hours to yourself and explore
the port of Juneau. South Franklin Street parallels
the harbor area and offers a wide array of shops, restaurants
and bars. Stroll into the downtown area to find more
shops, including those offering goods particular to
Alaska. After an evening of exploring or entertainment,
settle back into the ship for an 11 p.m. departure to
the pristine wildness of Tracy Arm.
Day 2: Tracy Arm
Early this morning, we enter Tracy
Arm, a spectacular 22-mile-long fjord, with rushing
waterfalls cascading from its high, glacially carved
walls. By breakfast time (depending on the ice conditions
we will have encountered), we will be passing the Sawyer
Glacier, which has been described as bluer than any
blue on earth, listen for the white thunder as ice calves
off the glacier’s face. As you gather on deck
so early in the morning to view this spectacular sight,
you’ll delight in the harbor seals and porpoises
playing below and the Arctic terns and Bonaparte gulls
soaring overhead. Harbor seals play here with their
pups, diving and jumping among the ice. After breakfast,
Zodiac trips take you closer to the cracks and booms
of falling ice as you get an even better look at the
Sawyer Glacier. Keep a watch out for the sure-footed
mountain goats scaling the steep, granite cliffs above.
We may stop at a gravel beach where we can take out
the kayaks and paddle, perhaps with the mournful sound
of the loon as part of our “soundtrack.”
If you prefer something less strenuous, take a peaceful
walk through the woods, stopping to admire the tiny
wildflowers and ripe berries.
Day 3: Petersburg
Humpback whales blowing their spouts
in the morning light are often spotted as we head toward
Le Conte Bay, a virtual sculpture garden of grounded
icebergs. Weather permitting, you’ll have the
opportunity to kayak amid the ice. Or take advantage
of the opportunity for an optional flightseeing trip
via floatplane or helicopter over nearby Le Conte Glacier.
And for hikes on forest trails, accompanied by our natural
history staff. Around lunchtime we’ll head in
to the small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island, our
nimble ship slipping into the small harbor bustling
with fishing activity and boats of all kinds —
trawlers, purse seiners, gill-netters and more. A town
of 3,500, Petersburg was founded more than 100 years
ago by rugged Norwegian fishermen, and their heritage
remains, as the town continues to derive its identity,
as well as its income, from fishing. The waters here
are rich in crab, shrimp and both pink salmon and humpy
salmon. Once we’re docked, you’re free to
explore the town, noticing the traditional floral painting
called rosemaling that decorates the tidy homes and
store fronts. Walking the streets of friendly Petersburg
provides some insight into the character of a true Alaskan
town — isolated, with an obvious spirit of community
and self-sufficiency. The evening includes a visit from
a local fishing family, with their interesting stories
of life in Petersburg. The ship remains at the dock
until we’re called to dinner, featuring the catch
of the day — perhaps fresh Dungeness crab. Then,
the lines are released and we make our way out of the
harbor into the star-studded Alaskan night.
Day 4: Frederick Sound &
Chatham Strait
These waters are prime areas for both
killer whales and humpback whales. It is also fertile
ground for the majestic bald eagle which you may see
keeping watch atop a tall spruce. As for whales, it’s
not uncommon here to see schools of up to 30 humpbacks
or orcas. We’ll then get to observe fascinating
behavior — breaching, tail-slapping and variations
on feeding — as we fill the deck, delighting in
their activities and listening to the play-by-play from
our expert naturalists, as our skilled Captain and crew
keep us in perfect proximity. We may also see sea lions
hauled out and dozing. Once ashore, we’ll have
the opportunity to walk along a quiet forest trail,
accompanied by our naturalists. The still waters are
excellent for kayaking, offering another option for
appreciating this area close up.
Day 5: Glacier Bay National
Park
We spend the entire day amidst the
coves, fjords, tidewater glaciers, freshwater lakes
and majestic mountains of Glacier Bay National Park
— one of the best places on earth to observe the
ebb and flow of glaciers. Here, we’ll be accompanied
by a National Park Ranger who gives us up-to-the-minute
information about this ever-changing environment. You’ll
see glaciers that end abruptly at the water’s
edge and observe them “calving” —
tons of ice crashing into the sea — accompanied
by an exhilaratingly thunderous sound. Mountain goats
scaling the peaks, harbor seals and Steller's sea lions
are some of the creatures we may observe in these icy
waters. These sea lions are a threatened species —
although the population in Southeast Alaska is still
robust, elsewhere in Alaska their population has declined
almost 80% in the last 30 years. Look up during the
day and chances are, the sky will be filled with soaring
sea birds. If you’ve never seen a puffin, you
may have the opportunity to see not only one kind, but
two: the tufted and the horned puffin. As you observe
them flying to and from their nests, you’ll find
the puffin to be both clumsy and graceful at the same
time. Designed for underwater fishing, they paddle and
flap their way into the air, then make a quick dive
below the surface. A visit to Tidal Inlet may bring
the sight of brown bears lumbering up the hillside.
