misty fjord alaska springtime cruise

Alaska's Spring Wilderness & Wildlife Safari

  • Overview

    Early spring in Sitka is one of Southeast Alaska's best-kept secrets. Many locals prefer this season over any other time of year, with its crisp mornings, lengthening daylight hours, flora and fauna springing to life, and frenzy of wildlife activity. Experience it all by joining our newest excursion aboard the M/V Misty Fjord. The intimate setting of our 10-passenger vessel will allow you to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife quest. As with all Misty Fjord itineraries, routes are not strictly defined. A knowledgeable local captain and onboard naturalist will choose the best activities based on each day’s unique circumstances and guest interests. The versatility of this small boat creates a photographer's dream trip, allowing all aboard to view abundant wildlife as it emerges with the changing of the seasons amid the remarkable beauty of Southeast Alaska.

    Duration: 6 days
    Passengers: 10 passengers
    Embarkation Point: Sitka, Alaska
    Disembarkation Point: Sitka, Alaska
    Physical rating: Soft Adventure
    Fly/Cruise: Cruise only
    Single Supplement: 1.5x twin rate or share options
  • Itinerary
    • Day 1/6 - Itinerary Overview: Alaska's Spring Wilderness & Wildlife

      On the Alaska Spring Wilderness and Wildlife Safari, you’ll skirt miles of rugged coastline, taking in dramatic mountain views, pristine old growth forest, and the bountiful wildlife that rely on herring as a keystone species. The shallow draft of the vessel allows passengers an up-close view of stunning estuaries and bays that become spawning grounds for herring. While the specific timing of the herring spawn changes from year to year, guests are guaranteed an exclusive and personalized journey in and around the channels and bays of the Sitka Sound area.

      During the days, you may find yourself immersed in whale and other wildlife viewing or on a kayak, paddleboard, and hiking excursions. In the evenings, you’ll enjoy exquisite meals featuring fresh Alaska cuisine while anchored in secluded coves. After a decadent dessert, step onto the upper deck to enjoy the sunset, alpenglow, and stars while listening for the faint sounds of nearby humpback whales and the rustle of eagles settling into their nests. Upon setting sail, you’ll immediately be immersed in the unparalleled natural beauty of Sitka Sound. This itinerary truly has something for everyone: jaw-dropping photography opportunities, birding and wildlife viewing, kayak ventures, and even the possibility of witnessing the spirited and competitive commercial herring fishery.

      The Alaska’s Spring Wilderness and Wildlife Safari sails round-trip from beautiful “Sitka by the Sea,” the only Southeast Alaska community facing the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska. When you arrive, our hospitality team will greet you at the airport. Even before stepping foot on the Misty Fjord, you’ll be charmed by our uniquely Alaskan hometown and its rich Tlingit culture, natural beauty, friendly locals, and Russian history. Nestled between the mountains and shoreline of rugged Baranof Island, Sitka boasts incredible amenities and attractions for a small island town. Guests will have an opportunity to view birds of prey like bald eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons at the Alaska Raptor Center, and get up close with many marine species at the Sitka Sound Science Center, a working salmon hatchery and aquarium in a gorgeously renovated building on the historic Sheldon Jackson Campus.

      The five-night expedition comes to a close back in our home port of Sitka. Before departing, you will have another chance to enjoy more local amenities including galleries, museums, a local brewery, an award-winning independent bookstore, boutique shopping, an extensive trail system, yoga studios and salons, and restaurants featuring local seafood and ocean views. Finally, we send off our treasured guests with complimentary hotel or airport transport, a renewed spirit of adventure, and a lifetime of memories.

      Voyage Highlights May Include:
      - Dazzling humpback whale viewing. These gentle giants are famous for their powerful and sometimes synchronized foraging behaviours of breaching, lunging, and bubble net feeding.

      - Bays and inlets teeming with herring along with a great variety of additional wildlife including sea otters, stellar sea lions, harbour seals, porpoise, Sitka black-tailed deer, brown bear, bald eagles, great blue heron, belted kingfishers, and more.

      - An up-close visit to the St. Lazaria Wildlife Refuge, an offshore volcanic island that is home to a variety of seabird species.

