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MV Discovery's Alaska small ship cruises.
Wildlife viewing at its best on an intimate cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage
aboard the small cruise ship Discovery
There is no better way to see Alaska's Inside Passage than on a small boat and the classic yacht "Discovery" provides a comfortable and unique Alaska small ship cruising experience. Swap the crowds and T-shirt shops for the peace and solitude that is the real Alaska. You'll catch Salmon, Halibut and Dungeness Crab, walk in magical rain forests, spend time with the graceful Humpback Whale, watch Brown Bear feeding on spawning Salmon, visit Sea Lion Rookeries, watch Eagles soar and glaciers calve and return home with a better understanding of the world we share.
Discovery's eight day Alaska Cruises truly let you experience Alaska's beauty and wildlife up close and personal. These trips combine a whale watching tour, bear and wildlife viewing with some of Alaska's most magnificent scenery. Bring your camera, get your boots on, whether you are eight years old or eighty our small ship cruises are designed for all ages and abilities. For individuals and couples we run mixed groups that attract like minded, adventurous people and the atmosphere on board is one of easy camaraderie. Private yacht charters can be customized for family gatherings, a group of friends or photography and travel clubs who really enjoy these cruises.
Experience Alaska for yourself!
Contact us or visit Discovery's Alaska Small Ship Cruises web site
Whale Watching in Alaska
The graceful Humpback Whales return to Alaskan waters each summer in large numbers to feed on krill and small bait fish, coming from as far away as the Hawaiian Islands. Approximately 400 individuals congregate in Southeast Alaskan waters and as one of the original eco tour operators in Southeast Alaska (conducting Alaska small ship cruises since 1981) we have first hand knowledge of where they go to. On a Discovery Alaska cruise it is not uncommon to spend an hour or a morning watching up to 100 humpback whales. We see them breach, we see them play, we watch individuals lunge feeding and groups blowing bubble nets in co-operative feeding behavior. We even see them sleeping. We observe them without interference, we let the whales come to us - and they do. You will see them swim past, under or around the boat so close that the whoosh of spray as they exhale can be heard and sometimes felt. Orca whales and Dalls Porpoise are seen less frequently but particularly like to ride the bow wave of the boat, twisting and weaving acrobatically they can easily keep pace with us.
Alaska Bear Viewing
On "Discovery" we really enjoy leading shore excursions and some of our best bear encounters are on short hikes along creeks and rivers running through old growth stands of the Tongass National Forest. A national treasure this temperate rainforest covers 17 million acres, encompasses more than 1000 islands and surrounds Alaska's Inside Passage. It is a vital ecosystem and one of the last forests of its kind where brown bear, eagles and wild salmon still thrive. Unlike the big Alaska cruise ships a small ship can access secluded bays and salmon streams.
Southeast Alaska has two of Alaska's four designated Bear Observatories, Pack Creek Bear Observatory on Admiralty Island, home to one of the largest concentrations of (coastal grizzly bear) brown bear in the world, and the Anan Creek Bear Observatory where black bear and brown bear come to feed on the spawning salmon runs. Both of these observatories are strictly limited entry. Forest Service special use permits are required to go ashore. The bears here roam freely but are habituated to humans and allow visitors close encounters. Discovery Cruises have a permit for the bear observatory at Anan Creek and visits are included in our trips (see Discovery's Alaska Small Ship Cruises schedule).
Glaciers, fjords, hot springs, fishing, kayaking & more
Visualize fjords with waterfalls cascading down 1000 foot granite cliffs that drop vertically into the aqua green water below and continue another 1000 feet to the ocean floor. Or sparkling blue icebergs that drift our way on the tide as we cruise along Tracy Arm towards the shear face of the North Sawyer Glacier. Alaska's scenery is simply magic. On a small ship cruise we have no set schedule and may fish at a favorite spot in the afternoon before we anchor in a secluded bay. The Alaskan summer days are long and we have time to drop shrimp and crab pots, kayak and hike on shore, take a dip in a natural hot spring or just enjoy a glass of wine on the bow of the boat before a gourmet 3 course meal is served in the dining salon and the days adventures are relived. A small ship can cruise where the big Alaska cruise ships cannot go.
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