Wilderness Passages of Discovery - Southbound

Welcome aboard! Meet your crew and get acquainted as you set sail for the Tracy Arm Wilderness.

At the end of Tracy Arm, a winding fjord with sheer granite walls and large floating icebergs, sits the twin Sawyer Glaciers. Explore Frederick Sound—summer feeding ground for humpback whales. Keep watch for humpbacks, orca, and Steller sea lions.

Choose kayaking and a forest trek on a Cascade Creek trail or hike five miles to the rarely visited Patterson Lake for spectacular kayaking. Hear legends about the area’s mythical shape-shifting creatures called Kushtaka.

Hike atop the otherworldly Baird Glacier. Natural beauty is today’s setting for kayaking, paddle boarding, skiff riding, or hiking. Bright red and green navigation lights guide you along “Christmas Tree Lane” as you cruise the winding Wrangell Narrows this evening.

Home to native culture, wildlife, and wonder—Wrangell is one of the oldest towns in Alaska and the only one ever governed by four nations. Brush up on your Tlingit culture at Chief Shakes Tribal House for native storytelling. View recently carved totem poles at Kiksetti Totem Park.

Wildlife abounds in Yes Bay and the surrounding Tongass National Forest—humpback whales, orca, porpoise, seals, sea lions, brown and black bears, mink, marten, eagles, and otters. Say yes to a kayak paddle up the bay or a wildlife-seeking hike along a scenic trail.

Home to nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska—glacial valleys filled with sea water, and steep walls are a haven for wildlife. Glide through Walker Cove soaking in the splendor of this largely forgotten corner of the world.

Alaska’s southernmost city and “salmon capital of the world” also claims fame to having the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles. Explore the Saxman Totem Village, Tlingit culture, and the notorious Creek Street, once a red-light district. Watch for eagles as you cruise out of Ketchikan.

Intricate waterways and fjords alongside temperate rainforests and mountains are ideal for sightings of orca, seals, sea lions, dolphins, porpoise, and birds. Native influences have shaped these sparsely-populated islands and communities. Keep your eye out for orcas and other wildlife as you make your way north through Canada's Inside Passage. Pass the ghost town of Butedale, on British Columbia’s Princess Royal Island, before reaching Prince Rupert, BC and again crossing the US/Canadian border.

Forested islands dot the seascape of this yachter’s paradise. You’ll "gunkhole" close to shore by skiff or kayak. Explore quaint Friday Harbor and its fascinating Whale Museum. Keep watch for the resident orca pods.

Explore the intricate coastal waterways of the Salish Sea. The name was recently coined to recognize the indigenous peoples of this culturally rich area.

Disembark the ship after breakfast. Transfer directly to the Seattle airport.