Four hours exploring Sitka's incredible marine wildlife with a remote beach landing.
Duration
4 Hours
Group Size
1-6 Guests
Starting At
$2,200
Explore the Wild Side of Sitka, Alaska
Leave the crowds behind and experience the wilder side of Sitka’s coast on this small group private 4 hour whale watching and wildlife boat and remote island beach adventure.
Traveling through the rugged islands that weave through Alaska's coast, we’ll watch for whales, sea otters, bears, sea lions, and seabirds while learning how these waters shape life along the coast.
Our route follows the weather and tide, and each trip we land on a remote beach for a snack and a short walk through driftwood and tidepools.
With plenty of time to explore, photograph, or simply take in the silence, this trip offers a rare look at Sitka’s untamed beauty. Guided by an expert naturalist, it’s a chance to slow down, connect with nature, and experience Alaska away from the crowds
All tours depart from Crescent Harbor, steps from the cruise shuttle drop-off at Centennial Hall. Dress in layers and bring a camera. We provide everything else.
Meet your crew on the northeast side of Centennial Hall, facing Crescent Harbor. Look for our mustard gold Sitka Wonders jackets. We're just steps from the cruise shuttle drop-off. Quick safety briefing, and we're underway into Sitka Sound.
Your guide reads the conditions and takes us where the wildlife is active. Some days that means open water with feeding humpbacks. Other days we follow sea lions through island channels or spot bears working the shoreline. When conditions allow, we push toward the outer islands near St. Lazaria, where more than 500,000 seabirds, including tufted puffins, nest on volcanic cliffs. The route is never the same twice.
The bow drops onto a remote beach. No dock, no trail, and the only footprints are from wild animals. Walk the tideline, explore tidepools, or just sit and take in the quiet. We share what the forest and tide have revealed and what's happening in the ecosystem around us. This is the part of the coast most visitors never see.
Heading back, the pace eases. We cruise close along island edges, through kelp beds and sheltered coves. More wildlife often shows itself on the return. Otters floating in calm water. Eagles watching from the treeline. Back to Crescent Harbor with time to spare before your ship departs.
Every trip is shaped by tide, weather, and wildlife. No two are exactly the same.
Unique Add Ons to Private Sitka Wonders Tours
$1000
Ben joins your group and photographs the wildlife, the adventure, and natural portraits of your day. You receive 30 fully edited photos within a week, so you can simply be present.
$600
Ben coaches your group on your own cameras or phones, from settings and composition to reading wildlife behavior, so you are ready when something happens. Any camera, any skill level.
Full refund with 48 hours notice. Mention add-ons when you book, or call or text (907) 759-5034. Busy cruise ship days fill early, so check your date first.
Meet Our Crew
Captain & Naturalist
Ellena is a USCG licensed captain and a trained ecologist. She reads the water for whales, loves the questions kids ask, and connects guests to this coast day after day.
Captain & Guide
Brandon is a USCG 100-ton master with years on Southeast Alaska waters. He runs our landing craft and puts the bow on the beach, so stepping ashore is a short walk down a ramp.
Founder & Cinematographer
Ben is a wildlife cinematographer who has filmed this coast for National Geographic and the BBC for nearly two decades, and was a cinematographer on the Emmy-winning series Secrets of the Whales. He founded Sitka Wonders to connect visitors with this place in a deeper way, and guides our multi-day trips and photography add-ons.
Our team rotates across tours, so who takes you out depends on the day.
Your Vessel
MV Wonder Seeker was built in Sitka, Alaska to reach the wildest parts of this coast comfortably and safely. Whatever your groups 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, and photography. .
Sitka Wonders is a family owned, small-group wildlife tour company in Sitka, Alaska, founded by award-winning wildlife filmmaker Ben Hamilton. Here is what shapes every trip we run, starting with what matters most to us.
We are naturalists, captains, and expedition leaders, led by wildlife filmmaker Ben Hamilton, and we have built our lives around connecting people with wild places because we love them.
