Port Excursions for Our Spirit of Alaska
Cruise
Accompanied by Our Amazing Speakers
Enjoy your time at
port with "Spirit of Alaska Cruise" participants. These Shore
Excursions will be accompanied by our most popular speakers. There
will be an extra fee for these awesome events.
We will dock at three ports:
Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria,
BC. There Divine Travels is offering specific shore
excursions for our "Spirit of Alaska" group. By booking one of
these shore excursions, you can enjoy touring with like-minded
individuals who are taking the Seminar-at-Sea.
"Mendenhall
Glacier and Shamanic Ritual at the
Beach"
PLUS "Spirit of the Tlingit Tribe Program," featuring honored Tlingit clan elders and
leaders
Excursion accompanied by
Denise Linn
6.5-Hour Tour
12:15 PM to 6:30 PM
Includes box lunch and entrance fees Wear or Bring Rain Gear for Glacier
Visit
ITINERARY:
-
12:15 PM: Gather for
walk to bus
-
12:30 PM: Bus ride
from port to Mendenhall Glacier
- 1:00 PM: Reach glacier. Short walk to a stunning, scenic beach
for a shamanic ceremony.
- 1:30 PM: Free time to explore
- 2:30 PM: Board bus and enjoy box lunch
- 3:00 PM: Reach Auke Lake and begin Tlingit tribe program at
beautiful facility on the Lake
- 6:00 PM: Board bus to return to ship, or to Tracy's Crab Shack
near the dock (dinner not included)
FEES:
$199, if paid by June 1, if space
is still available
Space is limited, so Register NOW
We will begin our
tour by traveling from the dock by bus to the stunning Mendenhall
Glacier, which we will experience up close and personal. This is
the only glacier in Alaska that can be accessed by road. We will
take a walk to the beach where we can view the glacier. That is
where we will enjoy a shamanic ceremony led by one of our
speakers.
You will have free
time to explore that Mendenhall Glacier recreation
area, which includes wilderness trails and viewpoints of the
glacier and Nugget Creek falls. Spend time at the Mendenhall
Glacier Visitor Center, where we can watch a brief film on
glaciations and the Mendenhall's inclusion in the 1,500-square mile
Juneau icefield.
We will then board
our bus and enjoy a lovely box lunch catered by one of the
highest-rated restaurants in Juneau.
We will then make our way to the
stunning shores of Auke Lake. Auke is a derivative
of the Tlingit word for "little lake," or "Aak'w." The Auk'w Kwaan
is one of 14 Tlingit tribes in Southeast Alaska and resided near
the lake in historic times. The Auk people landed in Auk Bay around
1564 and occupied a village and fish camp along Auke Lake where the
campus of the University of Alaska Southeast and the facility where
we will hold our program now reside.
It is on the site
of this ancient sacred land where we will enjoy our inspirational
cultural and spiritual event. On the shores of Auke Lake, local indigenous Tlingit
tribe clan elder and leaders will educate, inspire, and uplift us
with storytelling, music, dance, and spiritual awakening.
Here are
our leaders for this amazing event:
This event will be
led by famed Tlingit elder David Katzeek
(Kingeistí) is well-known for his years of service and leadership
in the Tlingit community and as a clan leader for the Eagle Moiety,
Shangukeidí Clan of Klukwan, AK. Katzeek is a Chilkat Eagle Tlingit
of the Shangukeidí Clan from the Thunderbird House, the House
Lowered by the Sun, and the Tree Bark House in Chilkat Kwáan
Klukwan, Alaska. Katzeek is passionate about sharing traditional
stories, the Tlingit language, and through them, knowledge -
scientific and otherwise - passed down for
millennia.
Katzeek says the
essence of Tlingit spirituality is this: Everything has a spirit.
"We have words for it," Katzeek says, speaking the phrase first in
Tlingit, then English. "I have the spirit within me." In the
Tlingit tradition, Katzeek said the words he spoke came not from
him, but from his teachers and ancestors. "Because the spirit of
humbleness is acknowledging those who taught you," he said. "Those
who loved you enough to sit with you, and share with you beautiful
jewels that you can experience, that you can have, that you can
enjoy, that you can use, that you can
apply."
