Itinerary
Our itinerary is a rough idea of what is possible on this 8 day 7 night sea kayak based mother ship expedition. We will use the weather and tides to determine our exact journey but there is a life time of incredible places to kayak in Southeast Alaska and we will just scratch the surface on this unique itinerary. The opportunity to kayak in these places, Point Adolphus, Yakutat and Icy bay all in one itinerary is truly a unique opportunity and can not be found anywhere else. So join us on this one of a kind expedition by sea kayak into the heart of Southeast Alaska
Hoonah and Tenakee Springs
Just west of Juneau in Southeast Alaska on the northern end of Chichagof Island (North America’s 5th largest island) The village of Hoonah, with a population of 850 people, is home to Alaska’s largest community of Tlingit people. Hoonah is set deep in the Tongass National Forest (North Americas largest national forest and part of the largest expense of wilderness in the world). The Tlingit people have lived here for generations and the evidence of this can be seen through out the village, totems and murals are visible to any visitor lucky enough to walk the streets of this incredible.
Visiting Tenakee Springs is like peering through a looking glass into the past. This village is a small ocean front community of 85 year-round residents, and with no cars, one can get a feel for how things might have been a century ago in this isolated village on Chichagof Island. Tenakee Springs does have a quaint general store a library and a local museum but probably its most valuable and interesting aspect is its people. The residents of Tenakee Springs take great pride in their town and their way of life and its very evident that they truly love living in this magical place and many are happy to share that with visitors at the local cafe or in the therapeutic hot springs that Tenakee is well known for.
Tenakee Springs and Hoonah both sit on the east side of Chicagof Island, 45 miles southwest of Juneau. The calm, nutrient rich waters of the Tenakee Inlet and Port Frederic attract bait fish and more than just under 1 million salmon each year. This annual influx of biomass from the arrival of salmon brings a number of marine mammal species including Humpback Whales, Orca, Stellar Sea Lion, and Harbor Seal, just to mention a few. While on land you have large populations of brown bears, in fact The Islands in Southeast Alaska have some of the highest density of brown bears in the world and who far out number humans on Chichagof Island.
The waters of Port Frederic and Tenakee Inlet are really a kayakers paradise with great opportunities to see and paddle with wild life. The calm waters, combined with the stunning scenery and your guide who has been paddling Alaskan waters for decades make the area around Hoonah and Tenakee a jewel for any kayaker and is just one of the stops on this adventure.
Point Adolphus
The northern inside passage is connected to the open water of the pacific and the gulf of Alaska through Icy Stait. On the southern end of Icy strait and near the northern tip of Chichagof Island lies Point Adolphus. This area is rich in food for large marine mammals and it is quite common to see a wide variety of species while visiting the waters around Point Adolphus. Kelp beds support healthy populations of sea otter around islands, Dall’s Porpoise, along with Humpbacks and killer whales are also common here. Through out the summer the bird species are constantly changing as well in this part of the region with marbled murrelets, pigeon guillemots, Pacific loons, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes and surf scoters in Icy Strait throughout the summer.
Kayaking in the waters around Point Adolphus is a unique experience that not many people get to experience each year. This area is only accessible by boat and the closest communities of Gustavus and Hoonah are a good distance away making the Northern Song the perfect platform to launch our kayak trip from in these waters. We have the option to use our ship to find friendly waters and wildlife and then launch our kayaks to paddle intimately with these creatures from a respectful distance.
Lituya Bay & Cenotaph Island
The cascade and carillon glaciers as well as the Lituya Glacier all empty in Lituys Bay which is located with in Glacier Bay National Park. A. island known as cenotaph Island is located generally in the center of the bay with the entrance to the bay from the gulf of Alaska is to the south west and is just a mere 500m wide with only a very narrow navigable channel. Lituya Bay ism know for significant tidal swings of approximately 3 meters which can create tidal currents in the entrance to the bay of over 5knots.
Lituya bay has a long rich history and has been the site of 4 large tsunamis with one of these being the largest wave ever recorded at 1720 feet. This wave was caused by a large landslide with in the bay and evidence of this huge event can still be seen on the mountain sides where vegetation was stripped completely away.
