Trip Overview
Sitka Alaska, Peril Straits, Chatham Sound, Icy Straits, Cross Sound, Glacier Bay National Park
Nestled in the shadow of Mt. Edgecumbe, on the outer coast of Baranof Island, our trip will begin in the Russian Capital turned the fishing port town of Sitka. From Sitka Harbor, we will enter Sitka Sound in search of Humpback whales, Sea otters, Puffins, Auklets, and other pelagic marine species. From Sitka Sound, we will navigate our way through winding Peril Strait, where we will search the shores of the narrow passageway for the terrestrial creatures that frequent this shoreline. Each day will afford us the opportunity to kayak in a different location starting with the area around Sitka Sound giving us a chance to experience this seascape in an intimate way only a kayak can allow.
Our first major confluence of waters where Peril Straits and Chatham Strait intersect will be a focus to search for whales. After kayaking, whale seeking, and a cozy night’s rest, the Snow Goose will head north towards Icy Strait.
As we enter the Icy Strait, we will continue to pass through whale-rich waters as these two major bodies of water collide, providing abundant food for these enormous mammals. Launching our kayaks along the shores of Chichagof Island, one of the ABC islands located in Southeast Alaska and home to many more Brown Bears than people. Scanning the shorelines for Brown Bears, one will begin to notice the changing shoreline fauna. Our passage takes us west toward Cross Sound and the Gulf of Alaska with the Fairweather range looming in the background.
Anxious to explore further, we make the journey into Glacier Bay National Park. Since Glacier Bay has just recently emerged from the ice, it is considered a geologically young area. A trip up Glacier Bay is like a trip back in time. Old-growth forests give way to bare rock as we make our way back into the bay’s upper reaches. Here, the tidewater glaciers still tremble and roar as they slowly retreat back, dropping huge icebergs into the sea. Magnificent granite cliffs tower above our small ship as we wind our way up the fjord through the ice floes toward the faces of these massive glaciers. Along the way, our expert naturalist and guide will point out the finer points of plant succession, glaciation, local geology, and the interconnectedness of the animals that call this area home. The biodiversity of this place is simply amazing. Each morning in Glacier Bay National park we will cast off in one location rivaling the beauty of our previous adventure. Whether we are skirting the shores covered in icebergs for the tide water glaciers or drifting as we watch Humpback Whales feed each day brings a new adventure.
Evenings will bring secluded anchorages with time to reflect and share a delicious meal prepared by our Chef in the galley. Many evenings will offer time to quietly explore the shores by kayak or slowly motoring along in the skiff. It’s amazing how much can be seen and heard along the shores in the quiet evening time. Before bed, the Captain will bring out the charts to review the day’s happenings and make a plan for the following day. The schedule is incredibly flexible to allow for adaptation to the multitude of variables that can be encountered along the way.
The Boat
Built with purpose. The Snow Goose was constructed in Ketchikan, Alaska, in 1973 as a private yacht. She was designed by marine architect Ed Monk to cruise the Inside Passage and modified in 1983 to be a US Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel. Captain Dan Liden bought the Snow Goose in 2006 and has been putting her to work in a variety of ways ever since.
Rooms & Interiors
The Snow Goose sleeps twelve guests and four crewmembers. Each stateroom has quarters for two guests in bunk beds, with personal reading lights and outlets. All berths are below deck, each with portholes that provide natural light.
Rooms are cozy and carefully detailed to make the most of the space. As quaint as they are, you probably won’t spend much time in your cabin, as there is always something to do or see on deck.
If you are traveling solo, we’ll be sure to bunk you with someone of the same gender. Two shared heads with showers are right across the hall.
Gourmet Food & Drink
From freshly baked scones and frittatas in the mornings to truffle potato cakes, roasted romanesco, and seared local steak topped with smoked salt for dinner, the Snow Goose chefs bring their creativity and love of food into each dish.