With six guests at most, there is no loudspeaker and no crowd blocking the view. We want to get to know our guests and connect them with the reason they came to Alaska: to experience real wilderness.
Every trip runs with a USCG licensed captain, and both of our boats have heated cabins for rainy days, non-slip decks, and all necessary safety equipment, including life jackets in every size.
We don't just want to check a box for visitors. We want to share the story behind what you see, from why humpbacks feed in these waters to how salmon help grow the rainforest, so you leave understanding this coast and life in a deeper way.
We follow federal viewing guidelines, including staying at least 100 yards from marine mammals, and we work to leave every beach and trail cleaner than we found it, following Leave No Trace principles.
We partner with Sitka's conservationists, scientists, and locals to support long-term research and protection of this environment, and we donate a portion of every trip to support these causes.
How We Compare
Islands of Wonder is a private tour priced at $2,200 per group for up to six guests. The price includes the 4-hour guided tour, a remote beach landing, a trained naturalist guide, snacks and hot drinks, binoculars, safety equipment, and all park and permit fees. Optional add-ons include extra time on the water at $500 per hour, the Sitka Photo Package at $1,000, and photo coaching at $600.
Sitka Wonders tours regularly encounter humpback whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles, and seabirds in Sitka Sound. Longer trips like Islands of Wonder can reach the outer islands near St. Lazaria, where tufted puffins nest in summer. In August and September, brown bears are sometimes seen along the shoreline. Wildlife is never guaranteed, and each trip follows whatever is active that day.
On Islands of Wonder, the Wonder Seeker's bow ramp lowers onto a remote beach, so you step off the front of the boat directly onto the shore with no dock or ladder. You spend about an hour ashore walking the tideline, exploring tidepools, and having a snack, with the landing site chosen by weather and tide. Wear shoes that can handle wet sand and rocks.
Yes. Islands of Wonder runs on the Wonder Seeker, which has a marine toilet on board.
Yes. Sitka Wonders day tours return to Crescent Harbor at least 90 minutes before your ship departs, and every tour includes our back-to-ship guarantee. The meeting point is about a one-minute walk from the cruise shuttle drop-off. For private tours, we set the departure time around your ship's schedule.
Sitka Wonders day tours meet between Crescent Harbor and Centennial Hall in downtown Sitka. When you step off the cruise shuttle, face Centennial Hall and go to its left side, where our crew waits in mustard gold jackets holding a Sitka Wonders sign. Please arrive 15 minutes before your departure time.
Yes. Every Sitka Wonders day tour includes light snacks, water, and hot drinks such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Meals are not included, so we suggest eating before your tour.
Wear warm layers, a waterproof rain jacket, and non-slip shoes, because weather on Sitka Sound changes quickly and rain gear is not provided. Bring a camera if you have one. We provide binoculars, snacks, hot drinks, and all safety equipment. On Islands of Wonder, wear shoes that can handle wet sand and rocks for the beach landing.
Sitka Wonders tours run in rain and wind, which are normal in Southeast Alaska, and the boat has a heated enclosed cabin where you can stay dry between sightings. If our captain decides conditions on the water are unsafe, we cancel the tour and you receive a full refund.
Every Sitka Wonders day tour carries a maximum of six guests. Your crew includes a USCG-licensed captain and a trained naturalist, so there is room at the windows and time for everyone's questions.
Every Sitka Wonders tour requires stepping on and off a boat, which can be difficult, so our tours are not suitable for guests with severe mobility limitations. Islands of Wonder also includes a beach landing, where guests step off the bow onto the shore. Children are welcome. Children under 3 often lose patience on longer rides, so we recommend families with very young children book a private tour so the trip can be adjusted.
You receive a full refund if you cancel a Sitka Wonders day tour more than 48 hours before departure. Cancellations within 48 hours of departure are not refunded. If we cancel a tour because of weather or staffing, you receive a full refund.
Call, text, or email. If we don't answer, we're out on the water, lost in a little wonder ourselves. We'll call you as soon as we're in signal range again.
Call or Text Us
(907) 759-5034Or email us at info@sitkawonders.com