A Sample Trip:
Day 1:
We leave the harbor in the morning.
LeConte Bay, here we come! We could
spend the day among the icebergs, admiring the towering peaks and torrents
of snowmelt plunging down the steep cliffs. Enormous blue icebergs glow
like jewels in the tide. We often explore this bay by skiff to get up towards
the face of the glacier, passing seals on the ice floes. We have seen Orcas
in here as well. At night we would anchor in a secluded cove.
Day 2:
Heading west in Frederick Sound, we will cruise through rich feeding grounds
for
humpback whales. Is that a group feeding on herring against the shore?
We can stop to watch and listen to their socializing sounds on the hydrophone.
We may stop to fish for a halibut, or troll for salmon, or we might just
anchor up in the afternoon and take the kayaks down to paddle around some
small islands. In the evening stillness, we can 
hear
the breathing of whales just outside the cove.
Day 3:
Today we could take the shore boats to the beach and explore
the colorful tidepools and take a hike in the rainforest. 
The Heron’s library is full of books and field guides on plants and animals
and natural history. Scott and Julie are both trained as naturalists, and
can answer your questions about this fascinating environment.
Later in the day, we could cruise over to another bay
on Admiralty Island, also 
known as “The Fortress of the Bears” for the many coastal brown bears living
there. We may watch the bears fishing for salmon in streams, or grazing
on grass on the tide flats.When we drift close to them in the kayaks or
shore boats, we can often get wonderful photographs.
Day 4:
Cruising towards the mainland, we might see porpoises jumping in the bow
wake, or a pod of Orcas cruising past. We might visit the place where the
Steller sea lions 
haul
out on the rocks.
Perhaps we will go ashore at the ruins of an old Homestead,
and pick berries and wildflowers. We could put the crab pots down,
and a fishing line to catch a halibut right at anchor! The long, curving
beach is a perfect place to collect smooth stones and tiny shells while
watching whales in the distance. Is that a mink running under a log? The
sounds of eagles follow our footsteps, the only human footprints on this
beach.
Day
5: What kind of adventure awaits us today?
A hike up into the alpine? What a breathtaking view from the top! Or maybe
we will take the skiffs up a river and fish for trout or salmon. Look at
all the wolf prints on the banks of the river! Is that the remains of a
bear’s meal? Everywhere we see signs of wildlife, as wilderness stretches
out for miles around us. “Where is everybody?” is a question we often hear.
Our 30 years of experience in this part of Alaska allows us to share places
few people know about.
Day 6:
We cruise towards town, saying farewell to the whales and coastal mountain
ranges, and the quiet coves, returning to the bustling fishing town of
Petersburg by noon.
This is just a sample of our shortest trip. Longer trips
allow us to range farther, and spend more time exploring. Some trips are
more active than others, depending on the abilities and interests of those
onboard. With a wonderful platform like the Heron, and the ever-changing
beauty of Alaska, the possibilities for your Alaskan vacation are adventurous
and unique as you are. We look forward to sharing this exciting and spectacular
wilderness with you.
e-mail: info@alaskapassages.com
Alaska Passages, Inc. Scott & Julie Hursey P.O. Box 213 Petersburg, AK 99833 1-888-434-3766 (1-888-43-HERON) Toll Free 907-772-3967 Phone & FAX