We shop local, sustainable, and organic whenever possible. Planning and provisioning takes weeks of ordering, menu planning, and shopping to make a trip run with ease. We focus on organic and pastured meats, sourced from Pacific Northwest companies for all of our proteins. The one exception is the delicious wild fish and other seafood that we either catch ourselves or buy from fishermen in port. We shop Alaskan fair whenever possible to help support the local communities and people we love so much.
Our chefs cook three squares a day. There’s also a happy hour snack – typically starting at five o’clock – which can be as simple as pickled asparagus and pub mix, to a sweet and savory baked brie with homemade baguette. Let’s not forget about the beer and wine, which is included in your experience aboard the Snow Goose. We are also happy to accommodate folks with food allergies and special dietary needs.
Safety
The Snow Goose is one of the few United States Coast Guard Inspected Vessels of its size. To carry a USCG Certificate of Inspections, the Snow Goose is required to pass annual inspections and follow stringent guidelines to ensure the safety of all passengers. This added insurance goes beyond non-inspected vessels, allowing us to carry up to 42 passengers with the added protocol required.
Life on Board
Total loss of cabin pressure. No cars. No concrete. No giant high-rise buildings. Cruising the remote waters of Alaska is like traveling back in time to an unspoiled land, where long Alaska days provide ample time to flex your sense of adventure, lose yourself in the details, or just take some time to decompress.
No two days are alike. People ask us what a typical day is like on the Snow Goose. It’s a difficult question to answer because, as you’ve probably gathered, no two days are alike. That being said, each trip has an itinerary with places we want to see, so our days do tend have a pattern to them.
Mornings
Early birds wake to the serenity of our anchorage, fire up a cup of coffee and step out into a 2000’ fjord to watch birds casually floating by. As smells of freshly baked scones lazily waft through the cabin, other travelers awaken to a morning kayak paddle and hearty breakfast to fuel themselves for the day. After prepping the Snow Goose for departure, we pull anchor and head to our next anchorage – a popular feeding ground for humpback whales.
Kayaking
Each morning after breakfast we will grab our lunches and kayaking gear for the day and head out for a paddling adventure. Contour paddling the shores of Peril Strait, Glacier Bay or any of the other hidden gems that lay along our journey we can go ashore to stretch our legs, have a relaxing lunch or take photos. Our captain will depart with the Snow Goose and meet us at the end of the day with a dry warm spot for evening adventures or just relaxing in the land of the midnight sun.
Evenings
As soon as the anchor splashes into water, an unofficial happy hour invites discussion of the day’s events – thick with birds, native flowers, and massive evergreen trees. Wild Alaskan salmon is served with roasted potatoes, warm bread, and a fresh salad. After dinner, the captain summarizes the next day’s route in a brief chart talk. Some play games, others sip tea on the back deck, you decide to retire to your cabin and read a book you’ve been putting off for years. You finally drift off to sleep under the gentle rocking of the calm anchorage we call home for the evening.
Although we are aboard the amazing MV Snow Goose the focus of this unique wilderness trip is the kayak and the way it allows us to move through our environment in an intimate and almost silent fashion. This allows us to experience the waters and coast line in a unique way that one can not in a skiff or a larger vessel.
Each morning we will look at the wind and the tide and discuss with our captain the plan for the day. Your guide and the group will formulate a float plan for the day but leave things flexible enough to allow us to persue adventures as they reveal themselves to us.
Once packed we will cast off leaving the Snow Goose behind. Paddling the shore for a couple hours we will go ashore to stretch our legs and maybe do some beach combing. Back to the kayaks we continue along our path looking for Brown Bearss on the shoreline or spouts from Humpbacks in the distance. Mid-day we are looking for a sandy or gravel beach to pull shore on and take a relaxing lunch break and maybe a hike inland a bit exploring muskeg or old growth forest with towering Sitka Spruce hundreds of years old. Back on the water after lunch we are checking our plan and starting to head for our meeting location with our mothership but we still have plenty of time to paddle and enjoy being immersed in the magic of this Southeast Alaskan seascape.
