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The nutrient-rich waters of the Inside Passage near Sitka offer some of the best whale and wildlife habitat in all of Alaska. Our custom-designed, luxuriously-comfortable catamarans provide the perfect stable platform for viewing, photography and learning about the area’s wildlife. The high cruising speed and exceptional maneuverability of our vessels ensure you’ll spend more time at the best sights. If you have a limited amount of time in Sitka, but you still want to see it all! ... we have designed a variety of combination tours that allow you to experience other premier attractions, such as the mighty Mendenhall Glacier and the Alaska-Style Salmon Bake, before or after your wildlife cruise.
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Explore Sitka on foot in the company of a knowledgeable guide. On your 2 1/2-mile walk, stroll around the base of Castle Hill, where Alaska was purchased from Russia, through the historic district, past Totem Square, the Prospector Statue and Russian Blockhouse. Pass St Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Russian Bishop's House en route to Sheldon Jackson College (home to James Michener during the writing of his book, Alaska). At Sitka National Historical Park, flat walking trails lined with authentic totems guide you through the lush Tongass National Forest. On the way to the Raptor Center, you'll encounter the swamp-like muskeg that is home to most of Alaska's bird, plant, and wild berry life. Explore and photograph the Raptor Center's open bird habitat and clinic area with great views of bald eagles, owls, hawks, and other birds of prey. At the end of the tour you may elect to stay in the historic downtown area next to the cathedral, or return to the tender pier.
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Meet on the dock and prepare for your adventure by suiting up in rain gear and life jackets. Board a motorized inflatable raft for an exhilarating ride to the floating kayak base camp, where your guide will provide instruction on the use of ocean-going two-person kayaks. These maneuverable boats allow you to explore the protected bays and inlets from a serene, natural perspective. Groups of four to six kayaks will be led by a guide well-versed in the marine environment of the area. Paddle approximately 1 1/2 hours before returning to the base camp for a hot beverage, snack and transfer back to town.
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Visit the historical highlights of this former "Russian Capital" and tour through the Alaska Raptor "Bald Eagle" Center, staffed mostly by volunteers who rescue the birds, provide rehabilitative care for them, and hopefully release the birds back to the wild. After your introduction to the Center, you will see the "bird on a glove" presentation. View the clinic, outside deck habitat area, and the eagle flight center. Photograph the birds throughout the grounds. A stop at St. Michael's Cathedral gives you time to explore the first Russian Orthodox cathedral in America, to view priceless icons and religious artifacts. You will also visit the Sitka National Historical Park where the 1804 Battle of Alaska was fought, with a chance to view and photograph totems and Cultural Center exhibits. On a brief drive through the historic district, see the Russian Cemetery and Castle Hill, site of the 1867 land transfer ceremony and purchase of Alaska from colonial Russia. End your tour with an authentic Russian Folk Dance performance presented by the New Arch angel Russian Dancers. You will have the option of returning to the ship's tender pier or remain in the downtown shopping area.
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Glide through eel grass beds, drift through giant kelp forests and explore rich, rocky shoals in comfortable style aboard Alaska's only heated, restroom-equipped, semi-submersible tour vessel. The cold waters of Alaska teem with life, including jellyfish, anemones, crab, fish, starfish, and a variety of aquatic plants. Large, underwater viewing windows allow you to encounter the undersea world up close. A scuba diver using high-quality, underwater video reveals even more of the world beneath the sea, and an open-top aquarium brings you sea creatures right on board the vessel. Refreshments will be served. Return through Sitka Channel, with its fleet of fishing vessels, float planes, and bustling waterfront. This underwater tour is very different from those in other parts of the world.
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Bus transportation takes you to the trailhead of the Starrigavin Muskeg Trail. Set out with a guide who is well-versed in the flora, fauna, and history of Sitka and the surrounding area. Enjoy great mountain views, weather permitting, as your hike begins with a gradual 1/2-mile descent to Starrigavin Creek. From here, it is a 1/2-mile level boardwalk through the Starrigavin Estuary bird viewing area, complete with restrooms. Cross the road and begin the 1 1/2-mile Mosquito Cove Loop Trail, gaining approximately 300 feet in elevation. Walk along the beach back to Old Sitka, where you will be transported back to the dock.
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This tour is geared for avid bird-watchers working on their life lists, people interested in learning more about birds, and for companions of bird watchers. Alaska's bird checklist includes 445 documented species and an additional 35 unsubstantiated species. This tour focuses on birding and incorporates natural history of the area. Habitats to be explored include the seashore, estuary, muskeg, and the rain forest. Participants will learn about the birds that live in the Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rain forest in the world. Sightings may include eagles, kingfishers, great blue herons, redheaded sapsuckers, orange crowned warblers, and sea ducks in season, thrushes, and winter wrens. The tour includes two hours in the field looking for birds, and covering up to two miles on foot. Participants need to be fit enough for the mostly level walk on a gravel trail and be dressed comfortably to be outdoors in the rain forest. A chocolate bar and water bottle will be provided.
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This tour is for guests who wish to explore the underwater world of Southeast Alaska, as well as learn about the marine biology of the ocean floor that teems with life in the waters of the Sitka Sound.
Guests will be picked up dock side and transported to the changing area. At that site the guests will have secure space to leave their belongings and then be transported, in their dry suits, to the snorkel site, Magic Island, located at Halibut Point Recreation State Park.
Guests will be given a safety orientation and guides will answer questions. Guests will then have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of snorkeling in the waters of Alaska.
Sea life that may be seen include sea stars, sun stars (up to 60 lbs), crab, a variety of fish, sea anemones (one of the oldest animals on earth), a variety of filter feeders, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and the colorful bio-mass of the sea floor. Snorkelers may also explore the giant kelp forest near the snorkel area.
Guests will spend approximately forty-five minutes to one hour in the water. Safety is the number one concern of our tour guides. Each guest receives additional information regarding the water temperatures, visibility, tidal fluctuations and local marine life. We will offer a one-to-six-guide-to-guest ratio and will employ a certified dive master. All guides are trained in CPR, dive and snorkel procedures, and the marine environment.
The advantage in using a dry suit is the warmth, buoyancy, safety, comfort, and ease in changing. Guest wear their own street clothes under the dry suit.
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