Katzeek was the
first president of the Sealaska Heritage Foundation (now the
Sealaska Heritage Institute), serving in that job from 1982-1992.
Since that time he has been a financial and cultural consultant. He
has been a consultant to numerous Tlingit organizations. He has
served on the Sealaska Heritage Institute's Council of Traditional
Scholars for nearly two decades. He has devoted much of his time in
the past decade to education, especially within the K-12 education
system in the Juneau School District.
Tlingit elder and storyteller
Paul Marks is Raven moeity, Chookaneidi-Yadi and
Yeil Hit (child of the Chookaneidi and member of the Yeil house).
He is a teacher, woodcarver, and translator. But one of the most
important aspects of being Tlingit, he says, is harder to
articulate, and not quantifiable. It has to do with absorbing
stories and their meaning, and making them a part of how you
interact with the world. His first language is Tlingit; he had to
learn English when he first started school. Marks is a fourth
generation woodcarver. His father, Willie, was a well-regarded
traditional carver. He carved his first totem pole, which was about
an inch high, with a butcher knife, and has been carving regularly
since he was around 10. "it was still in Tlingit thought because it
was his main thought pattern," Marks said."In Tlingit the depth of thought is
beyond what we see," Marks says. "That's what the artwork is – when
you look at the artwork you don't see the surface. That's why it's
not realistic. It's as if you're seeing through the particular
creature you're carving." Through the Tlingit stories, Marks says,
"is how we were taught our standards, values, principles," he said.
"How to live, how to understand the world, how to understand
humanity."
Ishmael Hope, born in Sitka,
Alaska, and living in Juneau, is a storyteller and writer who
shares stories from his Iñupiaq and Tlingit heritages. The son of
two Alaskan poets, the late Elizabeth Freda Hope from the Goodwin
family in Kotzebue, and the late Andy Hope III from Sitka, a
Tlingit of the S'iknaxh.ádi clan, Ishmael's Iñupiaq name is
Angaluuk and his Tlingit name is Khaagwáask,' and he is of the
Kiks.ádi clan, the X'aaká Hít, the Point House, of Sitka.
Describing Courtesans of Flounder Hill, the late poet and scholar
of Tlingit oral literature, Richard Dauenhauer, said Ishmael Hope
"explores and reminds us how each of us is central in a
multigenerational relationship involving ancestry, self, and
descendants; heritage, contemporary culture, and legacy; an
unbroken chain of storytellers, daily life, and dreams, always
negotiating, in the words of T. S. Eliot, between tradition and the
individual talent. He writes in one poem, that 'myths are a place
to rest / from so much catching up to ourselves, / a place to rest
in all this confusion.'"
Joe Zuboff
(Deisheetan, Raven/Beaver from Angoon) is the Clan Leader for the
Raven House in Angoon, Alaska. His role reflects the values that
have been passed down for generations. Zuboff succeeded his uncle
as Clan Leader and says his brothers mentored him about important
Native traditions. Joe sings spirit songs of the Killer Whale, the
Bear, and other families. It is a powerful spiritual experience.
You will be moved by his ability, talent, skills in drumming, and
his confidence and courage in the songs he sings. He is not
Hollywood. He is the real thing--not done for show or
entertainment, but for spiritual purposes.
The
All-Nations Children's Dance Group, which fosters
cultural identity, will be featured in our program. Barbara
Dude (Eagle/Killer Whale, Dakhl'aweidi from Klukwan, AK)
joined the group when she was seven and now, at age 27, she's the
leader. The group helps children learn language, song, dance, and
especially, cultural identity and pride. But the most important
lessons were about something more. "When I started the group when I
was seven I didn't know that I was Tlingit. The group has helped me
gain a sense of pride in who I am and now I am able to share that
with my children who have known they were Tlingit since they were
born... How powerful it is to watch them be immersed in the culture
and the language. It's beautiful. It's beautiful." The All-Nations
Children's Dance Group is true to its name and is open to children
of all races and ages until high school
graduation.
