Silversea Luxury Cruises To KODIAK ISLAND (Alaska)

Explore the diverse wildlife and rugged natural beauty of Alaska during this panoramic, half-day, bear-viewing excursion via floatplane.

Kodiak Island, Flight-Seeing Tour, Bear- and Wildlife-Viewing

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 30-minute drive to the floatplane base. Upon arrival, receive your safety and flight instructions, and get outfitted with hip-boots. Afterward, board your floatplane and fly to the bear-viewing location. Bear-viewing is one of the most popular activities on Kodiak Island. The best time to see a Kodiak bear is during July, August and September, but they can be spotted as early as May/June, depending on the season and weather. Your bear-viewing experience lasts approximately four hours, including a scenic, approximately 50-minute floatplane ride in search of coastal brown bears on either Kodiak Island or the Katmai Coast.

Native Villages, Commercial Fishing Operations, Bears, Elks, Goats, Deer, Wildlife, Marine Life

During the flight, you are fitted with voice-activated headsets to enable communication with your experienced Alaskan bush pilot. Along the way, see native villages, commercial fishing operations, a variety of wildlife and marine life, and the ruggedly beautiful scenery for which Alaska is renowned. A professional wilderness guide accompanies you along the way. In addition to bears, other commonly-seen wildlife in this vicinity includes elks, goats and deer. Snacks and beverages are provided. Following your bear-viewing experience, re-board your floatplane and head back to the floatplane base. Upon arrival, re-board your coach and commence the approximately 30-minute drive back to the pier.

Join on this excursion for an unique deep-sea fishing experience off of Kodiak Island. The waters surrounding Kodiak are recognized around the world for the incredible game available for sport fishing. Experienced sport fishers from all parts of the globe travel to the Kodiak Archipelago for the chance to hook the famous fish dwelling here, including salmon, halibut, sea bass, ling cod and Pacific cod.

Kodiak Island Charters, your host for the day is the longest-running charter fishing operation in on the island. Walk from the ship (200 meters) and take a 10-minute bus ride to your boat for the day. Before leaving the harbor on the fishing vessel, verify your fishing license and receive a safety briefing.

Then it is time to depart the harbor and take a six-hour tour with an experienced captain and crew, who are present to assure your safety and comfort and share their knowledge of the Kodiak waters and the fish present here. The target fish for the day are salmon, halibut, ling cod, Pacific cod and sea bass. Any fish that you catch are bled and slush-iced at sea, then professionally processed ashore and boxed for shipping.

Take down time aboard your fishing vessel in the heated cabins and enjoy the roomy deck of this boat, which is well-suited for fishing. At the end of your productive day, make the return trip to the harbor and transfer to the ship.

Explore Kodiak's spectacular beauty and wartime history during this scenic hike through a section of the 183-acre (74-hectare) Fort Abercrombie State Park.

Depart the pier for the brief drive to the headquarters of Ft. Abercrombie State Park.

Ft. Abercrombie State Park

Upon arrival, your guide leads you on a hike along well-maintained natural and gravel trails offering breathtaking views and photo opportunities. The park's coastline is inhabited by a wide array of diverse seabird species, and whale sightings are frequently reported in this area throughout the season.

Military History

During your hiking tour, you can view World War II bunkers from Kodiak's wartime past. At the midpoint of your hike, a stop is made at the Miller Point Gun Placement, one of the largest bunkers in the park.

Another stretch of your walking tour leads you through forested areas with a 10% to 20% incline, and a 68-step staircase during the return hike to park headquarters. Upon arrival, re-board your transfer bus for the return drive to the pier.

Discover the natural and magnificent beauty that is Kodiak during this 2.5 hour long boat ride along its waterfront and barrier islands. You will be accompanied by a local naturalist guide and accomplished photographer / instructor along with her husband; a retired Harbourmaster, at the helm.

Depart the pier for the short ride to the location of the boat dock. Upon arrival guests will walk approximately 50 yards (46 metres) to board the vessel and commence the tour.

The classic 42-foot vessel boasts large picture windows and 360-degree views which provide guests with perfect viewing and excellent picture-taking opportunities of seabird rookeries, sea lion haul-outs, puffins, playful sea otters, the blue-domed Russian Orthodox Church, and activities along one of the country's busiest and most colourful fishing ports.

As Captain Marty navigates along the coastline sprinkled with spruce trees and wildflowers, you'll see why Kodiak is called Alaska's Emerald Isle. Many of Marion's award-winning photographs were taken along this route and she delights in helping guests take photos along the way. This unique and close-up boating experience also includes fishing vessels made famous by the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" show.

Discover Kodiak Island's diverse culture and sites of interest during this scenic, half-day tour of Kodiak City, Alaska's first Russian settlement.

