Area Daily: Sea Kayaking in Coastal Alaska

When British Royal Navy Captain, George Vancouver, sailed up Icy Straight in southeast Alaska in 1794, he found the mouth of Glacier Bay completely locked in ice. Less than 100 years later, John Muir reported that the glaciers had retreated almost the entire distance of the Bay. The great news for adventurers is that the retreating ice revealed one of the top sea kayaking destinations and one of the most pristine coastal wilderness areas left on the planet.

Far from the maddening cruise ships, this trip from Explorer’s Corner combines time spent at three of the most impressive locations in coastal Alaska: Pack Creek on Admiralty Island for world class brown bear viewing (a habitat for some 1,700 bears); Point Adolphus for unsurpassed humpback and orca whale watching; and a paddle back in geologic time up the West Arm of Glacier Bay, considered by many to be the most spectacular area in all of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Only in a kayak—gliding past glittering icebergs—can paddlers get this close to whales and sea lions (you’re also likely to see seals, otter, migrating salmon and bald eagles). The nine-day voyage starts from Juneau and ventures by floatplane and charter boat to Glacier Bay. Daylight hours are devoted to following the retreat of the glaciers, with stops every so often to explore the mountains and wild beaches by foot. Nights mean camping under the stars.

Land, ho? As you near the end of your aquatic encounter, you'll say, land, no!

Departures: June 9–17, June 30–July 8, July 19–27, August 10–18.