If the timing is right, a bear and her cub may be playing
in the water. With our engines idling so we can be as
unobtrusive as possible, we’ll watch their interactions,
knowing the cub will be on its own by the same time
next year.
Day 6: Point Adolphus &
Inian Pass
No need to wait to start seeing the
animals you’ve come to Alaska to view since our
day begins on the waters off Point Adolphus, a favored
feeding area for humpback whales. The benefits of small
ship cruising will be immediately apparent as you get
your first exposure to the advantages of our nimble
ship. Keep watch on deck and you may find yourself rushing
to the side as a pod of whales begins feeding right
off our port or starboard bow. As we listen with awe
as our naturalist lowers the hydrophone and we’re
not only watching the whales, we’re hearing their
communications. A sense of wonder pervades. When questions
come up, as they surely will, our marine mammal expert
can tell you everything you want to know and more. After
some thrilling whale watching, you’ll cruise the
Inian Pass looking for playful sea otters.
Day 7: Southeast Alaska’s
Islands, Bays and Fjords
Today, nature is our guide as we set
forth without a specific plan. We may stop at an isolated
beach, where the tide pooling and beachcombing are good
and there are forest trails to walk. The landscape is
often colored with swaths of wildflowers with names
as curious as the flower’s ability to grow here:
silverweed, chocolate lily, nagoonberry and cow parsnip.
We might do some small ship cruising along the shoreline
of Admiralty Island, where the massive brown bear is
found. Later, as you walk on one of the many islands
in the area, keep an eye out for old bear tracks worn
into the soil as you move from forest to meadow. This
area is home to the highest density of nesting bald
eagles in the world, so sightings are very common. If
conditions permit, we can do some kayaking, always watching
for marine and terrestrial life.
Day 8: Sitka / Disembark Ship
After breakfast we disembark in Sitka,
southeastern Alaska’s only oceanfront town. In
the native Tlingit language, Sitka means the village
behind the island and it has been home to various cultures
for thousands of years. When visiting here, one can’t
help but wonder about the ways in which cultures survive,
passing down their characteristics from generation to
generation. Often, as you enter the harbor channel,
dozens of bald eagles soar high above. This town has
a strong Russian heritage, so readily apparent as you
visit St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church with
its onion domes. Gaze up at the grand totem poles that
line the wooded trails through Sitka National Historic
Park, and at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center, come
face-to-face with bald eagles, hawks, falcons and owls.
Sitka’s oceanfront setting is dominated by the
volcanic peak of Mount Edgecumbe and surrounded by a
string of small islands. The crystalline waters of Sitka
Bay abound with sea stars and translucent moon jellyfish.
After lunch, we’ll drive to the airport, just
five minutes from town, for our afternoon flight to
Seattle, arriving in the early evening.
Note:
This itinerary should serve as a guideline
only, and that the actual stops are determined by weather,
wildlife activity, and a host of factors in order to
provide the best possible experience. This flexibility
is what makes traveling on our nimble expedition ships
so much more rewarding than on a large vessel with a
locked voyage plan.
Included:
Accommodations aboard ship, all meals,
all shore excursions and sightseeing, use of kayaks,
entrance fees, group transfers as indicated in itinerary,
tips (except to ship’s crew), taxes and service
charges, services of natural history staff.
Not Included:
Air transportation, optional extension,
flightseeing, individual transfers, baggage/accident/cancellation
insurance, items of a personal nature. Gratuities to
ship’s crew at your discretion.
Price Guide:
Category 01
£2460 per person based on double occupancy
£3075 per person based on single occupancy
Main Deck 300-305 - Conveniently positioned between
the dining room and lounge, these cabins feature twin
lower beds, and a large view window.
Category 02
£2795 per person based on double occupancy
£3490 per person based on single occupancy
Upper 200-212, 215; Bridge 100-104, 108
These well-located cabins include twin lower beds and
a large view window.
Category 03
£3355 per person based on double occupancy
Upper Deck 214, 216, 217, 219; Bridge Deck 105, 106
These large cabins feature a seating arrangement with
table and two view windows. Certain cabins include twin
lower beds. Ask for details.
Call 01903 816500 for further
details or email info@exquisiteworld.com
|
