Alaska Sea Kayaking / Hiking / Beachcombing

Alaska's Inside Passage is home to thousands of miles of pristine shoreline, an abundance of diverse wildlife and some of the most dramatic scenery in North America. But shouldn't an Alaska adventure cruise have some adventure? Your cruise aboard the Misty Fjord will satisfy the hungriest cruisers appetite for adventure. The ship is equipped with kayaks for everyone as well as two different skiffs, affording unparalleled access to this last frontier. Don't worry if you've never kayaked before. The Misty Fjord mothership is equipped with a swim step on the stern, making it very easy to load and unload kayaks from. With your own guide, you'll explore narrow passages and inlets, paddle by cascading waterfalls, discover secret coves and bays and wander along virgin shorelines. Bringing your adventure to land is a breeze with the different watercraft at your disposal, and there is nothing quite as satisfying as gathering berries for a freshly baked dessert.

Mothership supported Kayaking lets you access beautiful remote places.
This white sands beach can be found in Foggy Bay south of Ketchikan, Alaska.

Getting in and out of Kayaks in Rudyerd Bay

Glacier Viewing

Glacier cruising is one of the unique benefits of an Alaskan cruise. There are thousands of glaciers in Southeast Alaska and checking them out is always one of our guests' favorite activites. Glaciers exist in all shapes and sizes here, and depending on your itinerary, you'll have an opportunity to see many of them. We'll visit some of Alaska's most impressive and famous glaciers, such as Sawyer Glacier (Tracy Arm) and Leconte (Frederick Sound). Watching huge slabs of ice break free of these tidewater glaciers and crash into the sea is an amazing spectacle, and one you'll never forget.

Dawes Tidewater Glacier and Seagull.

Fishing

Salt water fishing only is part of our normal program, but we do welcome stream fishing focused charters

All fresh water fishing trips incur extra cost of Guide/Outfitter and Gear rental if needed.
See an example trip here: Misty Fjords Lake Fishing Charter

The waters of Alaska's Southeast region are home to some of the most fertile and renowned fishing grounds on the planet. All 5 species of salmon, halibut, ling cod, black bass, Dolly Varden and Arctic Grayling are some of the more popular species you'll find here. You'll also have a chance to drop crab and shrimp pots, if you are so inclined. For serious anglers, guided fly fishing trips (some fly in) are available see this trip for wzampel. Fishing in Alaska is quite seasonal, so if you're intereseted in fishing you'll want to consider the season in which you decide to cruise. Our experienced deckhands and chef are well versed in many methods of cleaning and preparing all types of fish and bring a new meaning to the term fresh seafood.

Wildlife Viewing

No Alaska adventure cruise would be complete without an abundance of wildlife sightings; one thing we can guarantee you'll have on a cruise with us it is wildlife sightings. Alaska is home to some of North America's most regal and acclaimed wildlife. Brown and Black Bears, Moose, Humpback Whales, Bald Eagles and Timber Wolves are always crowd pleasers. Some of the lesser known wildlife here, however, is just as exciting. Playful Sea Otters swim effortlessly around many of the Inside Passage's deep blue waterways. Dall Porpoise playfully swim in the ship's wake, leaping out of the water and jostling for position. Stellar Sea Lions, sometimes in groups of hundreds, bask on the rocky shorelines you'll cruise by, providing amazing photo opportunities. The small size of the Misty Fjord and relative unobtrusiveness lend themselves very well to wildlife sightings; most wildlife isn't scared of our quiet vessel, with many of them actually coming closer to investigate us while we investigate them.

Whale Watching Cruises

Whale watching is an extremely popular activity aboard our Alaska small boat cruises. There are severall species of whales in Alaska's Inside Passage. Humpbacks are the most common in Southeast Alaska, and you'll most certainly have multiple opporutnities to observe them engaging in all types of interseting behavior (bubblenet feeding, breaching). While less commonly sighted, your cruising grounds are also home to Orca (Killer) Whales, Grey Whales, Minke Whales, White sided Dolphins and Harbor Porpoise.

Alaska Humpback Whale breaching in Frederick Sound

Birding and Pelagic Tours

Southeast Alaska is home to thousands of species and literally millions of birds. Alaska is a very important location for migrating birds and thus is a huge draw for birders from around the globe. The Pelagic Seabirds found here include some of the most rare and elusive in existence. Whether you're an avid birder or a casual observer, the sheer number and diversity of the bird population here will impress you.

Bald Eagle resting on an Iceberg in Endicott Arm

Tufted Puffins can be seen on our Pelagic Tours

Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in the still waters of Misty Fjords, Alaska.
The Murrelet is a member of the Auk family
Photo Credit: © Charles G. Summers, Jr..

Cuisine

An oft overlooked facet of a successful Alaskan cruise adventure is the cuisine. Your small ship cruise should be just as fun and exciting at dinner time as it is during your other adventures and on the Misty Fjord it will be. Where else can you catch a fish in the afternoon and have a chef prepare it for your dinner? Salmon, halibut and shrimp are common ingredients for the sumptous entrees. Not a 'fish person'? No problem, we cater to the wants of our guests and have a wide range of culinary options.

Chef Yolanda hard at work making Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for hungry guests.

Southeast Alaska Native Culture including Alaskan Totem Poles

Totem poles have an interesting origin.

Your Captain, Dale has had a lifelong appreciation of N.W. Coast Native culture. Growing up in Ketchikan, it was easy to acquire an indepth knowledge of Native culture. He has taken courses in  NW coast Native history and culture. As an artist, he has studied their designs and has taught a course in “Northwest Coast Native Design.”

The art of the N.W. Coast Natives was a product of not only creativity, but of wealth. By aboriginal standards local Natives were wealthy people. The abundance of fish  wildlife, plants and berries allowed them leisure time to develop the arts. Curiously, their art dramatically evolved with the coming of european traders in the form of totem poles. Large free standing totems did not exist before the coming of europeans. Early traders provided two elements that triggered an explosion of art in the form of totem poles. Europeans brought two vital elements, wealth and steel. Trading of sea otter pelts created a wealthy class of Natives that could afford to commission poles. Steel was formed into an adz which was used to carve the large poles. Prior to steel, carving implements were made of stone, bone and shell, incapable of being used to carve large traditional totem poles.

One of the most enduring forms of Native art throughout S.E. Alaska is the pictograph (paintings) and the petroglyph (carvings in stone). In the course of our travels in S.E. Alaska your Captain will take you to view some of these fascinating artifacts. The existence of some of these items are not generally know to the public, having been discovered by Dale through his lifetime of traveling in the remote areas of S.E. Alaska.

The History of Southeast Alaska

Alaska is rich in history and native culture, and traces of its earliest settlers can still be found today. Many different native tribes have inhabitated various parts of Southeast Alaska through the years, blending together to create a rich cultural heritage unique to Alaska. Your skipper, captain Dale Pihlman, is the perfect guide for those interested in learning about this interesting history. Dale is a native of Ketchikan, and has worked as a commercial fisherman, fisheries biologist and art instructor. Much of Dale’s life has been spent on the water in Misty Fjords National Monument, where he and his parents fished commercially on the family fishing vessel; then in later years with his own vessel. As a Fish & Game biologist, he spent many seasons working in the monument. Dale was a founding director of The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and was politically involved in the creation of Misty Fjords National Monument. He pioneered scheduled cruises there in 1978. In addition to his wealth of knowledge and experience in the area, Dale also posesses a strong desire to share this knowledge with visitors.

New Eddystone Rock and Natives: sketched by early european explorers