Day 1
Transport to St. Herman Harbor, board Adventure Alaska’s boat Single Star and get settled in your stateroom. Join the captain and crew for orientation and safety briefing in the
Day 2
Anchor up. We’ll have breakfast while cruising through the steep-walled shores of Kupreanof Straits. Time will be taken to view and photograph sea otters, and whales, and watch for bears walking the rocky shorelines at low tides. You will cross Shelikoff Strait, hopefully catching a glimpse of whales, puffins, dahl porpoise, and sea birds. We will arrive at Katmai National Park, anchor down and eat lunch. From there we will launch skiff and set off to shore to explore for brown bears and more wildlife. In the evening, we will return to Single Star for dinner.
Day 3, 4, & 5
We will spend the next 3 days anchored in protected bays. Each day you will have two 3-5 hour shore excursions in our 21-ft. landing craft style boat and be guided by our own KSP Certified Guides to observe the bears and wildlife in their natural habitat.
The bays will be chosen by the Captain with an emphasis on bear activity and weather and tide conditions. These bays may include
- Halo Bay – A spectacular wide open bay with large meadows glacial mountainous background. Bears are found eating sedges in the meadows and digging clams along the shoreline during low tides.
- Kukak Bay – Large deep wide bay, site of an abandoned clam cannery circa 1923-36, provides hiking along game trails and opportunities to photograph bears eating berries from low bushes, eating sedges along the shoreline or digging clams. Marine mammals, eagles, and wolves may be sighted.
- Kuliak Bay – A deep narrow bay that is very scenic and secluded with close bear activity along the
stream and outer shoreline. - Kaflia Bay – Rockie shoreline where bears roll over and pick up rocks to find small crabs and other edibles prior to salmon arriving in late July.
- Geographic Harbor – Deep natural harbor lined with tall basalt cliffs and visible volcanic ash fields from the 1912 Novarupta volcanic eruption. This harbor has spectacular scenery with a large open delta for viewing and photographing bears, birds and other wildlife.
All of these bays have rivers or streams with salmon returning from late July through September.
These daily guided shore-based activities will include a short skiff ride to the beach and may include photography, bear viewing, wildlife viewing, birding, beach combing, tidal pool exploration, plus coastal cruising aboard Single Star. Each day’s activities are based on the current weather, tide, currents and guest requests. All shore-based excursions are guided.
Day 6
Early morning shore excursion focused on what guests want to cap off their adventure with. Brown Bears vs. Eagles vs. Landscape dictated by weather and tides. Afternoon anchor up as we cruise across Shelikoff Straits to Kodiak Archipelago, depending on the weather we will either travel via Shuyak Islands or Kupreanof Straits. We will anchor for the night. Both routes have an abundance of marine wildlife and birds plus unending geological formations with beautiful landscapes.
Day 7
Anchor up and return to St. Herman Harbor by noon. Transport to Kodiak airport or lodging.