Explore a dynamic marine corridor as you scan the horizon with the Expedition Team across Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. Keep binoculars ready for humpback whales and orcas feeding in nutrient-rich waters, with agile Pacific white-sided dolphins bow-riding alongside.

These productive seas border Haida Gwaii and the outer coast of British Columbia, where upwellings draw life to the surface. Listen for the thunder of surf on distant reefs and watch seabirds stitch the air above rolling swells.

Experience Alaska’s wild cathedral as you tour Misty Fjords by Zodiac or paddle a kayak in glassy inlets. Granite walls soar nearly 3,000-feet above mirrored water, veiled by lacework waterfalls and low clouds that give the monument its name.

Glide past wave-polished cliffs while watching for harbor seals, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, and the white shapes of mountain goats on high ledges. Overhead, bald eagles circling complete a scene that naturalist John Muir praised for its sublime, glacier-carved beauty.

Walk ashore in a remote Southeast Alaska community to connect with coastal lifeways where dense rainforest meets sheltered bays. During landings, you may land in remote coastal communities and hear local perspectives on subsistence, seasons, and the sea.

Between visits, the ship traces intricate shorelines as you search for bears along tidal beaches, watch sea otters in kelp forests, and scan whale-rich salmon waters. This flexible blend of shore exploration and wildlife-focused cruising captures the essence of expedition travel.

Visit a traditional Tlingit village to stand at the foot of the 132-foot totem pole, among the tallest in the world. Guides share clan histories and the meanings woven into story-carved cedar, revealing how art, identity, and landscape are bound together.

As you learn Tlingit traditions, look from shoreline to mountain ridges where clouds drift over spruce-hemlock forest. On calm days, mirror-still waters reflect snowy peaks, framing a cultural landscape shaped by salmon runs and generations of master carvers.

Enter Holkham Bay to navigate Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, two narrow fjords cleaved deep into the coast mountains. Icebergs drift past in surreal blues, calved from tidewater glaciers backed by serrated granite and hanging valleys.

Watch harbor seals hauled out on floes in a protected nursery of floating ice, while kittiwakes circle the cliffs and waterfalls feather the rock. With conditions guiding the route, the Captain steers for the best vantage points amid floating blue icebergs and sculpted walls.

Step ashore on Baranof Island to step onto ancestral land of the Sheet’ká ?wáan, a privilege extended through partnership and respect. Accessible only by water, these shores preserve a living relationship between people, forest, and sea.

Community hosts may welcome you to share perspectives on stewardship, harvesting, and ceremony. This intimate experience—by invitation only—highlights stewardship across generations and the enduring cultural heartbeat of Southeast Alaska.

Explore a coastal town layered with Indigenous and Russian heritage as you walk Sitka’s historic core. Visit the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the elegantly preserved Russian Bishop’s House, then continue to Sitka National Historical Park where totem poles line a forested trail.

Interpret stories of the 1867 transfer of Alaska to the United States and the much older presence of the ?wáan in this place. Ocean views, spruce fragrance, and drum-beat histories combine in a concise, culturally rich overview.

Discover the coast in motion as you sail beneath the Lions Gate Bridge, with the North Shore Mountains rising ahead and Stanley Park’s cedar forests skimming the shoreline. From your open decks, watch tugs and ferries trace bright wakes across the harbor while gulls ride the breeze above the ship’s bow.

Feel the rhythms of the Pacific as you enter the Strait of Georgia, a gateway long used by First Nations mariners and modern seafarers alike. Pause to soak in the shifting Pacific light as the city fades and forested islands slip past.