      - A chance to step ashore on remote beaches dwarfed by the towering canopies of Sitka spruce, yellow cedar, and western hemlock stands, and further explore the rich biodiversity of the understory, including budding blueberry and huckleberry bushes, salmonberries, and the iconic and medicinal devil's club plant.

      - Hiking adventures on one or more of the many beautiful trails near Sitka. These trails include maintained paths or boardwalks through rainforest habitats that feature tidelands, waterfalls, muskeg.

      - A visit to the rustic mineral pools at Goddard Hot Springs, where visitors can soak in healing tubs while taking in views of the meadows, tidelands, and islands scattered about Sitka Sound.

  • Adventure Activities

    Kayaking Alaska's Inside Passage

    Kayaking in Alaska offers an intimate experience with Alaska's marine wildlife and wilderness.

    Included

    Calving Glaciers

    See breathtaking tidewater glaciers calve into the sea from your tender, or hike to them onshore.

    Spectacular Wildlife

    Alaska is a haven for wildlife. Its remote coastlines and incredible wilderness allow for so many iconic species to flourish here. We hope to encounter whales, orca, seals, black and grizzly bears, bald eagles, among others.

    True Alaskan Experience

    This vessel is one of very few that is owned and operated by Alaskans. Because of their true Alaskan heritage they are afforded privileges in visiting special regions and communities along the Inside Passage.

  • Inclusions
    Inclusions / Exclusions

    Included in your Expedition

    - All shore excursions and lectures in the itinerary
    - All accommodation and meals on board
    - Transfers between airport and vessel
    - Use of recreational equipment
    - Complimentary glass of wine or beer with dinner.

    Not included in your Expedition

    - Items of a personal nature such as; Beverages / Laundry / Medical expenses / Gratuities / Internet & Wifi
    - Travel insurance (mandatory)
    - Optional excursion and activities not included in the voyage itinerary
    - International and internal flights that are not specified
    - Passport and Visa expenses
  • Map
    Map coming soon
  • Gallery
  • Vessel

    THE MISTY FJORD

    The M/V Misty Fjord expedition vessel was custom designed for in-depth wilderness exploration of Southeast Alaska. Her hull is based on the design of well-proven Alaska commercial fishing boats for supreme comfort and stability while sailing the waters of the Inside Passage. The onboard experience features a plush interior with elegant teak finish, aft salon, spacious wheelhouse, and outer deck engineered for optimal wildlife viewing.

    Itineraries on the Misty Fjord offer an opportunity to discover three distinct Native cultures, the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian, through visits to intriguing villages. These communities are among the least-traveled places in Alaska, and a visit can be a powerful experience.

    To witness the spiritual way in which the indigenous people of Alaska are connected to the earth and to each other is inspiring. Many of the remarkable residents continue to subsist off the land and sea. As local Alaska Natives ourselves, we are grateful to be welcomed with open arms by our friends in several villages.

    As you walk the streets and forests of these communities, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy several planned experiences, from dance shows to carving demonstrations. You may even witness several events unique to village life: a hunter’s return after a successful hunt of seal or deer, families working together to hang their harvest of sockeye salmon in a smoke house, or a ceremonial potlatch.

     

     

     

    Features & Facilities
    Key Facts
    Luxury star rating: 3
    Guests #: 10
    Crew #:
    Ice Class:
    Speed: 9
    Refurbished:
    Technical Specs
    Year built:
    Length: 20m
    Width:
    Draft:
    Tonnage:
    Registry:
    Elec Outlets:
Check Voyage Dates, Pricing and Availability
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Ready to book your expedition?

We understand that the trip of a lifetime takes planning, so we make the financial commitments easy to manage.

  • Confirm your booking today with just USD$ 1,000 per passenger.
  • Pay your 25% deposit 5 day later.
  • Final payment due 120 days prior to departure.
misty fjord alaska cruise double cabin

Double Cabin

30 Mar 2019 - 04 Apr 2019
One queen bed, private bathroom with private shower.
USD$ 3,290pp
USD$ 3,290pp
misty fjord alaska cruise twin cabin

Twin Cabin

30 Mar 2019 - 04 Apr 2019
Two twin beds, private bathroom with shower.
USD$ 3,290pp
USD$ 3,290pp