Aleutian Islands

After check-out, discover Anchorage on a sightseeing tour transferring to Seward, where our expedition team will welcome you aboard the Sylvia Earle at approximately 4.00 pm. You’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important briefings. We will set sail for Kenai Peninsula in the evening and meet your expedition team and crew at Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

By ship and Zodiac, explore the wild coastline of Kenai Fjords National Park, where nearly 40 glaciers flow down from the sparkling Harding Icefield to ice shelves calving into narrow waterways below. Sail deep into the Northwestern Fjord and watch for wildlife at every turn.

The second largest island in the U.S., Kodiak Island is renowned for its brown bears, king crab and fascinating history. Kodiak became the centre of Russia fur trade with Alaska in the 18th century. Visit the Alutiiq Museum, with its collection of art and cultural objects detailing the lives of the native Aleut people who lived here for more than 7,000 years. Hikers can explore the mysterious moss-draped forests, wildflowers and flowing streams, while birders can search for belted kingfishers, varied thrushes, and red crossbills. Later, Zodiac- cruise in to one of Kodiak’s outer islands searching for humpback and fin whales.

Tucked away at the end of Amalik Bay, Geographic Harbor is set in magnificent volcanic scenery. Zodiac cruise amidst spectacular scenery and explore offshore islands searching for bald eagles, marbled murrelets, sea otters, harbour porpoises, and coastal brown bears feeding on salmon, clams, mussels and barnacles. Rising mist reveals stunning volcanic landscapes and early wildflowers in bloom.

Zodiac cruise beneath basalt bird cliffs at Aghiyuk Island, then stretch your legs on tundra hikes amidst colourful wildflowers on Aghiyuk or Chowiet islands. Aghiyuk Island is a haven for more than with 2.5 million nesting seabirds. In Zodiaks, we explore the island’s sheltered coastline listening to the cacophony of the seabird colony, which includes murres, parakeet auklets, tufted and horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, and northern fulmars. The surrounding waters abound with sea otters, seals, porpoise and whales.

We land on Unga Spit to explore petrified remains of a 25-million-year-old sequoia forest and a picturesque ghost town surrounded by wildflowers. Wander along a spectacular coastline covered with fragments of fossilised wood, all remnants of an ancient Metasequoia forest, dating back some 70-14 million years. Watch for bald eagles, peregrine falcons and a host of seabirds, while otters and Steller sea lions patrol offshore. Explore an eerie village that was abandoned in 1969.

False Pass marks our exit from the Alaska Peninsula and arrival in the Aleutian Islands. Unimak, the largest of the chain, is 93 per cent wilderness inhabited by brown bears, caribou, wolves and the odd wolverine. By foot and Zodiac, we explore the island, from the bustling fishing port of King Cove to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, where migratory birds arrive in their hundreds of thousands including black brant, emperor geese, Steller’s eider, some 30 shorebird species and many seabirds. In the sheltered coves and bays around Unimak Island, search for orca and humpback whales. Weather permitting, you’ll see the near-perfect cone of Mount Shishaldin, the Aleutian’s highest (and active) volcano.

Dynamic tides and whales make for exciting Zodiac cruising among the Baby Islands, none higher than a few metres above sea level, where you’ll be enthralled by whiskered auklets, puffins, petrels, murrelets, guillemots and perhaps even laysan albatross. At Alaska’s busiest fishing port, Dutch Harbour, where more than 600 bald eagles nest near town, you’ll find relics of the Japanese invasion during World War II, visit the Museum of the Aleutians and the oldest Russian church in Alaska.

“Where the winds blow and friendships grow” is the motto of Adak, Alaska’s southernmost city on the island separating the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. Not always so friendly, Adak was a military installation that allowed America forces to mount successful operations against the Japanese in World War II and housed a community of some 6000 during the Cold War. Today only a few hundred remain, welcoming visitors to explore a near-ghost town set amongst spectacular tundra, where introduced caribou roam.

When Japan captured Kiska in 1942, it marked the first loss of U.S soil to foreign forces since the War of 1812. Today many war relics remain including a Shinto shrine and a two-man submarine and ptarmigans, Lapland longspurs and bald eagles nest in the shadow of active Kiska volcano.

The westernmost of the Aleutian Islands, Attu marks the site of the only World War II battle to be fought on North American soil and leaving several thousand dead. Today the attraction is birds, with exotic names like Siberian rubythroat, far eastern curlew and Mongolian plover, plus many of the migratory and seabirds you’ve come to love.

Sea days are ideal for editing photos, attending fascinating talks presented our team of experts or enjoying a massage at the wellness centre, but remember to step outside to enjoy the many seabirds, whales, dolphins and seals on show as we approach Russia’s Kamchatka coast. Celebrate the voyage end at our Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

Crossing the International Date Line

Disembark in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy where you farewell the crew and expedition team and transfer to the airport to board our charter to Tokyo, where we spend the night. 

Accommodation: Nikko Narita Airport Hotel

Depart Tokyo and continue your journey.

Important note: In the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage exploration and adventure offering flexibility in challenging environments. This itinerary is only a guide and is subject to change due to weather, sea and other conditions beyond our control.