Alaska and its Fur Traders

Located along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. Weave in and out of the brightly colored houses and discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing: people here make their living from manual labor. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.

You will cross the Bering Strait, a 90-km (56-mile) wide maritime channel between eastern Siberia and Alaska, named after the Danish explorer Vitus Bering. You will sail this strait that people once used to walk across, during the last glaciations, from Asia to North America. The transfer of Alaska to the Unites States by the Russians, in 1867, turned the Strait into a significant geostrategic site nicknamed the “Ice Curtain” during the Cold War. Delineated in 1990, the border between the two countries is located in the middle of the Strait, between the two Diomede Islands, making one of them Russian and the other American. During your crossing, favorable conditions will be conducive to a moving encounter with wildlife, attracted by these nourishing waters.​

Part of the Earth’s History was written between Alaska and Russia. Discover a unique environment that seems to stretch out to infinity. Lost in the middle of the Bering Sea, the Pribilof archipelago is made up of four volcanic islands where nature has crafted exquisitely beautiful landscapes. Here, on the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, you will find majestic volcanoes, lava deserts and crater lakes, offering travelers a magnificent vantage point from which to observe a fauna composed almost exclusively of fur seals. The archipelago is also renowned as a paradise for birds, especially on Saint Paul, as more than 240 different species of seabirds take flight from the top of its majestic cliff. 

During your cruise, discover an exceptional site: Unalaska Island and its port, Dutch Harbor. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, on the Aleutian Islands, Dutch Harbor is the only deep-water port in the archipelago. As for the island itself, it offers you unique landscapes: volcanic summits swept by the wind and surrounded by the sea, lush green valleys, sometimes covered with bright summer flowers, sometimes with deep winter snow… Unalaska is not only an island with astonishing nature and very varied wildlife, it is also rich in history, where ancient indigenous cultures and remains from World War II can be seen and their tales be told.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Between the midnight blue of the ocean and the intense green of the vegetation, the depth of the colors on Kodiak Island is both striking and captivating. This mountainous stretch of land, covered in dense forests and carved by the bays and fjords that score its shoreline, is renowned for its population of brown bears, called Kodiak bears. Travelers come to this place to observe its wildlife. A hike in Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park will offer breathtaking panoramas of the stunning landscapes of Alaska and reveal its history. Due to the island’s strategic position, the historic ruins of a World War II coastal defence installation can be found there. Visiting the Baranov and Alutiiq museums will also be an opportunity to learn more about the history of this American state, where Russian colonies were once established and which has always been the land of the indigenous peoples of Alaska.​

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.​

Formed by the retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall glaciers over the past 100 years, Icy Bay is one of those timeless places where silence reigns supreme. Let yourself be enthralled by landscapes of breathtaking beauty, enhanced by magnificent views over the Saint Elias Mountains, visible in the background. The bay, several kilometres wide, is often scattered with icebergs sliding on clear and deep waters. It will let you access several sounds, among which are the Tsaa fjord, very close to the Guyot glacier. Many marine mammals and sea birds have chosen to live on this territory with very few visitors in the south of Alaska.

Formerly a Russian colony located on Baranof island, to the west of the Alexander archipelago, Sitka is brimming with history. The historical national park of Sitka shelters totems carved out of red cedar, a tree that is omnipresent in the region. These totems are testimonials of the former presence of Tlingit Indians. This place is full of natural wonders too. You just have to look up to admire the mountain range around the port. In the distance, the snow-peaked Edgecumbe volcano stands majestic. Numerous islands scattered around Sitka stretch out before you in a vision of preserved Alaska.

Discover the small Tlingit village of Kake, around 60 kilometers west of Petersburg. Located on Kupreanof Island, it houses a community of over 500 inhabitants. Kake is paradise for salmon, which spawn in the Gunnuk River near the village. Bald eagles often make an appearance, as do black bears, which come to enjoy the fish. Another singularity of these parts: the presence, on a hill, of a totem pole standing over 60 meters tall, considered the highest in the world.​

The most southern town in the State is called Ketchikan. This spectacular doorway into the Inside Passage, the glory of Alaska cruises and the old world capital of salmon will blow you away. It takes no time at all to realise how deeply peaceful this port and its surrounding wilderness is. Nearby, you can delve more deeply into the rich indigenous culture in the Totem Heritage Center, which houses one of the largest totem pole collections in the world. The town also offers a number of charming art galleries. Ketchikan’s richness resides in it hospitality and sense of adventure.​

Sheltered from the ocean currents of the Gulf of Alaska, this maritime route that weaves a path around the islands and islets of Southeast Alaska will offer you wonderful sailing experience. Conifer forests stretch on forever, interspersed with numerous coves, bays, huge valleys and deep fjords formed by ancient glavial valleys. Accessible only by sea, the fishing villages are surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glaciers that plunge into the waters of this veritable wildlife sanctuary. From your ship’s deck, you can try spotting humpback whales or the famous bald eagle, emblem of the region.​

Right near the north coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, hides the small wooded island of Cormorant. Surrounded by pebble beaches, it offers wonderful opportunities for hikes and for whale watching. The surrounding waters are also home to harbor seals, orcas, Steller sea lions, dolphins, and a multitude of seabirds. When your ship calls at Alert Bay, a small sheltered fishing port located in the island’s south, set off to discover the indigenous culture and its traditions. The ‘Namgis community, which is part of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations, lives here in harmony with the other village inhabitants.​

The capital of British Columbia lies to the south of Vancouver Island. The combination of British, European and Asian traditions and influences makes the dynamic city of Victoria a place of contrasts with a great quality of life. The mild climate, far from the rigors of the rest of Canada, means there are beautiful parks and gardens throughout the city. Between mountain and ocean, forest and beaches, bathed by the warm Pacific currents, nature is exuberant. Marine life is abundant and many species of whales even come to reproduce in the bay.​