Each day will bring new and stunning experiences. Whether its kayaking amongst ice bergs, watching Humpback cruise by or Sea Otter frolicking in the ocean swell each of the nine days we have to kayak these waters will create memories that last forever.
Wildlife Viewing
Your guide/naturalist will share the facts and history of the wildlife and culture of Southeast Alaska. The Snow Goose along with our 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 humpbacks, 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 to this years calves. In addition to these whale species many other marine mammals call South east Alaska home including Meinke whales, several different types of porpoise, Stellar Sea lions, Harbor seals, sea otters and 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 most dense populations of brown bears, per square mile greater than anywhere in the world, far out numbering the human populations that inhabit these islands. Along with these large omnivores, there are very healthy populations of Black Bears, wolves, coyote, moose, sitka black tail deer, and river otter just to name a few.
Birders Paradise
Eagles are synonymous 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 Snow Goose.
The chance to see glaciers is a huge reason people come to Alaska and the Snow Goose 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 very safely. The option to climb aboard the inflatable boat 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.
Guide & Crew
Your guides and Crew will be one of the most important aspects of your trip and SEAK Expeditions guides and the crew of the Snow Goose are up for the job.
Our Captain Dan Linden is a graduate of Environmental Education. Dan has interpreted the environment as a naturalist in Baja, Maine, Puget Sound, and Alaska since 2004. After teaching math and science in the classroom for 10 years he combined his skills and purchased the Snow Goose. As captain and owner, Dan continues his love for education with students and adults by operating the Snow Goose in the Puget Sound and Alaska. Along with his talented crew Captain Dan offers us a safe and comfortable platform to kayak from on our Mothership Expedition.
SEAK Expeditions kayak guides have some of the best training available, to keep you safe on the water, and 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.
Hiking
The option to go on hikes or beach combing is always available whether its on a break from kayaking or in the evening after dinner. There are a variety of walks and hikes on our trip that may be of interest to all or some of our guests. Walks on the beaches are often easier than on the trails, and many times there is more than one option available.
Fishing
Our trip focus mainly on kayaking wildlife and native culture. Sometimes a small number of our guests are interested in fishing with the hope of providing dinner. If time and energy allows, fishing may be possible, however, our days are so full of kayaking and other activities there is often little to fish. We have some fishing gear on board. If you wish to try fishing you will need to purchase a fishing license before you join the trip. Licenses can be purchased upon arrival or prior to your trip through Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Included
Meals
From freshly baked scones and frittatas in the mornings to truffle potato cakes, roasted romanesco, and seared local steak topped with smoked salt for dinner, the Snow Goose chefs bring their creativity and love of food into each dish.
We shop local, sustainable, and organic whenever possible. Planning and provisioning takes weeks of ordering, menu planning, and shopping to make a trip run with ease. We focus on organic and pastured meats, sourced from Pacific Northwest companies for all of our proteins. The one exception is the delicious wild fish and other seafood that we either catch ourselves or buy from fishermen in port. We shop Alaskan fair whenever possible to help support the local communities and people we love so much.
Our chefs cook three squares a day. There’s also a happy hour snack – typically starting at five o’clock – which can be as simple as pickled asparagus and pub mix, to a sweet and savory baked brie with homemade baguette. Let’s not forget about the beer and wine, which is included in your experience aboard the Snow Goose. We are also happy to accommodate folks with food allergies and special dietary needs.
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.
Kayaks & Tender Boat
We have your choice of single or tandem kayaks and all associated gear available and there is a tender boat for exploring or heading to shore for hikes.
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 and beer is provided in the evening and with dinner. 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.
Gratuities
We recommend a gratuity of 10-15 % to show your
appreciation for exceptional service. Our staff strives to
provide the highest level of service.
