Beyond the champagne and caviar, one of the differentiators for Seabourn is the Ventures program, which consists of highly credentialed knowledgeable guides leading zodiac trips (i.e. on rigid inflatable speedboats) and kayak trips. Right from the ship. So you don’t need to go to ports with a big tour infrastructure, the ship just hangs out in a particularly scenic area, they bring out the boats, and off you go.
Our first pre-booked kayak trip was not until 4 days into the cruise, around the Inian Islands. As soon as we were onboard, we knew we couldn’t wait that long. We were chomping at the bit to get into those kayaks and out onto the water, so we booked an extra trip in the Misty Fjords wilderness area.
Misty Fjords
It was such a gorgeous sunny day, the mist that gives the Misty Fjords their name wasn’t really happening. When some mist and fog swirled in later, I was actually quite glad to see it (fickle, I know!).
A very sunny day in Misty Fjords, courtesy of our ship’s photographer and his drone (gives you a far better idea than any of my shots)
And the Misty Fjords looking misty and mysterious later in the day
This being a trip from a cruise ship where creature comforts are upmost, and liability being what it is in the US, all kayakers are required to wear drysuits. Impossible to look good in neck to toe orange, but it makes you feel the part. After an initial safety briefing and paddle technique overview (paddle goes in at the feet, out at the seat), we were ushered into the zodiac. So we got a little speedboat ride in too 🙂
The zodiac towed the kayaks behind us to a sheltered area from which we could maneuver from the zodiac into the 2 person sea kayaks. I pitched this somewhere between ‘could be entertaining’ to ‘surely a recipe for disaster’. But it was surprisingly straightforward and no one fell in. Not even me.
The water was deep dark and glassy, like paddling over a mirror at times. The granite rock towered above us (and below us, the reflections being what they were). Some of it was heavily forested while other areas formed sheer near-vertical cliffs – according to John Muir, the Yosemite of Alaska. With just the gentle plink of the paddle entering the water, it was incredibly peaceful and the vast surrounding wilderness reminded us of just how small and insignificant we are. And then we were brought back to our senses by a nearby splash, as an inquisitive seal popped up near our kayak. He stared at us and sniffed with his nose in the air, probably wondering what sort of banana yellow and orange creature we were. Plenty of other seals followed suit and we also spotted a mink running along the shoreline. Quite happy we managed to sneak a cheeky extra kayak trip in.
So beautiful, like drifting over glass
Look harder, there’s at least 3 seals in this pic!
Inian Islands
The Inian Islands lie perched near the entrance to Glacier Bay, where the Inside Passage meets the Gulf of Alaska. The intersection of these chilly waters gives rise to ideal conditions for marine life, including (bring it on…) whales.
Once again, the anticipation was building as we watched the zodiacs being lowered from the aft deck of the Seabourn Sojourn.
A sliver of low mist clung to the water, such a great sight as we boarded the zodiac and left the ship. Right on cue, there in the distance was a humpback whale arching gracefully through the water, showing off his tail fluke as he dived deeper in search of food. By the time we got to the kayaks, the ship itself was shrouded in cloud, just a tell-tale silhouette belying its existence. Magical.
Can’t take credit for this awesome pic, this is courtesy of our guide – but we’re in it, over on the right
The paddling was a different experience from the Misty Fjords. Slightly more exertion required as this was more open water, although nowhere near approaching the near death experience of some of Darren’s previous personalized tours. We were still relishing the surreal and serene atmosphere from the mist when we heard a loud crashing noise. Turns out it was a humpback whale tail slapping the water – too far away for us to see but the echo had carried a few miles, booming out across the water loud and clear at sea level.
When we paddled into shallower waters, we spottted a sea otter, chilling out on his back, minding his own business. A shy creature, he didn’t hang around for long to check us out – or for us to check him out.
No more whale experiences in the kayak, but in the zodiac on the way back, we saw a number of birds circling up ahead. This can sometimes be a sign of a whale feeding below, so we detoured to get closer. Sure enough, out pops a humpback, giving us a great close up show.
We were due back at the ship, the officers onboard radioing us patiently but persistently for an ETA. You’ve gotta give the Ventures team their due – if there’s a whale hanging out right by your boat, you’re not about to up and leave until you’ve had one last sighting. #static crackle… “sorry what was that, you’re breaking up”. He he 😉
So we eked out our last whale experience… up he popped, and as he deep dived, he gave us a wave goodbye with his tail. #static crackle… “sorry, lost you there for a minute. On our way back, ETA 5 minutes. Over.”