For a kayaker Lituya bay is a rare opportunity. The bay is located on a long stretch of exposed coast know as Alaskas Lost Coast where anchorages and sheltered waters are few and far betrween. The Northern Song allows us to safely navigate this exposed section of the gulf of Alaska and tuck into places like Lituya bay so we can explore its mystery and magnificence. Your guide will help explain the rich history present here as well as the legends past down by the indigenous peoples making Lituya bay a must on our expedition.
Yakutat & Hubbard Glacier
Midway between the Inside Passage and Prince William Sound on the Gulf of Alaska coast, you’ll find some of Alaska’s most dramatic scenery: hundreds of miles of wild, uninhabited coast, glaciers larger than states, the biggest ice cap outside Antarctica, and the world’s highest coastal mountains (including North America’s second highest peak, Mt. Logan).In the middle of this spectacular nature show, over 100 miles from the nearest coastal town, lies the laid-back town of Yakutat. This tiny speck on the map has less than 1,000 residents.
Yakutat also has a rich native culture that has formed over thousands of years, but theirs isn’t the only history here, however. The Russian-American Company built a fort in Yakutat in the late 1790’s and for years exploited the local Tlingit Indians, plundering their salmon, restricting their travel, and even abducting their children. The Tlingit finally had enough and destroyed the fort and drove the Russians away in 1804.
Off the coast of Yakutat—200 miles NW of Juneau lies the Hubbard Glacier which is certainly gigantic: it’s more than six miles wide where it meets the ocean. It’s also been very active in the recent past, having had two major surges in the past 3 decades. Those surges were big enough to cross the bay, turning the fjord into a lake and threatening to flood the coastal town of Yakutat. Currently the glacier isn’t surging, but you could say that it’s a pretty light sleeper, it does calve a lot. The face is up to 400 feet tall, and icebergs 3 to 4 stories in height aren’t uncommon.
Icy bay & Taan Fjord
Icy Bay lives up to its name with an active tidewater glacier often clogging the fjord with icebergs. This remote fjord in Prince William Sound is a special spot for paddlers looking for spectular views of Tiger and Chenega Glacier descending into the sea. Icy Bay was formed over the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot,Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers and It is part of the Wrangel St. Elias National Park. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bay entrance was permanently blocked by a giant tidewater glacier that calved ice directly into the Gulf of Alaska A century long glacial retreat has opened a multi-armed bay more than 30 miles long.
Saying that Icy Bay is remote is an understatement. This bay lies well north of the closest town of Yakutat and is almost ony ever accessed by pl;ane making getting kayaks there quite difficult. With our stout mothership the Northern Song we can anchor in Icy bay and safely explore its shores always having the option to return to our ship at the end of the day of paddling or if the weather turns. The opportunity to kayak in Icy Bay and Taan Fjord is one that not many sea kayakers are allowed making our trip to this remote seascape one to remeber.
Trip Overview
This 8-day yacht-based wilderness Kayak adventure, through the heart of Southeast Alaska is a Unique, all-inclusive experience. This expedition will depart from either Juneau or Yakutat Alaska, depending on trip dates and will venture into some of the most remote parts of Southeast, Alaska. We will spend 8 days exploring the bays and inlets of this rich landscape by kayak, giving us an intimate knowledge of this part of Southeast Alaska. We will take you off the beaten path to places most people can’t even dream of experiencing by kayak. This is an 8-day-7 night charter and is ideal if you already have your own group, but can also work well for couples or families joining other parties wishing to experience Alaska by land and sea. Your Captain, crew and guides have well over 50 years of experience and local knowledge and we have created a custom kayak itinerary you will find no where else and will complete your Alaskan bucket list. We will take you through the ice, close to glaciers, and travel across waters where others can’t go. Aboard this 85 ft custom expedition yacht, built especially for Alaskan waters, with a steel hull for bumping up against the ice and NIAD stabilizers for a comfortable cruise! During 50 years of operation, the captain has accumulated over 800 US Forest Service permits, so we can take you to remote areas other charters can’t go. Along with opportunities to kayak in some of the most remote parts of Southeast Alaska you have the option to fish for multiple species of salmon, rock fish, shrimp and crab. Your guide and naturalist will share their vast knowledge of the rich culture, natural history and wildlife of Southeast Alaska and will safely guide you through forays off the ship in kayaks, tender boats or going ashore. You will leave with a newfound experience of the freshest seafood caught from our Alaskan waters (along with other delicious options), incredible photographs, and, most importantly, the trip of a lifetime!
