SEA WOLF ADVENTURES
ACTIVE SMALL SHIP ADVENTURE CRUISING IN ALASKA & BRITISH COLUMBIA
ADVENTURES
2013 and Beyond
Glacier Bay
Wild Harvesting
7/21-7/26
Great Bear Rainforest B.C.
9/12-9/22
Seattle, WA - Glacier Bay,AK
4/26-5/7. 2014 Call
10-Day Glacier Bay & Beyond
5/11-5/21, 2014
INFORMATION
Sea Wolf Adventures
Itinerary for Glacier Bay Adventure
Day 1: Meet 8:00 AM at Bartlett Cove. Board the MV Sea. We will assemble in the main salon for introductions, an orientation discussing safety, boat layout, amenities and your Alaskan adventure. We will cruise up bay to Geike Inlet for our first paddle. Along the way we will have a kayaking introduction and lunch. After lunch we are paddling. Geike is a beautiful waterfall laden fjord that may offer a glimpse of black bears, wolverines, mountain goats and a large variety of seabirds and ducks. Then onward to our evening anchorage at Reid glacier, about a 4-hour journey filled with incredible vistas, wildlife on the beaches and possibly acrobatic whales in the waters. Along the way we will learn about the natural history of Glacier Bay, some of the research projects that the park is conducting and of course about the plentiful sea and wildlife. We will cruise in front of the incredible wall of ice then make for a beach landing to go explore. Here we will learn about glaciers geology, plant and animal succession. We hunt for ice worms and for those so inclined we scoop up glacial silt for wonderful glacial facials. Brown Bears, wolverine, small mammals and harbor seals all live in this area. Another beach offers bird lovers a binocular paradise, as it is a nesting ground for Arctic Terns, Kittlitz”s, Murrelets, Ptarmigan, Grouse, Plovers and a variety of other shore and sea birds. Dinner aboard the Sea Wolf and this is our evening anchorage watching the sunset over Glacier Bay.
Day 2: Breakfast at 8:00 am After breakfast we will hike up to the face of Reid Glacier, learning about Flora and Fauna succession along the way. After lunch we set our course for Tarr Inlet where the Grand Pacific and Marjorie Glaciers cascade into the water. Once here we will have a wonderful paddle along a sheer cliff, which is a Kittiwake and Puffin rookery and then out in front of Marjorie Glacier for a breathtaking experience as we watch an active calving glacier from a safe distance. Then onward we cruise to our evening anchorage and dinner.
Day 3: Breakfast at 8:00 am as the engines are started and we will make our way up to Gloomy Knob and beyond. Our morning hike can be goal is to gain enough altitude to look down both arms of he bay and perhaps see Mountain Goats. Then back to the boat with lunch underway to explore the East Arm. Our activities here depend on wilderness water opening/closing dates. We will go on an amazing hike by McBride Glacier with a paddle either up to Riggs Glacier or from Muir Glacier to Riggs. The shorelines have a great variety of shore birds, vista’s and the possibilities of seeing bears, wolves or moose. Then once back to the boat we are off to our evening anchorage and dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast at 8 am. Sometimes we have a morning paddle at N. Sandy if the tides are right and if not we head down bay to another pristine paddle area. N. Sandy Cove is a very rich ecosystem that supports black bears, moose coyotes, and a plentiful marine environment. We kayak around the shores scanning for Black Bears and Moose then paddle over to Puffin Island for a truly wondrous look at a low tide vertical intertidal zone. This zone is home to hundreds of sponges, periwinkles, whelks, sea stars, sea cucumbers and urchins to just name a few species who literally hang here awaiting the return of the high tide. Back on board the Sea Wolf we will head to S. Marble Island to view a large Stellar Sea Lion Haul Out and a seabird-nesting rookery from the Sea Wolf. Then we cruise onward to Dundas Bay. We will head to the beach at Dundas where we can pick strawberries, learn about and taste native plants and revel in the glorious flower strewn meadows. Cow parsley, Chocolate Lily’s Yarrow, Lupine, Wild Iris’s, Lily of the Valley, Indian paintbrush are among the few plants that brighten the splendid landscape here. We also stroll the beach following the tracks of Otters, Bear, Moose and Wolves. Then back to the boat for a brief journey up Dundas Bay learning about the Native history and lore of this area. Dinner and this is our evening anchorage.
Day 5: Breakfast at 8:00 am and a hike exploring Dundas Bay. Here we will explore the erratic boulders climbing on them for views of the rivers and surrounding meadows. Otters, black bears, wolves and moose as well as hoary marmots graze these meadows and feed upon the intertidal dinner plate. Then we cross over a river for a brief foray through Sitka Spruce and up a little ways on the mountainside to explore and learn about a mature muskeg. Here you will see bog plants such as orchids, an insect eating plant called a sundew, stunted spruce, hemlock, marsh marigolds and violets. This is the end of a plant life cycle that starts from the rocky lands just exposed by glaciers and ends as a mossy watery bog called a muskeg. Back on board for lunch and then a paddle up the bay looking for wildlife. Once back aboard we will transit to our evening anchorage.
Day 6: Breakfast at 8:00 am then we are off to look for more spectacular humpback whales. Our day is spent watching Point Adolphus whales. Around 12:30 we will head back to Gustavus for a 2 pm docking. TLC Taxi will then transport you to the airport for your flight to Juneau. If you are on the jet we can schedule a later taxi pick up and you can visit the lodge museum and bookstore.
Note: These itineraries are subject to change based on park area closures/openings, weather and travel conditions and wildlife movements. We try to be where we should see whales, bears, sea lions, eagles, wild flowers and soaring landscapes but the anchorage may change dependant on the above. Other destinations may include Fingers Bay, Sundew Cove, Sebree Cove, the East Arm and Tongass National Forest on Chichagof Island. Many times we are following the wildlife as they move with their food source so we like the flexibility so we can have the greatest viewing possibilities. We serve Alaskan seafood for most lunches and dinners but can cater to any diet needs with enough advance notice.