Kodiak

For those who choose to arrive early, a representative will accompany you to explore Kodiak’s native and Russian heritage. Destinations may include the National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center, St. Paul Harbor, Baranov Museum, Alutiiq Museum, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, where guns were readied to defend against an invasion during World War II. Meet your fellow travellers this evening at an informal orientation dinner.

2 nights in Kodiak.

Kodiak to Kodiak Island

Today explore Kodiak’s coastal waters and rocky shorelines on a private boat trip. Journey to Kodiak’s protected inner island, past tidal pools and offshore kittiwake rookeries, amid sea lions, otters, puffins, bald eagles and oftentimes whales. Kodiak is remote, not often visited by travellers to Alaska, and the sense of a unique encounter with nature is palpable as you glide through the rockbound coves. Enjoy a picnic lunch ashore and spend some time on the coastal trail lined with wildflowers and Sitka spruce trees. This evening you will have a gourmet home-cooked dinner aboard the boat.

Kodiak to Hallo Bay

Early this morning take a floatplane (weather-dependent: you may depart earlier or later in the trip if conditions require) from Kodiak to Kukak Bay, to meet the ship. The plane pulls up right alongside, and you disembark to board the vessel that will be your floating home for the next few days. Cruise slowly along the shore toward Hallo Bay, where you commonly find coastal grizzlies – known as brown bears – foraging for food. As you are mobile, you can cruise to wherever the bears are, following them from bay to bay.

3 nights aboard 'The Grizzly Ship'.

Hallo Bay to Katmai Park Coast

While we’ve all seen footage in nature documentaries of Alaskan brown bears in the wild, nothing prepares you for the drama of an actual encounter with these magnificent beasts, just a few yards away. They are North America’s largest land predators, and an adult male can weigh 900lbs. As you cruise just off the coast, bears often dot the shoreline. Go ashore by skiff for an even closer view, exploring the beaches on foot. It is not uncommon to find massive grizzlies in great numbers; previous trips have seen as many as 30 to 40 of them at once. And far from dozing lethargically, these bears put on quite a show in their efforts to fill up on enough protein-rich food to prepare them for a long winter in hibernation. They fight to capture salmon in their jaws, swiping out at a slippery fish with talons as long as a man’s fingers. They dig for clams in the sand and browse on sedge grass. Depending on the time of your visit, you may even see bears mating or cubs gallivanting on the shore.  In coastal Katmai you will be on foot, carefully wandering the area in your small group under the cautious guidance of your Expedition Leader. As a result, this trip offers a wildlife encounter that will thrill you beyond expectation.

Katmai Park to Kodiak

Return to Kodiak by floatplane.

1 night in Kodiak.

Kodiak

Return home today from Kodiak.