Sitka Wonders provides yacht support in Sitka, Alaska: naturalist guides who join your vessel, permitted shore landings and hikes in the Tongass National Forest, tendering for guests and crew on our custom landing craft, and connections to the scientists and local experts who know this coast. Whether your vessel is here for a day or a week, we work directly with captains, charter managers, and travel advisors to give your guests the most meaningful time possible in Sitka.
Most guests come hoping to see whales. A naturalist helps them understand what they are watching: why this whale is here, what it is feeding on, how to read the next surfacing, and what the seabirds working the same water are telling you. A trained naturalist joins your vessel for the day or the passage, gives a talk in the salon, and answers every question at dinner.
Sitka is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, and the best of this coast is on remote public land far from the cruise ship crowds: the beaches, the tidepools, the old-growth forest. We hold the permits for beach landings and hikes on public land in the Tongass, and our landing craft puts guests safely on remote shorelines with a naturalist leading the way.
Guests who have been everywhere are hard to impress with another scenic stop. What they remember is meeting the people who connect them with the real heart of a place. We arrange time with marine scientists, conservation leaders, artists, and local experts, so your guests don't just learn about Sitka, they feel connected to it.
We run pickup and drop-off for guests and crew alongside your vessel at anchor, at Sitka's harbors, at the airport, or at remote float plane bays, so you can keep your schedule.
Sitka Sound is big, and the wildlife moves with the tide, the season, and the weather. Where the whales are feeding this week, where bears can be found, where the sea otters raft when the wind comes up: this is knowledge that comes from being out here every day of the season. We put it to work for your guests, so the day is spent watching wildlife rather than searching for it.
Your guests want great photos of their trip, and they want to enjoy the moment instead of experiencing it behind a screen. With our founder and professional photographer Ben Hamilton aboard, they get both. Ben has spent nearly two decades photographing this coast for National Geographic and the BBC, and guides photography workshops throughout the season. Your guests put the phone down and watch, and they go home with a professionally shot record of their time in Alaska that no one else on the dock can offer. For guests who shoot, a private session with Ben on the water is worth the trip on its own.
Meet the Team
Founder & Filmmaker
Ben is an Emmy-winning wildlife cinematographer who has filmed this coast for National Geographic, the BBC, the Smithsonian, and the US Forest Service for nearly two decades. He founded Sitka Wonders to share that time in the field with visitors, and he leads our photography sessions and multi-day expeditions.
Captain & Naturalist
Ellena is a USCG licensed captain and a trained ecologist with a lifelong interest in wildlife. Her enthusiasm for guiding is contagious, and she connects visitors to this ecosystem day after day.
Captain & Naturalist
Brandon is a USCG 100-ton master with years on Southeast Alaska waters. He is a passionate guide who handles vessel operations and beach landings, and he knows the anchorages and shorelines of Sitka Sound intimately.
Your Support Vessel
MV Wonder Seeker was built in Sitka, Alaska to reach the wildest parts of this coast comfortably and safely. Whatever your guests' age or ability, she is ready to deliver them to their destination. She is stable, warm, and rugged, and built for beach landings, wildlife viewing, photography, and filmmaking.
Rates and Partner Kit
Captains, charter managers, and travel advisors receive net rates on all of our services, plus a partner kit with photos, service descriptions, and vessel specifications ready to drop into a proposal. Send us your vessel, your dates in Sitka, and the kind of day you have in mind, and you will have the rate card and a proposed plan within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 (907) 759 5034 or email info@sitkawonders.com.
Yes. We pick up and drop off alongside your vessel at anchor in Sitka Sound, at Crescent Harbor downtown, or at the airport. Tell us your anchorage and schedule and we will confirm the plan with your captain.
Yes. Sitka Wonders holds the permits for beach landings and guided hikes on public land in the Tongass National Forest, and our landing craft is built to put guests directly onto remote shorelines with a naturalist leading the walk.
As soon as your Sitka dates are set. Summer weeks fill months ahead, and naturalist placements and multi-day itineraries take the most planning. Send your dates through the form and you will have a proposed plan and rates within 48 hours.