This 8-day, 7-night cruise departs and returns to Petersburg, where we explore Frederick Sound and its humpback whale heaven. Join guide and photographer Jim Nahmens. On this cruise, you will learn about these giant creatures, their life cycle, anatomy, behaviors, and current research. 

Although whales are the focus of this trip, we will also include all the highlights, such as glaciers, wildlife, eagles, fishing, kayaking, beach walks, hot springs, amazing cuisine, and more. Click here to watch a video of this cruise.  Click here to watch a video of this cruise. 

We take you through the ice, closer to glaciers, and travel across waters where others can’t go due to the challenges of the sea with our 85 ft custom expedition yacht. This motor vessel is built for Alaska with a steel hull for bumping up against the ice and NIAD stabilizers for a comfortable cruise!

During our 50 years, we have accumulated over 800 US Forest Service permits, so we take you to remote areas other charters can't go.

Our 8-pole halibut permit allows you to catch that Alaskan "butt" halibut! Our Naturalist will share the facts and history of wildlife and Southeast Alaska. 

You will leave with a newfound experience of the freshest seafood caught from our Alaskan waters, incredible photographs, and, most importantly, the trip of a lifetime!

The M/V Northern Song is 85’ x 26’ x 10’ steel world cruiser with a capacity for 8-10 guests in four staterooms. There is a Master Suite with a queen-sized bed on the main deck with an ensuite bathroom and a separate bathtub stall and shower. There is the ability to add an extra cot in this stateroom.

There are three guest cabins on the lower deck with a full-size bed and a single upper bed,  and an ensuite bathroom with a separate shower stall. 

You will be picked up at your accommodation at 1:45 pm for a 2:00 pm departure. The boat will return to Petersburg at 2: 00 pm, from which you will be delivered to your lodging. 

Please send us a friendly email to let us know you are canceling. If we receive a cancellation not150 or more days before the departure date, your deposit will be refunded less a 10% cancellation fee of the total fare cost and any commissions. You may also transfer your reservation to another available date if you choose.  

Travelers will not receive a refund if cancellations are made 149 days or less before departure. Therefore we recommend getting travel insurance to protect your fare in case any unanticipated circumstances require you to cancel your trip. 

You will depart from Petersburg, Alaska, and explore Frederick Sound and all its beauty.  

Humpback whales congregate here to feed on massive schools of fish and krill. With some luck, you may see these endangered giants as they use bubble nets to execute their cooperative feeding attacks. Our guide will introduce you to the world of the humpback whale-it’s life cycle, anatomy, behaviors, migration, feeding strategies, and current research. He will also share the secrets of getting great whale photos!

You will go in search of all the amazing wildlife, but remember, we can not predict the wildlife and what we will see, but that is part of the adventure!   

You will explore the glaciers and bays filled with icebergs and wildlife. 

You will leave with a newfound experience of the freshest seafood from our Alaskan waters served at your table. 

Our all-inclusive chef will tailor a menu to your preferences. Seafood includes halibut, black cod, salmon, king crab, shrimp, Dungeness crab, and whatever else might be in season! 

 We will cruise Frederick Sound exploring the wildlife. You will see  Steller sea lions, otters, seals, porpoises, and multiple other bird species.  We can not predict the wildlife and what we will see, but that is part of the adventure!     

  You can explore the beaches and bays in a kayak, and our Naturalist will take you on adventures in the tender boats.   

The rocky shorelines, saltwater marshes, bogs, and woodlands of Southeast Alaska comprise a birder’s paradise.  The diversity of habitats ensures a wide variety of birds can be seen nearby, including large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds. Bald eagles are common in the Southeast; their numbers are measured in the thousands. 

Birds that are commonly seen.

• American Dipper
• Bald Eagle
• Belted Kingfisher
• Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
• Cormorant
• Black Oystercatcher
• Black Turnstone
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Common Loon
• Common Merganser
• Common Murre
• Fork-Tailed Storm Petrel
• Fox Sparrow
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Harlequin Duck
• Jaeger
• Long-Tailed Duck
• Marbled Murrelet
• Pigeon Guillemot
• Raven
• Red-Necked Phalarope
• Rufous Hummingbird
• Surfbird
• Surf Scoter
• White-Winged Scoter
• Winter Wren The

Have a glass of wine, play a game, read all the beautiful Alaskan books aboard the boat, edit your incredible photos, or just daydream! 

There will be the opportunity to get off the boat for a hike or beach walk. 

Our Naturalist will introduce you to Alaska’s natural history, geology, and flora, and fauna.