Any trip to Glacier Bay is a magical experience, but on a small yacht charter with the world-renowned photographer Art Wolfe is an opportunity that will change your life! Cruising the majestic bay in this small yacht is quite a different experience than traveling in one of the large crowded cruise ships.
Glacier Bay, perhaps the most spectacular fjord complex in the world, contains 13 active, calving, tidewater glaciers. These rivers of ice are born in the Fairweather and Takhinsha mountains which surround the Bay rising 15,000 feet above sea level.
Cruising in Glacier Bay with Art Wolfe you will be able to see all of this and brown and black bears, deer, wolves, moose, humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, sea lions, seals, sea otters, mountain goats, bald eagles, puffin and a wide variety of migrating water fowl.
Led by Art Wolfe
Limited to 6 participants
Minimal hiking involved
Transportation and Accommodation
- Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from Juneau, AK
- We have secured rooms for each person at a local hotel in Juneau for July 17th and 24th, which is covered by your tour fee. Upon registration you will download a PDF that includes the hotel information.
Itinerary
Shooting schedules have the ability to be altered to effectively cater to the photographic desires of the group, as well as to adapt to changeable weather conditions.
Day 1 July 17th
- Meet and greet at 6pm no host dinner at restaurant in Juneau. Everyone can introduce themselves, and Art will give a brief description of the upcoming tour.
Day 2
We will pick up you and your luggage at 11:00am and take you to your yacht. We will depart the harbor heading north and west around the northeast point of Admiralty Island. Much of our journey will be amongst the “ABC” islands. Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof: the fourth, fifth and sixth largest islands in the U.S. They are the home of thousands of Alaskan Brown bears, perhaps the most dense concentration in the world. We will cruise south in Chatham Strait and then west through Icy Strait.
A unique and special alternative became available to our clients starting in 2006. We have been awarded a high season permit to charter within the crown jewel of the United States national parks. In Glacier Bay we will likely see whales, mountain goats, seals, sea lions, black and brown bears, a variety of migrating waterfowl, and perhaps if we are especially lucky wolves and moose. All of this below mountains towering up 15,000 feet in the air And Glaciers: More tidewater glaciers than in the all the rest of the world. The Alaskan Story is one of only 5 charter yachts over 50 feet allowed into the Bay during the high season of the summer. We will anchor in Bartlett Cove where we can take a hike ashore with our Naturalist and return to the Alaskan Story for dinner.
Day 3
Each day will begin with some camera prep and instruction. Art and his assistant will look over everyone’s camera systems to make sure the best setting have been selected for the subjects we will be photographing.
Following the tutorial we will cruise northwest up the West arm of Glacier Bay past high rocky cliffs where we will see Mountain Goats. We will watch the shores for Alaskan Brown bear. There is no hunting allowed in Glacier Bay so these majestic animals are not as afraid of humans as elsewhere in Southeast. We will cruise up Tarr Inlet watching for humpback whales and perhaps Orcas. We will stop in front of Margerie Glacier past icebergs bigger than our yacht and watch for a spectacular calving.
Day 4
After spending the night in Reid Inlet in front of Reid Glacier we will cruise down to Muir Inlet. Although the passage into Muir Glacier (no longer tide-water) is closed to motorized traffic we will search for Bears to photograph in Wachuesett Inlet before returning to North Sandy Cove where we will probably see black bears and with lots of luch wolves and moose.
Day 5
Before exiting Glacier Bay we will pass by the Marble Islands where we will observe a haul out for Steller Sea lions. Stellers are a much larger version of the California Sea Lions. The Steller males can be over 1,500 lbs. Though they are marine mammals they must spend most of their time out of the water to survive. We will also see a bird rookery with thousands of gulls, cormorants and even the beautiful puffin. We will exit the park watching the many Sea Otters and humpback whales and possibly Orca before cruising up Dundas Inlet the only place in Alaska where we have on occasion spotted the Glacier Bears.
Day 6
We will cruise south turning west into Peril Strait and stop for a beautiful hike up a creek with trout and spawning salmon to Lake Eva. Our naturalist will answer your question about the flora and fauna. This is a uniquely beautiful and easy hike along a Forest Service maintained trail. We have a “special use” permit allowing us into this restricted area. We will anchor for the night somewhere near depending on the weather.
Day 7
We will cruise east in Icy Strait looking for Humpback Whales especially of Point Adolphus a site of strong currents which accumulate lots of food (small fish and/or Krill) and the whales that feed on it. Depending on our success in finding whales and perhaps Orcas we will find a comfortable anchorage for the night.
Day 8 July 24th
You will arrive in Juneau with a new appreciation for the way the earth existed before man. If Manhattan, New York had the same population density as does Alaska it would have a population of 1. We rarely anchor with other boats. We sometimes go days without seeing another yacht. In fact we have cruised a whole week without seeing another recreational vessel. You have experienced, up close, the real Southeast Alaska.
Arrive in port of Juneau at approximately 12pm. Cruise ends in the morning following breakfast. We have a night reserved at the hotel in Juneau for those that do not want to depart on this day. (This room night is also included at part of the tour fee. If you elect not to stay that evening you will be able to catch a mid-day flight out.)
About the Vessel
The Alaska Story
The Yacht has been redesigned and completely rebuilt to give our guests the best Alaskan charter cruise. New teak interior, all new stainless-steel appliances, new aft dining area with 270 degree view and enclosed top deck pilothouse where the guests can sit comfortably with the Captain and view the natural beauty and wildlife of Southeast Alaska.
The galley, saloon, dining area and day head are all on the main level. Two aft staterooms have walk-around queen beds and the two forward staterooms have two twins each. Of course all the staterooms have bathrooms including showers ensuite. Each stateroom has its own thermostat to control heat. There is a spacious TV/Reading room forward and additional cabins and bathrooms for crew.
The Alaskan Story has a seventeen foot Boston Whaler with 90 horsepower four stroke Honda outboard. As a backup we have a 12 foot inflatable with 18 hp four stroke outboard. We have three double kayaks. We provide all salt-water fishing gear for both salmon and halibut and have crab and shrimp pots which the crew will assist the guest in tending. Again, all of this to give our guests the best Alaskan cruise.
There is a large collection (hundreds) of books, music CD’s and DVD videos and two flat screen TVs; one with Bose surround sound system.
Mechanical: The Alaskan Story is powered by twin 570 horsepower turbocharged Caterpillar engines. She has two AC generators of 27.5 and 20 kilo-watts. She has large inverters and battery banks which allow the generators to be turned off at night for the quiet enjoyment of the anchorage and wildlife. She has a water-maker capable of making up to 1200 gallons of water a day. These amenities assure you of having a true small ship Alaska cruise.
Electronics: Consistent with the redundancy philosophy of the owners the Story has two iMac based systems for navigation using electronic charts from several manufacturers. The vessel is equipped with GPS, AIS and 24 and 48 mile radars. Fire extinquishers are throughout the vessel and the engine room has an automated system.
Services Included
- Expedition with 6 nights aboard the The Alaska Story
- All meals aboard the The Alaska Story included (Gourmet Cuisine with Fine Vintage Wine)
- Flexible Itineraries Based on Your Interests
- Sea Kayaks – Nature Hikes – Hot Springs
- Fishing, Crabbing, Shrimping – Tackle & Traps
- Private field instruction with Art Wolfe
- Portfolio reviews, lectures, and educational programs
- Lodging the Nights Before & After Your Cruise
- Comprehensive informational packet
- Shared accommodations unless single supplement requested. (very limited)