Alaska Adventure & Haida Gwaii

Arrive in Sitka and transfer to your hotel. Upon check-in, the reception staff provides you with cabin tags. Please fill out the luggage tags clearly, showing your name and cabin number to enable them to deliver your luggage to your cabin. Enjoy a welcome drink and meet fellow expeditioners at the voyage briefing this evening.

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sitka before transferring to the pier to embark the Sylvia Earle. After boarding, there’s time to settle into your cabin before learning important safety briefings. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew at the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

The islands along Icy Strait, such as Inian Island, Point Adolphus, Elfin Cove and George Island, offer some of the best Zodiac-cruising and kayaking experiences. Your expedition leader will draw on their experience to decide the best places to encounter iconic Alaskan wildlife, especially whales, Steller sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, bald eagles and brown bears.

Nestled at the base of towering mountains overlooking the Gastineau Channel, Juneau’s rich culture, and history is reflected throughout the town and its beautiful attractions. In Alaska’s scenic capital, visit nearby Mendenhall Glacier, one of Alaska’s most famous glaciers. The glacier is 2.4 km / 1.5 miles wide and is fed by the Juneau Icefield, and ranks as the largest, most rugged glacier that is accessible by road in Alaska. Hike the trails near the glacier to enjoy panoramic views. Back in town, enjoy free time to explore and learn about Juneau’s local history and art with a visit to the newly-built Alaska State Museum.

Explore Tracy Arm, featuring spectacular glaciers and wildlife-viewing opportunities. Flanked by colossal granite cliffs with snow-capped mountains in the distance, Zodiac-cruise or kayak among icebergs of tidewater glaciers in search of wildlife. At the end of the waterway are the main attractions: the twin Sawyer Glaciers, which calve regularly to create the icebergs floating in the fjord.

In Misty Fjords National Monument, affectionately called ‘The Yosemite of the North, sail along fjords flanked by towering granite cliffs where bald eagles soar, brown bears and black bears prowl the shoreline fishing for salmon, and abundant marine mammals frolic and patrol the waters. Visit Walker Cove or Rudyerd Bay, soaking in the familiar scenery that Alaska is famous for, and perhaps Zodiac to shore for a hike or a paddle in the bay.

On Annette Island, experience the extraordinary history, art, and cultural traditions of the Tsimshian tribe of Metlakatla Indian Community, the only Indian Reserve in Alaska.

Sii.ngaay ’laa! Greetings and welcome! Over three days, your time in Haida Gwaii will be tailor-made by Haida locals who know the area as no one else can. Mixing culture and history through storytelling, your local Haida guides share their unique experiences with you on village walks, nature hikes, dance performances and wildlife-viewing excursions. At Naikoon Provincial Park, explore North Beach and hike Tow Hill. Visit the Haida Heritage Centre at Ḵay Llnagaay, an award-winning Inuit cultural center that celebrates the living culture of the Haida people with exhibits on history, wildlife and culture. Protected by Parks Canada and the Haida people who draw cultural inspiration from their ancestors, an optional excursion to Gwaii Haanas Natural Park Reserve is offered, where cedar and Sitka spruce forests tower above the Haida people’s ancient carved poles and fallen longhouses. Here, bald eagles soar overhead, bears scavenge salmon on wild beaches and the ocean teems with whales, porpoises and sea lions.

As an expeditioner, your sense of adventure is your most prized possession. Be prepared to explore forests and cruise the coast, searching for whales, bears, and sea lions. Visit traditional long-house villages and learn of the Haida’s struggle for independence.

We explore the estuaries and tide flats along the Dean River Channel, where some of the highest numbers of grizzly bears are known to gather. In a wilderness area rarely visited by cruise ships, enjoy a grizzly bear-viewing excursion by Zodiac. Exclusive to Aurora Expeditions, this is a bear-viewing experience not to be missed!

Sail British Columbia’s Inside Passage, navigating through straits and channels that are home to vast pods of orca. Enjoy splendid scenery featuring cascading waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, temperate forests, and abundant marine life.

Disembark in Vancouver and transfer to the airport to continue your journey.