Part 1:
"Authentic Mayan Fire Ceremony," led byGrandmother Elizabeth
Araujo, Council of Mayan Elders, Guatemala, and "Shamanic Soul
Ceremony" with Inkan Shaman Mallku
Part 2: "White Pass Summit Yukon Railway
Excursion"
Excursion
accompanied by Lynn Andrews
Part 1:
2.5-Hour for Fire Ceremony
8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Part 2: 3.5-Hour for Railway Tour
12:15 PM to 4:00 PM
Complimentary Bottled Water included
Rail tour: passport is required; some nationalities, visa
required
Wear or Bring Rain Gear for Ceremony
ITINERARY:
- 8:00 AM: Meet at
dock, walk to site of the ceremony
- 8:30 AM:
Mayan Fire Ceremony and Inkan Ceremony
- 10:30 AM: Walk back to ship
- 11:00 AM: Lunch on your own
- 12:15 PM: Meet at dock, walk to nearby Railroad Station, and
board our private vintage rail car
- 4:00 PM: Return to ship
FEES:
$199, if paid by June 1, if space
is still available
Space is limited, so Register NOW
In the morning we
will take a 10-minute walk from the ship to a nearby site, where we
will enjoy an authentic Mayan Fire Ceremony with Grandmother
Elizabeth Araujo, highly respected and honored leader in the
Council of Mayan Elders in Guatemala, and an Inkan Shamanic Soul
Ceremony with Peruvian shaman and Andean guide
Mallku.
Traditional
Mayan Fire Ceremony, led by Elizabeth
Araujo
Elizabeth Araujo
will guide us in a powerful Mayan fire ceremony.
The Mayan Ceremony is
an offering given to our Creator. In this occasion it will be to
give thanks for being together and to ask for peace and unity in
the world.
The Fire Ceremony
is the spirit of the Maya Tradition. The fire transforms, the fire
purifies. Through the fire we connect with our Creator. We draw a
glyph on the ground and I will explain the meaning of it before
placing our offerings in it. I will explain the meaning of the day
in the Maya
Calendar.
Through the fire we
connect with our Creator. The fire transforms, the fire purifies.
We invite the spirit of the water, mountains, the spirit of our
ancestors, etc, to accompany us, we present ourselves to the sacred
fire who will take our petitions and prayers to our Creator. We
greet the 4 directions and then we proceed to call the 20 days of
the Mayan Calendar explaining their meaning. After calling the days
and before closing the Ceremony there is time for anyone to speak
if so desires. We give thanks to the spirits that accompanied us,
we give thanks to Our Creator and Mother Earth and Close the
ceremony, at this time the fire is all
consumed.
Ceremony of
Love, led by Mallku
Shamanic Soul
Ceremony, the Alchemy of the Being
- Through the
magical world of Pachamama, Wiraqocha and Pachakamaq we can touch
our Soul. This ceremony is one of the ways of awakening our inner
Sun. You will learn how to use the power places to increase Love,
Creation and Wisdom.
- Discover and use your own Site of Power and realize what you are
and what you want in life. Avoid guilty emotions and realize that
happiness is our right.
- With love there is not space for fear. Shamanic ceremony for
releasing heavy energies.
- Conquer the right to be a free being and use the alchemy of life
to share this world with your dear one. Soul mates and Love
ceremony.
White Pass
Summit
In the afternoon,
we will relax in our own vintage passenger railway car as we
retrace the original route to the White Pass Summit, passing Bridal
Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a
breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls,
tunnels, trestles and historic sites. See the original Klondike
Trail of '98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the
thousands of souls who passed this way in search of
fortune.
Relive the gold rush with the White Pass &
Yukon Route Railway as it steams through its second century of
history! This forty-mile roundtrip train ride climbs from
tidewater at Skagway to the Summit of the White Pass, a 2,865
foot rise in elevation! Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold
Rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic
Civil Engineering Landmark. Experience the breathtaking
panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels,
trestles and historic sites from the comfort of our own
vintage parlor car.