Depart the pier for the drive past Cannery Row and the boat harbour en route to the city. Upon arrival, photo opportunities abound as you explore the city's historic landmarks, and Native American and Russian legacy. Your first stop is a visit to the Kodiak History Museum.

Kodiak History Museum

See Kodiak's rich history, from Alutiiq culture and the Russian colonial period to the early American era, WWII and the present day. The Kodiak History Museum is located within Kodiak's 200-year-old National Historic Landmark building known as the Russian American Magazin, or the Erskine House. Museum employees, along with your guide, are on-hand to assist you as you view Kodiak history through a multitude of displays and photographs.

Fort Abercrombie

Following your visit, a short drive north takes you to Fort Abercrombie, a historic defense installation for the North Pacific during World War II. At the Bunker Museum, you can take in sweeping panoramic vistas of both land and sea.

Alutiiq Museum

Your tour continues with a visit to the Alutiiq Museum for an in-depth look at Alaska's native culture.

Fisheries Research Touch Tank and Aquarium

This venue provides an up close and personal look at a variety of local sea life, from sea stars to halibut to crab. The touch tank is a favorite of visitors young and old; giving all the opportunity to "meet" a wide array of creatures.

Following your visit, re-board the bus for the return drive to the pier.

The Kodiak Archipelago is 177 miles long, comprising of at least 26 different islands, the largest of which is Kodiak. Kodiak Island, known as the Emerald Island for its verdant mountains and lush vegetation stands apart from most of Alaska.

​

The city of Kodiak, population 13,000, is located on the northeast side Kodiak Island. There are only 40 miles of road to drive once you make it to Kodiak, but several million acres of wilderness that you can only see from the air.

The island undergoes a dramatic change in vegetation from its northern end to its southern end. ​

Kodiak hosts a variety of fascinating geographic features: glaciers, waterfalls cascading into the ocean, silvery granite ridges, pristine blue alpine lakes and massive cliff faces meeting the ocean. Two bodies of water, the Shelikof Strait to the west and the Gulf of Alaska to the east border the Kodiak Archipelago.

During the flight, you are fitted with voice-activated headsets to enable communication with your experienced Alaskan bush pilot. Flying over the island, you might see fin whales and humpback whales feeding, orcas, sea lions, and massive flocks of sea birds as they feed on migrating fish. While flying overland, you might see mountain goats, bears, Sitka black-tail deer, otters and eagles.​

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 30-minute drive to the floatplane base. Upon arrival, receive your safety and flight instructions, and get outfitted with hip-boots. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Go on a truly Alaskan adventure, exploring the wildlife of the waters surrounding the Kodiak Archipelago, a grouping of 25 islands off Alaska's southern coast. Board a high-speed boat and have your camera ready to capture the incredible wildlife that awaits you in the water and along the shore, from sea birds to sea lions, whales and more.

Your guide is an Alaskan native with more than 30 years of experience and extensive knowledge of local history and the regional industry of commercial fishing. Receive a guided, 3-hour tour on your sightseeing vessel that includes a heated cabin for comfort as well as outside seating for optimal wildlife viewing. Get a tour of the harbor (where many of the famous king crab boats from the "Deadliest Catch" moor for the summer) before heading out to the Bering Sea.

Motoring out of the harbor on your boat visit the nearby bird rookeries abundant with birdlife, including two varieties of puffins (tufted and horned) as well as kittiwakes, all nesting on the steep-faced cliffs of the surrounding islands. As you gaze upwards you may spot one of the impressive bald eagles that call the Sitka spruce trees home.

As you voyage into deeper waters keep your eyes peeled for the active and ample marine life that can be spotted, including several species of whale like orca, minke and humpback. You may also spot sea lions, sea otters lounging ashore.

There is also history to be seen on this tour, including World War II gunneries perched atop the cliffs of some of the smaller islands your boat passes. With his deep knowledge, your guide has a great deal of information to share about all that you pass by - so just ask!

Return to the port with a full camera roll, feeling refreshed and inspired by all the beauty you have seen.

Cannery Row, Kodiak boat harbor, Downtown Kodiak

Begin your 90 minute walking tour at your ship and proceed down Cannery Row, past the seafood processing plants which are the lifeblood of Kodiak's economy. Learn about the 1912 Katmai volcanic eruption, the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami, and the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

Harbor sites, Alaskan fishermen

Get up close to fishing boats and learn about the catches, the storms and the men and boats lost at sea in the most dangerous occupation in the United States. Examine foul weather gear, survival equipment, and hooks, nets, and crab pots, while real Alaskan fishermen work nearby. Walk through the Kodiak boat harbor and end at the Fishermen's Memorial in front of the Harbormaster Building in downtown Kodiak. From here, proceed back by bus to the ship or explore Kodiak's downtown on your own. The tour route is approximately one mile long.

