Western Coves

Prepare to be whisked into your own private Alaska. Once onboard, soak in the sights as you cruise through the Tongass Narrows, which divide Revillagigedo Island (where Ketchikan is located) from Prince of Wales Island, the third largest island in the United States and one of the best-kept tourist secrets in all of Alaska.

Watch for majestic bald eagles and other sea birds perched in shoreline trees, where more than 100 migrating species of birds return every year. Keep your camera at the ready to catch the Sitka black-tailed deer and sea lions, seals, playful sea otters and porpoise. After meeting your crew and getting acquainted with your ship’s features, finish the evening with a delicious meal while keeping an eye on lookout for orca and humpback whales as you cruise through Clarence Strait. Not bad for your first five hours of vacation.

Wake to breathtaking views of the expansive Tongass Forest, the nation’s largest national forest, rising on either side of Devilfish Bay. The El Capitan Passage, a 27-mile long waterway dividing Prince of Wales and Kosciusko Islands, offers many ways to get closer to nature. Drop crab pots en route to prime fishing waters. Wind through the high forests of on an old logging road. Paddle the scenic, 4-mile roundtrip around Devilfish Bay. Don’t miss Beaver Falls and El Capitan Cave, the largest known cave in North America. And cap off your day noshing on locally harvested oysters as a resident family tells of life in the Alaskan outback.

Discover living history in Klawock — one of the most authentic Tlingit villages in Alaska. Learn the importance of carving, gaze up at totem poles coloring the town, and hear their stories. Visit the carvers' shed where the art of carving and restoring totems is passed on. Explore the area on foot keeping an eye out for bears, eagles, sea birds, and whales.

An active day is in store on the smallest of Alaska's ABC islands. Take to the water kayaking, snorkeling, and riding the skiff. Or push your limits with a rigorous hike in Alaska’s back reaches on wilderness trails. Along the southeastern side of Baranof Island, explore the former herring community of Port Walter, the rainiest place in all of Alaska, or hike to a mountain lake.

Lush forest, spectacular views, 4000-foot vertical walls, and 2000-foot waterfalls highlight Baranof Island’s waterfall coast. View the Cliff Lake waterfall in Deep Cove and slip into the waters of Patterson Bay to explore by skiff or paddle a kayak keeping watch along the coastline for birds, wolves, and black bears. Gear up for snorkeling or guided hikes. This evening, toast another day of amazing adventure with a cold microbrew or cocktail.

There’ll be plenty of wildlife viewing today. The Brothers, a pair of islands in Frederick Sound, are home to some of Alaska’s most abundant wildlife and the area is the summer feeding ground for the largest concentration of humpback whales in the Northern Hemisphere. Keep watch for frolicking orca, humpbacks and sea lions. Tonight, anchor in Holkham Bay and listen to the sound of breathing whales.

Snow covered mountains, glowing blues, and the white thunder of calving ice take your breath away at the face of Dawes Glacier. As you glide through Endicott Arm you may find a few seals taking respite on the glaciers smaller “bergy bits.” Tides permitting, explore the narrow passage of Ford’s Terror and admire the magnificent domes, hanging valleys, and pristine wilderness that surround it. Join the Captain for a farewell toast during dinner.

When you wake this morning, be sure to look out the window as your ship voyages into Juneau. A Bon Voyage breakfast ends your ship journey. Transfer directly to the Juneau airport or begin your add-on overnight stay or extended land tour.