Birds, Bears & Barnacles (Guided in Japanese)

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

WHAT YOU VISIT
The Raptor Center
See eagles and other injured raptors being nursed back to health at the Alaska Raptor Center, a rehab and education center on 17 acres on the edge of Tongass National Forest. Once you arrive, a knowledgeable wildlife interpreter will guide you through the Bald Eagle Flight Building where you'll come face-to-face with owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, ravens and other "raptors in residence." Then, watch in awe as a handler delicately balances a raptor on his gloved hand during a special question and answer presentation.

The Fortress of the Bear
Observe bears in a naturalized setting at the Fortress of the Bear sanctuary where injured and orphaned bears come to recuperate. From the safety of the large covered viewing platform you can watch as experienced naturalists share their love and knowledge of these often feared, yet most revered forest creatures.

Sitka Sound Science Center
For a look at what lives under Alaska's crystal blue waters you'll visit the Sitka Sound Science Center, home of an active salmon hatchery, saltwater aquariums, and live fish touch tanks that display unusual marine species like rockfish, sculpins (also known as sea scorpions for their spine-covered head and gills), and wolf-eels, which can grow eight feet long!

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
At the Raptor Center's 20,000-square-foot aviary, you can spy on rehabilitating birds as they stretch their wings, bathe in the stream, preen their feathers, and fly from one perch to another through the soundproof viewing corridor with one-way glass.

Be sure to scan the skies as you visit Fortress of the Bear – bald eagles sometimes dive into the bear's habitat looking to grab some of their lunch.

Wanda, the resident wolf-eel at the Sitka Sound Science Center, is very photogenic as she swims around the 800-gallon saltwater aquarium.

WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY
As your coach makes it way around town, you'll be accompanied by 3,200-foot-tall Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano that sits west of Sitka on Kruzof Island.

As your fun and educational adventure comes to an end, you'll return to your ship with a better understanding of the creatures great and small that call Sitka their home.

Special Notes:

Tour order may vary.

Unaccompanied Minors Policy: Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.