T R AV E L E R F AV O R I T E
A L A S K A ' S I N S I D E PA S S AG E
• Get up close to icebergs and wildlife, exploring by kayak and Zodiac. • Learn about the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit from a native cultural heritage guide. • Meet members of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn about the local pods.
DAY 2 I TRACY ARM—FORDS TERROR WILDERNESS Voyage into Tracy or Endicott Arm, both spectacular glacially carved fjords. See the soaring South Sawyer or Dawes Glacier up close, and take a cruise in a Zodiac for an unbeatable view of sculpted icebergs. Keep an eye out for harbor seals, porpoises, and arctic terns. Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D
DAY 1 I JUNEAU, ALASKA Arrive in Juneau. Meet our naturalists and visit the Alaska State Museum—home to an impressive collection of natural and cultural artifacts. Tour downtown Juneau before embarking our ship. National Geographic Venture or National Geographic Quest for the entire voyage Meals: 1D
DAY 3 I PETERSBURG Search for humpback whales as we head toward the small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island, founded more than a hundred years ago by Norwegian fishermen. Explore Southeast Alaska’s muskeg, an area with stunted trees and carnivorous plants. Stretch your legs with an optional bike ride around town, before enjoying a crab feast for dinner this evening. Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D DAY 4 I FREDERICK SOUND AND CHATHAM STRAIT These waters often offer great whale watching. Take a walk with naturalists along a quiet forest trail or kayak in the area's tiny coves. Meet members of the Alaska Whale Foundation (schedules permitting)—whose work is supported by a grant from the Lindblad
8 D AY S F R O M $ 7, 2 0 0
Expedition Cruise
Light or Moderate
Expeditions–National Geographic Fund—and discuss some of their recent discoveries about the region's marine mammal population. Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D DAY 5 I INIAN ISLANDS/ICY STRAIT Cruise among the Inian Islands, where an upwelling of undersea organisms attracts an abundance of marine life. Hike nearby islands, kayak, and search for marine mammals in the rich waters off Icy Strait. Conditions permitting, we’ll lower the ship’s hydrophone to listen in on whale communications. Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D DAY 6 I GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE By special permit, explore Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve today. See glaciers that end abruptly at the water’s edge, and observe them calving—when tons of ice crash into the sea. Wilderness abounds here—mountain goats and brown bears patrol the shore; and sea otters, Steller sea lions, and puffins swim in these icy waters. A native cultural heritage guide joins us to discuss the Huna Tlingit’s ancestral homeland of Glacier Bay, and a National Park Service ranger will offer insights on the natural world. Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D
Clockwise from above: A humpback whale breaches in Alaska’s coastal waters; calving ice sets off a traveler celebration; kayakers paddle turquoise waters against a backdrop of lofty peaks; a mother brown bear and her cub feed on pink salmon on Chichagof Island.
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