This forty mile
round trip excursion climbs from tidewater at Skagway to the Summit
of the White Pass – a 2,865 foot elevation. The fully narrated tour
passes through two tunnels, over sky-high trestles and cascading
waterfalls. It's the most popular rail trip in Skagway!
Built in 1898
during the Klondike Gold Rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an
International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a designation
shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of
Liberty. The WP&YR railway was considered an impossible task
but it was literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26
months. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives
overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create "the
railway built of gold." The WP&YR climbs almost 3000 feet in
just 20 miles and features steep grades of up to 3.9%,
cliff-hanging turns of 16 degrees, two tunnels and numerous bridges
and trestles. The steel cantilever bridge was the tallest of its
kind in the world when it was constructed in
1901.
The WP&YR
suspended operations in 1982 when Yukon's mining industry collapsed
due to low mineral prices. The railway was reopened in 1988 as a
seasonal tourism operation and served 37,000 passengers. Today, the
WP&YR is Alaska's most popular shore excursion carrying over
390,000 passengers during the 2012 May to September tourism season
operating on the first 67.5 miles (Skagway, Alaska to Carcross,
Yukon) of the original 110 mile line.
1) Stunning Butchart Gardens and Afternoon
Tea OR 2) Whale-Watching
Adventure
SHORE
EXCURSION CHOICE 1:
"Butchart
Gardens Private Tour and Earth-Healing
Ritual" PLUS
"Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress"
Excursion accompanied by
Nicki Scully
4.75-Hour Tour
11:00 AM to 3:45 PM
For Afternoon Tea,
dress code is casually elegant. No torn or ripped jeans, short
shorts, cut off pants, beach wear, flip flops, or baseball caps.
All mobile devices turned off during Afternoon Tea.
ITINERARY:
- 11:00 AM: Meet at
dock and short walk to bus
- 3:45 PM: Return to ship
FEES:
$219, if paid by June 1, if space
is still available
Space is limited, so Register NOW
We will start our
visit to Victoria with a fully narrated drive to Butchart Gardens.
Accompanied by one of our speakers, Nicki Scully, we will stroll
the meandering paths and take in the beautiful array of blooms,
scents and colors in the show gardens of Butchart. Nicki has
consented to conduct a spontaneous Earth-Healing Ritual sometime
during this walk.
Then we will be
whisked off to the Empress Hotel for a "High Tea" experience served
in classic Empress style. Fine china, silver Tea service,
experienced table service and delicious menu items are provided as
we look out over the famed Inner Harbor.
We will bring
Victoria's two iconic experiences together: the traditional Empress
Tea paired with a tour of Butchart Gardens. Our tour begins with a
fully narrated drive to Butchart Gardens. We will spend 1 3/4 hours
strolling past a beautiful array of blooms, scents, and colors in
the show gardens before heading to the Fairmont Empress Hotel for
our silver tea service experience. Enjoy the fine China, delicious
menu, and beautiful views of the Inner Harbor.
Butchart
Gardens
Robert Pim
Butchart, a pioneer in the thriving North American cement industry,
was attracted to Canada's West Coast by rich limestone deposits. In
1904, he developed a quarry and built a cement plant at Tod Inlet
(on Vancouver Island) to satisfy Portland cement demand from San
Francisco to Victoria. Jennie Butchart became the company's
chemist. Close to the quarry, the Butcharts established the family
home complete with sweet peas and rose
bushes.
As Mr. Butchart
exhausted limestone deposits, his enterprising wife Jennie made
plans to create something of beauty in the gigantic exhausted pit.
From farmland nearby, she had tons of top soil brought in by horse
and cart and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry.
Little by little, the quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken
Garden.
Between 1906 and
1929, the Butcharts created a Japanese Garden on the seaside, an
Italian Garden on their former tennis court, and a beautiful Rose
Garden. Mr. Butchart took great pride in his wife's remarkable
work. An enthusiastic hobbyist, he collected ornamental birds from
all over the world. He kept ducks in the Star Pond, noisy peacocks
on the front lawn and many elaborate birdhouses throughout the
gardens.