Guide
Your guide will be one of the most important aspects of your trip and SEAK Expeditions guides are up for the job. Not only does your sea kayak guide have some of the best training available, to keep you safe on the water, but they have been guiding trips in Alaska for decades and will help enrich your experience. SEAK Expeditions guides have an array of technical and professional sea kayak training, from the ACA (American Canoe Association), BCU (British Canoe Union) , and ISKGA (International Sea Kayak Guide Alliance). This training along with years of experience in the field will ensure both a safe and enjoyable experience on the water, in Sea Kayaks. Your guide has wilderness medical Training to at least the WFR (Wilderness First Responder) Level and some guides hold a WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician) Certification. Additionally our guides are trained or have degrees in Zoology, Animal behavior, and biology to help you understand the flora and fauna we encounter in this incredible intact ecosystem we will be visiting. Finally they have been working and living in Southeast Alaska and have been immersed in the rich culture that is part of the lifestyle of Alaska and enjoy sharing that with the people they meet.
The M/V Northern Song is an 85’ x 26’ x 10’ steel world cruiser with a capacity for 8-10 guests in four staterooms. Safe, and luxurious, The Northern Song, was designed and constructed with the same rugged integrity of vessels built for Alaska’s renowned commercial fisheries. When guests step on board, they experience the “wow” of the expansive open design. You won’t feel crowded on this boat. You’ll enjoy the spacious salon, covered decks and excellent viewing areas. You’ll love your quarters, too! Northern Song is perfect for families or small groups with plenty of room for everyone to spread out and enjoy the journey. The Northern Song offers the perfect balance of community space while still providing privacy when needed. There is a roomy salon with a full media center and the group is welcome on the bridge to whale watch or get a driving lesson from your captain.
Accomodations
Master Suite
Includes, one queen-sized bed on the main deck with an ensuite bathroom with a separate bathtub stall and
shower. There is the ability to add an extra cot in this stateroom.
Guest Cabin A
Guest Cabins are on the lower deck, each featuring private bathrooms with
showers. Each of the cabins has double lower beds and single upper berths.
This cabin includes two travelers.
Guest Cabin B
Guest Cabins are on the lower deck, each featuring private bathrooms with showers. Each of the cabins has double lower beds and single upper berths.
This cabin includes two travelers.
Guest Cabin C
Guest Cabins are on the lower deck, each featuring private bathrooms with
showers. Each of the cabins has double lower beds and single upper berths.
This cabin includes two travelers.
All cabins include towels, bed linens, shampoo,
conditioner, soap, hair dryers and select sizes on Alaska boots. Wi-Fi is available to purchase if you would like to use it for
work or you can unplug and relax!
Wildlife Viewing
Your guide/naturalist will share the facts and history of the wildlife and culture of Southeast Alaska. There is a reference library filled with maps and books on Alaska’s wildlife, and the local natural history. The Northern Song along with its kayaks and smaller boats are the perfect wildlife viewing platform. Large enough for safe travel in these remote waters but agile enough to go into the inlets and bays where wildlife tend to congregate.
Whale Watching Exploring the many bays and inlets of Southeast Alaska for Whales and other marine wildlife
We will explore these waters for humpback whales, Orca and Gray whales not to mention the many other marine mammal species present in the waters. The whales have made their long journey from Hawaii where they have spent the winter mating and and giving birth the this years calves. We have a hydrophone we put in the water to listen to the whales and then we can gauge when they will surface or bubble feed. In adddition to these whale species many other marine mammals call South east Alaska home including Meinke whales, several different types of porpoise, Stellar Sealions, Harbor seals, sea otters and many many more.
