9 days, 8 nights, cruise only round trip from Juneau
on the Spirit of Columbia - 78 passengers
Highlights
Watching whales off the bow of your small ship, Prince William Sound, Anchorage
Summary Cruise deep into the wilderness of Alaska's Inside Passage and bask in a peaceful sanctuary, where wildlife abounds and people are few. Sail round trip from Juneau and enjoy the luxury of spending a full day in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a privilege permitted exclusively to Cruise West guests. Gaze skyward in awe of the sheer cliffs of Tracy Arm. Listen for the sound of thundering waterfalls and the crack! of glaciers calving into the sea. Come face-to-face and interact with the people of a remote Southeast Alaskan village. And learn from a National Park Ranger and Native Cultural Interpreter about the Passage's array of flora, fauna and the culture of the Tlingits.
Itinerary
Day 1 - ARRIVE IN JUNEAU
In Alaska's capital city, transfer to the Goldbelt Hotel, near the downtown Juneau waterfront.
Day 2 - SAIL FROM JUNEAU
Meet your fellow traveling companions and board buses for a quick included tour of the little island neighborhood of Douglas, once Alaska's largest city. The tour concludes at your vessel where you board. Your small ship sails in the late afternoon.
Step out on deck to watch Gastineau Channel glide by as you enter Alaska’s true wilderness. Look for wildlife in and along the channel. D
Day 3 - ICY STRAIT
Icy Strait is a northern waterway that separates Chichagof Island from Glacier Bay on the mainland, extending 40 miles northwest from Chatham Strait to Glacier Bay and Cross Sound. Its nutrient rich waters are a magnet to an abundant variety of marine mammals and seabirds, and its northern border is the untamed, natural wilderness of Glacier Bay. Saw-toothed mountaintops of the Fairweather Range loom thousands of feet in the northern sky.
Watch for the gentle humpbacks as they feast on tiny krill churned by waters from the Pacific Ocean. Watch for the behaviors you may see them exhibit. Spouting. Sounding. Breaching. Tail slapping. Fin smacking. Lunge feeding. Even rare bubble feeding if you’re very, very lucky. The tiny Inian Islands stand between you and the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska, with enticing opportunities to get out there and explore by inflatable craft. Be sure to keep an eye out for Steller's sea lions, orcas, harbor seals, and porpoise. BLD
Day 4 - GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Declared by many to be the most extraordinary and untouched place in the world, Glacier Bay was first established as a National Monument in 1925 and has since enjoyed the highly protected status of National Park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Glacier Bay National Park shows you the earth in transition. The glaciers here are receding rapidly, leaving in their wake scoured cliffs and deep fjords.
We’ll pick up a Glacier Bay Park Ranger and a local Tlingit Cultural Interpreter in Bartlett Cove. They will provide a comprehensive day of narrative sightseeing. Over 65 miles of pristine terrain and habitat have been revealed in Glacier Bay since its giant rivers of ice began dramatically retreating 200 years ago. Approach Marble Islands and hurry outside to encounter a teeming multitude of seabirds like black-legged kittiwakes, murrelets and puffins, all swooping and swarming above the writhing, barking haul-out of Steller’s sea lions. We may encounter mountain goats on Gloomy Knob or watch brown and black bears foraging along the shoreline. Look for more harbor seals, sea otters and the humpback whales that call Glacier Bay their summer home and admire the 15,000-foot peak of Mt. Fairweather, the steepest climb from sea level in the world. BLD
Day 5 - WILDERNESS COMMUNITY
For those lucky and hearty few who call this wilderness home, "traffic" takes on a whole new meaning! We will port call at one of a handful of small Alaskan villages to briefly get a taste of what it would be like to be part of a community that rests in the wild and off-the-beaten-path part of the world.
We'll also spend part of today in some of the richest whale waters in all of Southeast Alaska and take every opportunity to spot whales, letting our itinerary be dictated by their movements. Enormous volumes of nutrient-rich water flow into Icy Strait and flood the coast of Chichagof Island at Point Adolphus. This creates perfect conditions to attract humpback whales, seals, sea lions and porpoise. We may even seen orcas if we are vigilant. BLD
Day 6 - SITKA
This beautiful little city is thought by many to be the “jewel of the Inside Passage.” Its setting alone is breathtaking. While big ships must plow through miles of open ocean and moor far from the tiny docks, your small ship will come to Sitka “through the back door,” threading through beautiful Peril Strait and navigating the delicate passage through Sergius Narrows where tides challenge all but the most expert mariner’s skill. Enjoy the peaceful setting as you stroll amongst the totems at the beautiful Sitka National Historic Park, or choose other optional excursions to further explore the gem of Baranof Island. BLD
Day 7 - FREDERICK SOUND AND WILDERNESS EXPLORATION
Frederick Sound teems with the humpback whale’s favorite food – and the whales take full advantage, feeding in the rich waters as they prepare for their long migration south. Once they leave Alaska waters at summer’s end, these giant creatures will not eat again until they return next year. This afternoon you’ll discover the joys of “gunkholing,” a nautical term that means, among other things, “exploring at leisure.” Your Captain and Exploration Leader know these waters intimately – and each voyage is likely to be different, depending on what magic they find to share with you. BLD
Day 8 - TRACY ARM
Many travelers consider these narrow fjords the most spectacular spots in Alaska. Sheer cliffs rise thousands of feet from waterline to snowcapped peaks, their sides studded and stunning waterfalls. And there's the ice. Gliding through the mist from the shores of the remote wilderness, a National Park Ranger will board our vessel in Tracy Arm. The ranger will hold a discussion about the meaning and value of these public lands, especially the areas designated as wilderness.
S/he will use the stories of John Muir, Aldo Leopold and others to demonstrate the origins of the American idea of wilderness. The ranger will share tales of his/her work duties in the field, which include monitoring air pollution, removing invasive weeds, participating in wildlife stuides and will take take questions from those eager to learn about climate change, wildlife, camping stories and natural history.
Conditions permitting, your crew will welcome you into inflatable excursion craft to explore the waters and shorelines amid bouncing bergie bits calved from ancient glaciers. BLD
Day 9 - ARRIVE IN JUNEAU
Disembark in Juneau this morning, and we'll escort you to the airport. B
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner