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Alaska Adventure: Small Ship Cruise

On our Alaska small ship cruises, we explore natural wonders aboard a classic, wooden tugboat designed for the ultimate in guest comfort. Expeditions provide opportunity to personally connect with the natural and cultural history of Alaska's rugged Southeast, each day becoming more in tune with the rhythm of the coast. Travel with just a few guests, guided by the expert crew, naturalist, and guides of Maple Leaf Adventures.

Alaska Small Ship Cruise

Highlights:

  • Travel through sheer-sided glacial fjords to the foot of tidal glaciers where you will witness natural calving events as building size chunks of ice fall from the glaciers face into the ocean below.
  • Cruise through Alaska’s Fredrick Sound, a hot spot for feeding humpback whales. Keep your eyes out for breaching calves, young humpback whales that are known to jump out of the water.
  • Gain special access to a remote and protected salmon stream at Pack Creek, where brown bears gather to feed.
  • Join your naturalist on foraging expeditions through estuaries, forests, and bogs. Uncover the sensationally sweet Alaskan blueberry.
  • Visit Baranof Island’s Warm Springs Bay and dip into a relaxing natural hot spring.
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Activities

  • Moderate walking
  • Bear viewing (from shore boats, on land, and in some cases at a bear viewing stand)
  • Small boat rides
  • Marine mammal viewing (whales, sea lions) and bird viewing
  • Natural history through hands on experience and talks with your naturalist and other knowledgeable crew members
  • Hot-springs
  • Exploring beaches
  • Kayaking and fishing (optional)

 

Nature & Landscape

Southeast Alaska is majestic; tall snow-capped mountain peaks rise from the ocean where long fjords lead to powerful rivers or calving glaciers. Where the waters open to great expansive sounds humpback whales can be found all around.  Sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, rainforest islands, and salmon bearing streams.

Featured Wildlife

Wildlife highlights in Alaska include brown bears, whales, and magnificent runs of wild salmon. These animals are extremely important to Alaskan life as they help keep the forests and oceanic ecosystems healthy.

  • Brown bear (grizzly bear)
  • Black bear
  • Humpback whale
  • Killer whale / Orca
  • Dall’s porpoise
  • Pacific white-sided dolphin
  • Sea otters
  • Bald eagle
  • Seabirds 

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Comfortable Ship & Expert Guides

Get ready for days of adventure and wildlife, supported by a very comfortable expedition ship, a gourmet chef and welcoming, west coast guides. This Alaska small ship cruise is perfectly suited for adventure, comfort, and taking in the beauty of the pacific northwest.

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Alaskan Historic Towns

There’s more to Alaska than its rugged natural beauty. Steeped in history, Southeast Alaska has cultural connections to Russian, Scandinavian, American, and many First Nations cultures including Tlingit and Haida. You’ll have the opportunity to visit the remote towns and communities that shape Alaska’s Southeast as part of this small boat expedition.

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Specialists in Regenerative travel

Maple Leaf Adventures is proud to be an Adventure Green Alaska (AGA) certified ecotourism company. This certification shows that we exceed the economic, environmental, and social sustainability standards of the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) for sustainable tourism businesses operating in Alaska.

Trip Itineraries

10-Day Alaska Adventure

Our classic 9-night voyage between Petersburg and Sitka: Frederick Sound (marine mammals incl whales, whale researchers), Admiralty Is. (brown bears), Endicott or Tracy Arm (calving glaciers), plus Baranof and Kruzof Islands and historic Sitka....