Grandson Ian Ross
was given The Gardens on his 21st birthday. He worked hard to make
his grandmother's garden self-sustaining, transforming the mostly
neglected home and gardens into an internationally famous
destination. For 50 years he was completely involved in its
operation and development. In summer months he added outdoor
symphony concerts, opera, and stage shows (1953-1967); the Ross
Fountain in 1964; and The Magic of Christmas in 1987.
Beginning in 1977,
until his untimely death in 2000, Ian designed, produced and
executed intricate firework shows choreographed to music. Each year
was a new and more exciting show which left a unique repertoire
that continues to the present, thus carrying on the family
tradition of adding unique, world class experiences to enhance The
Gardens. In 2009, his sister Robin-Lee Clarke, great granddaughter
of Jennie Butchart and current owner, added a Children's Pavilion
complete with a large Menagerie Carousel.
The renown of Mrs.
Butchart's gardening quickly spread. By the 1920s more than 50,000
people visited her garden each year. The hospitable Butcharts
christened their estate "Benvenuto," the Italian word for
"Welcome." Their house grew into a comfortable, luxurious
showplace, with a bowling alley, indoor saltwater swimming pool,
paneled billiard room, and a self-playing Aeolian pipe organ (still
played on Summer's Firework Saturdays). Today, it houses the Dining
Room Restaurant, offices, and rooms still used for family
entertaining.
In 2004, The
Gardens was designated a National Historic Site of
Canada.
The only surviving
portion of the original cement factory is the tall chimney of a
long vanished kiln still seen from the Sunken Garden lookout. The
plant stopped manufacturing cement in 1916, but continued to make
drain tiles and flower pots until 1950. Some of the original
flowering cherry trees which extended from West Saanich Road to The
Gardens' entrance may still be seen.
The renown of the
family-owned gardens is widespread. Each year over a million
bedding plants in some 900 varieties give uninterrupted bloom from
March through October. Almost 1,000,000 people visit annually for
spring's colorful flowering bulbs; summer's riot of colour,
entertainment and Saturday Fireworks; fall's russets and golds; the
Magic of Christmas' decorations; and winter's
peacefulness.
Fairmont Empress
Afternoon Tea
A time honoured
tradition for over a century, the world renowned tea lobby of The
Fairmont Empress has served England’s most beloved ritual and
Victoria's grandest tradition of Afternoon Tea to famed royalty,
celebrities and dignitaries alike. Surrounded by rich chintz
fabrics, antiqued tapestries and rugs, elegant wing back chairs,
vintage furnishings and hand-carved tables, the picturesque
backdrop of the
Inner Harbour provides the quintessential Victoria experience to
all who grace Afternoon Tea.
Chef and Team serve
hand-made signature Empress scones, delectable pastries and tea
sweets prepared in house daily, reflecting locally sourced
ingredients to ensure an authentically memorable experience. From
the original blend of The Empress Tea created specifically for The
Fairmont Empress, served in dainty William Edwards china and
sterling silver service to the enchanting ambiance of the live
piano, Afternoon Tea is an absolute 'must do' for all who visit
Victoria. Don't
miss the most beloved ritual of Afternoon Tea in Victoria at The
Fairmont Empress.
The Empress blend
is a selection of seasonal, quality teas, created exclusively for
The Fairmont Empress by the Metropolitan Tea Company. With
components from Assam (thick malty and full bodied), Kenya
(floral-like flavour and a golden coppery infusion), South India
(superb fruity and sprightly flavour), Ceylon (airy, almost piquant
flavor), and China (burgundy depth with light oaky notes), it is
truly one of the finest blends in the
world.
The Fairmont
Empress is pleased to accommodate dietary needs including vegan,
gluten free and diabetic. Please advise of all food allergies and
dietary needs at the time of reservation. We have tailored our renowned
Afternoon Tea to suit the tastes of our tiniest travelers. Children
can now experience the grandeur and elegance of the famous Tea
Lobby, and be made to feel like Princes and Princesses while
participating in this coveted tradition.
Afternoon Tea was
started by the Duchess of Bedford in the 19th century when she had
a "sinking" feeling in the afternoon. She had her chef prepare a
little meal with tea, and soon it became known as Afternoon Tea.
