Wildlife Experience on an Alaska Cruise with HX Expeditions
Let Erin and Phil book this same experience for you, personally! We started ABC Trips to offer our bespoke itineraries to those seeking authentic culture, epic landscapes, and uncompromising luxury. 👉🏼 https://abctrips.com They told us bald eagles are as common as pigeons here in Southeast Alaska. Zero lies detected. It started when our Zodiac driver’s radio crackled: “possible fuzzies 300 meters over.” That’s crew lingo for when someone spots a bear. She nosed our Zodiac into a cove in the Keku Islands, and there he was — a black bear combing the rocks for clams, because the salmon run's barely started and he's running on empty. Looks like a teddy bear. Probably doesn’t cuddle like one. Next stop, Kake. No, not a snack break — Kake’s the little island town where one of the onboard guides told me to look for the salmon hatchery and offered a bold promise — "that's where the bears will be." I matched her satellite photo up with my Google Maps, found the exact spot, and sure enough: salmon, bears, red-tailed hawks, and bald eagles stacked along the same stretch. Pivot one way, black bear. Pivot back, bald eagle in a tree. The wildlife density here is bangin’. Then the Inian Islands — not “Indian Island,” which is farther north — this is “Inian” without a “D.” It’s a tidal choke point that pulls nutrient-rich water up from the ocean floor and turns the whole nabe into a wildlife buffet. Stellar sea lions basking, harbor seals looking super suss, and sea otters everywhere. I call them "the Yorkshire terriers of the sea" because they know how cute they are but still want you to say it. They fluff up their fur to trap air for warmth, then grab onto kelp so they don't drift off in the current. Adorbs, with a survival plan. Here's the thing Erin always says: if you're not up for anything, you're gonna miss everything. And on this ship, HX gives every guest an excursion or two per day — so the only things that pass you by are the ones you’re watching through binoculars. Wanna experience your own Alaska wildlife jackpot? That's basically our whole deal at abctrips.com. Guidance, planning, discounts, perks. Poke the bear and we’ll help you out. Follow the channel so you don't miss the finale in this series: our favorite off-ship adventures, on land and on the water. And if this video hits, the full expedition film's on our YouTube channel. Browse our unheard of last-minute deals on vacations, resorts, and adventure cruises around the world: https://abctrips.com/