Bears and More
Brown bears also known as grizzlies are common on the islands that protect the mainland from the Gulf of Alaska in fact Islands like Chichagof and Admiralty host some of the densist populations of brown bears per square mile anywhere in the world far out numbering the human populations that inhabit these islands. Along with these large ominvores there are very healthy populations of Black Bers, wolves, coyote, moose, sitka black tail deer, river otter just to name a few.
Birders Paradise
Eagles are synonomous with this part of Alaska and very often a highlight on many peoples list of bird species to observe but they are just one of many birds that pass through this area or call it home.
Keep in mind we can not predict where the wildlife will be and what we will see, but that is part of the adventure and if any vessel and crew is going to get you to where the wildlife is at, it’s the Northern Song.
The chance to see glaciers is a huge reason people come to Alaska and the Northern Song provides the perfect platform to not only see Glaciers but to get up close. This sturdy vessel along with its experienced crew and captain, is agile enough to get us into tight places and sturdy enough to do it in a very safely. The option to climb aboard the inflatable boats or the kayaks, along with your experienced guide allows us the chance to experience the ice and the wildlife that can be found in the same waters in a very intimate fashion.
The Northern Song is also and incredible fishing platform. Wether you want to drop Dungeness crab and shrimp pots to see if you can catch your own appetizers ,or if you want to try your hand at jigging for that sought after Alaskan Halibut we have the equipment and expertise to make this a reality. If you are interested in going ashore and shore casting for salmon or rock fish, the inflatable skiffs are waiting for you and your guide knows how to find the fish. Further still if you want to try your hand at fly fishing for the beautiful coho or sockeye we are waiting to make that happen for you. We will provide all the gear and knowledge and help you with purchasing any licenses you might need to harvest some of the rich bounty of these Southeast Alaskan waters.
All meals are prepared by our on-board chef, and snacks are availble throughout your day. Meals include Alaskan seafoods
such as black cod, halibut, salmon, and King crab. Wine is provided with dinner and beer is available through out the day. If you would like any additional spirits we can pick them up prior to departure or you can bring them aboard. You will leave with a newfound experience of the freshest seafood caught from our Alaskan waters served at your table. Our all-inclusive chef will tailor a menu to your preferences. Seafoodod includes halibut, black cod, salmon, king crab, shrimp, Dungeness crab, and whatever else might be in season!
Included
Meals
Meals are prepared by our chef, wine with evening meals, and beer throughout your day. Meals include Alaskan seafoods Black cod, halibut, salmon, and crab! Dietary needs can be accommodated
Essentials
All cabins include towels, bed linens, shampoo,
conditioner, soap, hair dryers and select sizes on Alaska boots.
Professional Guide Service
Your guide will share the facts and history of whales,
wildlife and Southeast Alaska and provide a safe experince while out on the tender boats or kayaks.
Reference Library
We have a reference library filled with maps and books
on Alaska, whales, and local history for you to enjoy in our
lounge.
Kayaks & Tender Boats
We have your choice of single or tandem kayaks and all associated gear available and there are two tender boats for exploring or heading to shore for hikes.
Hydrophone
We have a hydrophone that goes in the water to listen to the whales vocalizations then we can gauge when they will
surface or potentially bubble feed, so you are ready to capture those incredible photos.
Not included
Hotel Accomodations
We are happy to help with hotel recommendations as we encourage you to come the day prior to boarding and stay the night you depart the boat and then fly out
Spirits
Wine is provided with dinner and beer is available
throughout the day. If you would like any additional
spirits, we can pick them up prior to departure or you can bring them aboard
Trip Insurance
We highly recommend purchasing trip insurance to protect your trip in the event of an emergency.
WIFI
Wi-Fi is available to purchase if you would like to use it or
you can unplug and relax!
Gratuities
We recommend a gratuity of 10-20% to show your
appreciation for exceptional service. Our staff strives to
provide the highest level of service.