Explore the rugged beauty and history of Kodiak from a unique perspective during this scenic and informative wildlife cruise.

Depart the pier for the brief transfer to a small boat harbour. Upon arrival, walk from the harbour ramp to the boat stall. After receiving your boating and safety instructions, embark your boat with your naturalist guide and commence the 2.5-hour, approximately eight-mile (about 13-kilometre) cruise from Kodiak to Long Island. En route, cruise down Kodiak's main channel, and pass by fish canneries and fishing boats.

Upon arrival at Long Island, view several World War II bunkers and gun mounts. Afterward, a photo stop is made to observe Stellar sea lions. As you circle the island your guide points out seabirds and other mammals including; harbour seals, sea otters and whales along with interesting commentary about your surroundings.

The heated, 43-foot (13-metre) vessel U-Rascal is ideal for viewing wildlife, either from the warm, comfortable cabin with easily-accessible restroom or the 360-degree walk-around Observation Deck.

Your tour concludes with a sightseeing cruise around Neal Island and Woody Island before returning to the boat harbour. Upon arrival, disembark your boat and transfer back to the pier.

Kodiak, Sightseeing Cruise, Archipelago, Marine Wildlife, Seabirds, Fish, Whales, Seals

Depart the pier aboard a comfortable, approximately 40-foot-long (about 12 metre-long) boat with a heated cabin and full, walk-around deck, then begin your approximately two-hour marine wildlife sightseeing tour around the surrounding archipelago. During your search of Kodiak's abundant marine wildlife, look for bald eagles, Arctic terns, puffins, sea otters, Steller sea lions, harbour seals, and a large variety of seabirds. The waters surrounding Kodiak Island are also home to Alaskan halibut weighing more than 400 pounds, five species of salmon, huge ling cod, a vast array of other rockfish, and several different whale species, including humpbacks and an occasional orca. The vessel provides a safe platform from which to view and photograph Kodiak's wildlife.

Fisheries, World War II Bunkers and Placements

Kodiak is also home to a thriving fishing industry; its many fisheries, along with several historical bunkers and placements from World War II, are easily visible from the water. In addition, learn about Kodiak's cultural and historical facets, and take in the breath-taking natural beauty that surrounds you in this wild island archipelago. Refreshments and snacks are served on board. Your tour concludes back at the pier.

This tour is a rare opportunity to learn of the Kodiak's first people, known as the Aleut (a name given by the Russians), or the more modern Alutiiq people. The original inhabitants of the Kodiak Archipelago, the Alutiiq people have lived in the region for over 7,500 years, keeping their traditions and culture alive to share with each successive generation. The Alutiiq history is interwoven with that of Russian influence, and this is reflected in the traditions of this people that live on. Learn also of the impact World War II made on this first people, as well as modern attempts to create sustainable energy resources.

Wind Turbines at Pillar Mountain

Make three fascinating stops on your tour today, traveling via van transport by 30 minutes to your first destination to see the Kodiak's six wind turbines, which are perched atop Pillar Mountain. Receive a narrated guided tour of the Alutiiq people from a local Alutiiq guide as you travel. At the peak of Pillar Mountain enjoy stunning views of the archipelago and learn the story of how this majestic place earned its name.

Fort Abercrombie

Drive next for 20 minutes to visit World War II ruins at Fort Abercrombie, situated at the tip of Spruce Cape. Learn about the impact of Kodiak's military history on the Alutiiq people, and if interested and able, hike to a few of the cannon and bunker ruins that still remain decades after WWII. There are more sweeping ocean views to take in at this fort, and you may see a healthy sample of Kodiak's wildlife on land or even whales in the surrounding waters, which are a major feeding site for them.

Afognak Village

Drive 20 minutes to the main tribal office for the Afognak Village. Kodiak is home to ten federally recognized Tribes, including Afognak. Visit their tribal offices, which has been relocated from its original site on Afognak island that was destroyed in a 1964 tsunami.

On the journey to the Afognak Tribe, learn more about the Alutiiq people, including how this tribal nation was impacted by statehood and how it thrives in the midst of the forces of colonization. At this site, there will be merchandise and local Alutiiq art for purchase as well as within a short walking distance, you can visit several neighboring sites, such as the Alutiiq Ancestors Memorial, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Alutiiq Museum and the Kodiak History Museum.

Visit with local Alutiiq people, take photographs of key sites and enjoy the chance to peruse and possibly make a purchase of Alutiiq art and souvenirs. Make the brief 10-minute drive to return to the ship.