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Adventurers' Fjord and Bears, Alaska
Prince Rupert to Juneau or Reverse, 8-night / 9-day
Aboard the 12 Guest Safari Escape Yacht
Day 1 - Sail from Prince Rupert
You will be transferred to your yacht after an included city tour this afternoon. Once aboard, your crew greets you with champagne and smiles, and we’ll cruise to a secluded wilderness anchorage this evening.
Day 2 - Ketchikan
Morning is prime time for wildlife sightings, so we’ll set off on an early morning kayaking excursion, or inflatable launch exploration. We’ll watch for bears and deer along the quiet shorelines. Upon our return, we’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast as we cruise. After clearing US Customs, we'll have some free time to visit Ketchikan. Later we'll enjoy a private Native Cultures tour. Our yacht will stay dockside in Ketchikan tonight.
Day 3 - Misty Fjords National Monument
This morning, we’ll cruise along the wilderness shorelines of the Tongass National Forest, our nation’s largest, at 17 million acres. Our afternoon will be spent exploring Misty Fjords National Monument with its 3,000 foot sheer granite cliffs, sea bird rookeries and fascinating geologic history. The wildlife of Misty Fjords ranges from brown and black bears to harbor seals and bald eagles, so have your binoculars ready! Your Expedition Leader will be on hand to offer insight into the flora, fauna and other details of the natural history here. We’ll dine among lofty mountains and the echoes of waterfalls this evening.
Day 4 - Exploring Alaska's Remote Inlets and Coves
We'll slip out of Misty Fjords this morning and venture even further back into the remote channels of Alaska's Inside Passage. We'll glide past the deep green forest watching for bald eagles and bears along the way. Our anchorage at Yes Bay will be among the most picturesque of all our anchorages, and we'll lower the kayaks and inflatable skiff for an afternoon of exploring the pristine passages of Yes Bay. Our Expedition Leader will guide us on a hike in the beautiful, hushed rainforest before we return to the yacht for cocktails and dinner.
Day 5 - Wilderness Waterways
Remote waterways, hidden villages, and wilderness cruising will be our focus today. Tucked behind a fortress of broken islands, Meyer’s Chuck lies undetected by most who pass this way. We will pull in for a look at this surprising community made up of a handful of fishermen, artists, and bush pilots. Continuing on, keep an eye out for seals and porpoise on our way to a silent, hidden cut between two islands called Canoe Pass. We will spend the night at anchor in scenic Canoe Cove. There, we will have time for investigating our surroundings by kayak or inflatable with the Expedition Leader.
Day 6 - Petersburg, Alaska
Our journey today leads us to picturesque Wrangell Narrows, a passage that's been dubbed "Christmas Tree Lane" for the red and green navigational markers that mark the route. Home to rich salmon runs, bald eagles, harbor porpoise and seals, the Narrows will lead us to our destination – the quaint Norwegian fishing village of Petersburg. We’ll have time for a wilderness hike and a local city tour followed by another excellent dinner aboard the yacht. We’ll stay dockside in Petersburg for the night, so an evening walk ashore may be your night-cap tonight.
Day 7 - Frederick Sound
We’ll depart Petersburg this morning, setting our compass for Frederick Sound, a prime whale-watching area. We'll spend the day cruising among open waters and tiny islands, searching for the tell-tale blow of the humpback whale. Other marine mammals, such as Steller’s sea lions and Dall’s porpoise, will be high on our list of possible sightings as well. Later we will pass by Five Finger Island and Lighthouse en route to our evening anchorage.
Day 8 - Tracy Arm
This morning we'll enter magnificent Tracy Arm, a striking fjord that leads to the spectacular Sawyer glaciers. We will weave a path through a sea of small icebergs to the face of the massive glaciers where thunderous calvings resonate along the length of the fjord. We will explore up close in the inflatable as harbor seals watch silently from ice floes. Late this afternoon we will depart Tracy Arm, making our way to an anchorage in secluded Taku Harbor. This evening, join your traveling companions for our festive Farewell Dinner.
Day 9 - Juneau, Alaska
Breakfast is served as we cruise up Gastineau channel. After arriving in Juneau this morning we’ll wish you a fond farewell, and transfer you to the airport for connections home.