During the centennial restoration in 2008, the hotel's original Tea
Lobby floor was replaced and the wood of the original floor was
transformed into delicate Afternoon Tea tables--one may say you're
eating off the floor. Nearly 100,000 guests are served tea annually
with an estimated 500,000 cups of tea.
Our Tea servers are
some of our most tenured colleagues in the hotel with over 42 years
of service. The most recent royal visitors to enjoy Afternoon Tea
were the Emperor and Empress of Japan. The Empress Tea China was
originally presented to King George V in 1914 upon the opening of
the Booth factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The china was first
used by The Empress in 1939 for the Royal visit of King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth. The pattern is now produced by William Edwards
exclusively for The Fairmont Empress. The portraits in the tea lobby are
King George V and his wife Queen Mary, who originally intended to
wed his brother, Prince Edward, who died of pneumonia. The
portraits have been in place since the hotel opened in
1908.
The difference
between high tea and afternoon tea? High tea is generally taken at
4:00 p.m., and was more of a "working man's" dinner and they
included hot savory items. High tea is mistakenly thought to
include champagne or sparkling wine, but this should be referred to
as Royal Tea.
Notable guests have
included Queen Elizabeth II, Rudyard Kipling, Shirley Temple,
Spencer Tracy, Princess Margaret, Rita Hayworth, the King and Queen
of Siam, Bob Hope, John Travolta, Barbra Streisand, Joan Lunden,
Sarah McLachlan, Mel Gibson and Nelly Furtado.
Wear rubber-soled
closed shoes. No flip-flops or sandals. Wear long pants, sweater,
light outer jacket, hat.
You will be provided with hats, gloves, sunscreen, binoculars, blankets, sunglasses, and marine ID guides. If you are in an open boat, you will also be provided with warm jackets.
ITINERARY:
- 9:05 AM: Meet at
dock, walk 10 minutes to boat pier
- 1:00 PM: Return to ship
FEES:
$139, if paid by June 1, if space
is still available
Space is very limited, so Register NOW
The rate includes a Wildlife
Sustainability Fee, which benefits Southern Resident Killer Whales
through the Pacific Salmon Foundation and The Center for Whale
Research.
Victoria, British
Columbia is one of the best places in the world for watching orca,
humpback, gray whales and other species that live in the marine
habitat. Outside of our beautiful harbor is a large body of water
called the Juan De Fuca Strait. Not only is this home to some of
the most beautiful coastline in the world, the rugged southern tip
of Vancouver Island also supports a nutrient filled, cool water
environment where an amazingly rich and diverse animal ecosystem
thrives.
Victoria, B.C. is
globally renown for consistent orca sightings. This city is
perfectly situated directly in the middle of the southern resident
killer whales seasonal feeding ground. J, K, & L pod (over 86
whales) return each year to cooperatively feed on the abundant
salmon that are returning to the rivers to spawn each fall. We are
also witnessing a spectacular revival in humpback and gray whale
sightings. Hunted to only 10% of their former numbers by 1960,
humpback whales are again returning to this coastal environment to
seasonally feed on bait sized fish and abundant
plankton.
Our
Ships
Experience a
comprehensive world-class marine adventure with dedicated
professionals while traveling in style & comfort. We operate
the industry's safest and most exciting open-air tour vessels
crewed by captains and crew considered to be the best in the
industry. Our vessels offer an extended range, which equates to an
industry leading 98% whale sighting success backed up by a
sightings guarantee program (May-Oct). With multiple departures
every day, Eagle Wing consistently provides the thrill of a
lifetime for environmentally conscious travelers from around the
globe.
If you booked before April 27, you will be on the 50-person covered boat:
"4 Ever Wild"
Catamaran Style Tour Boat is the newest addition to the fleet. It
is 57 feet long 22 feet wide luxury partially covered catamaran
with a seating capacity of up to 50 (inside or out) with a captain
and crew of 4. This boat offers 2–3 times more square footage per
passenger than any other covered boat in the area. It has 5
distinct viewing areas including a fully enclosed heated cabin, 2
washrooms, leather seating, custom woodwork, plus many
extras.
