Spend two days exploring the wild gems of southeast Alaska, in the northern part of the Alexander Archipelago. With nature as your guide, you will cruise Chatham Strait in search of orca and humpback whales and experience wild Alaska up close on Zodiacs, kayaks, paddleboards and hikes. 

Explore the wild and remote areas of southeast Alaska by special use permit with the Tongass National Forest.
 

Just 40 mi (66 km) south of the Alaskan border, Prince Rupert is the largest community on British Columbia's north coast. Set on Kaien Island at the mouth of the Skeena River and surrounded by deep green fjords and coastal rain forest, Prince Rupert is rich in the culture of the Tsimshian, people who have been in the area for thousands of years. As the western terminus of Canada's second transcontinental railroad and blessed with a deep natural harbor, Prince Rupert was, at the time of its incorporation in 1910, poised to rival Vancouver as a center for trans-Pacific trade. This didn't happen, partly because the main visionary behind the scheme, Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad president Charles Hays, went down with the Titanic on his way back from a financing trip to England. Prince Rupert turned instead to fishing and forestry. A port of call for both BC and Alaska ferries, but relatively new to cruise ships, this community of 15,000 retains a laid-back, small-town air.

Seek out pods of killer whales and foraging bears as you sail north through the narrow Grenville Channel between Pitt Island and the mainland, a dramatic navigational experience. Not only does the channel narrow to less than a quarter of a mile across, but a slight bend in the passage makes the waterway seem to disappear into the hills ahead and behind the ship. Here, you'll explore the salmon run at Verney Falls in Lowe Inlet Marine Provincial Park by Zodiacs.

Over the course of the next four days, you will cruise far into the fjords and deep valleys that carve into the Coast Range looking for black and grizzly bears. You will cruise the eastern coast of Princess Royal Island in search of the elusive spirit bear. It is believed that between 10 to 20 percent of bears in this region are born with the recessive gene that causes the white fur; fewer than 400 are estimated to exist.  

British Columbia has one of the highest proportions of protected land of any jurisdiction in the world. Almost 15 percent of the land is protected, with a wide range of provincial parks, national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Alongside your veteran expedition team, go ashore and explore several remote locations where few people venture.  Discover hidden gems by Zodiac and kayak, navigating the tidal narrows that lead to the backs of bays while scanning for bears along the rocky shoreline and meadows such as Gilttoyees Inlet. 

Alert Bay is a small village on Cormorant Island, with approximately 1,300 residents. More than half are First Nations people. The settlement was named in 1860 in honour of the Royal Navy ship HMS Alert, which conducted survey operations in the area. The traditional Kwakwaka’wakw people of Alert Bay have endured a difficult history of devastating foreign diseases and failed government policies of assimilation. Today there is a revival of their traditions. One of the most well-known features in Alert Bay is the 173 foot wooden carved totem pole, claimed by some to be the tallest totem pole in the world.

Discover British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, a mecca for kayakers and small yachts. Anchor in calm, sheltered waters to kayak in isolated bays that beckon for exploration. On land, hike through meadows and forest ecosystems.  

Discover the wild charm of the San Juan Islands, a captivating archipelago in northern Washington State. Paddle hidden coves by kayak, keeping an eye out for friendly harbor seals. Navigate dramatic shorelines aboard Zodiacs. Hike along rugged coastal trails where bald eagles soar overhead, while expert naturalists provide insight on the fascinating ecology and cultural history of this distinctive northwest wilderness.   

Seattle is a scenic seaport city in western Washington, situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east. It is the largest city in Washington. Five pioneer families from Illinois first settled the area in 1851, and named the town after a friendly Suquamish Indian chief. It was incorporated as a city in 1869, and grew quickly after the Great Northern Railway arrived in 1893, especially during the Alaska Gold Rush of 1897. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, Seattle became a major Pacific port of entry, and today it is the region's commercial and transportation hub and the centre of manufacturing, trade, and finance, with an estimated 684,451 residents as of 2015.