If you booked after April 27, you will be on the 26-person open boat:
Catamaran & Scarab Style Tour Boats — "We bring the Wild to Life"
See more & do more on board the#1 rated tour boat designs!
Experience a comprehensive world-class marine adventure with dedicated professionals while traveling in style & comfort. We operate the industry’s safest and most exciting open air / covered tour vessels crewed by captains and naturalists considered to be the best in the industry.
Our vessels offer an extended range which equates to an industry leading 98% whale sighting success backed up by a sightings guarantee program (May 15 – Oct 31). With multiple departures every day, Eagle Wing consistently provides the thrill of a lifetime for environmentally conscious travelers from around the globe.
Embark on an adventure at sea that is great for all ages on board our high performance tour boats!
High performance, thrilling, fun, safe certified, smooth, & comfortable = great memories!
Over stuffed seats, on board washrooms, room to move around, & premium extras!
NEW advanced "scarab" and "catamaran" hull design leave a much smaller wake (wave) to reduce shore erosion and are more fuel efficient.
Our Arneson surface propulsion system (Goldwing) is more quiet than rain falling on water
Our above water exhaust system (Goldwing / 4 Ever Wild) provides a more quiet environment for marine mammals
EU approved (European Union) Diesel marine Volvo Penta engines
EPA approved "Lean Burn" Suzuki 4-stroke gasoline outboard engines—no oil burn (compared to 2 stroke)
Our Whale-Watching adventure
features:
- Victoria's only
eco-sustainable choice!
- Extended boat
range = Guaranteed whales
- Longest tours at
3.5 hours: see more, do more!
- High performance,
smooth, safe certified vessels
JUNEAU
-
12:15 PM: Gather for
walk to bus
We will then make our way to the
stunning shores of Auke Lake. Auke is a derivative
of the Tlingit word for "little lake," or "Aak'w." The Auk'w Kwaan
is one of 14 Tlingit tribes in Southeast Alaska and resided near
the lake in historic times. The Auk people landed in Auk Bay around
1564 and occupied a village and fish camp along Auke Lake where the
campus of the University of Alaska Southeast and the facility where
we will hold our program now reside.
Tlingit elder and storyteller
Paul Marks is Raven moeity, Chookaneidi-Yadi and
Yeil Hit (child of the Chookaneidi and member of the Yeil house).
He is a teacher, woodcarver, and translator. But one of the most
important aspects of being Tlingit, he says, is harder to
articulate, and not quantifiable. It has to do with absorbing
stories and their meaning, and making them a part of how you
interact with the world. His first language is Tlingit; he had to
learn English when he first started school. Marks is a fourth
generation woodcarver. His father, Willie, was a well-regarded
traditional carver. He carved his first totem pole, which was about
an inch high, with a butcher knife, and has been carving regularly
since he was around 10. "it was still in Tlingit thought because it
was his main thought pattern," Marks said."In Tlingit the depth of thought is
beyond what we see," Marks says. "That's what the artwork is – when
you look at the artwork you don't see the surface. That's why it's
not realistic. It's as if you're seeing through the particular
creature you're carving." Through the Tlingit stories, Marks says,
"is how we were taught our standards, values, principles," he said.
"How to live, how to understand the world, how to understand
humanity."
Ishmael Hope, born in Sitka,
Alaska, and living in Juneau, is a storyteller and writer who
shares stories from his Iñupiaq and Tlingit heritages. The son of
two Alaskan poets, the late Elizabeth Freda Hope from the Goodwin
family in Kotzebue, and the late Andy Hope III from Sitka, a
Tlingit of the S'iknaxh.ádi clan, Ishmael's Iñupiaq name is
Angaluuk and his Tlingit name is Khaagwáask,' and he is of the
Kiks.ádi clan, the X'aaká Hít, the Point House, of Sitka.
Describing Courtesans of Flounder Hill, the late poet and scholar
of Tlingit oral literature, Richard Dauenhauer, said Ishmael Hope
"explores and reminds us how each of us is central in a
multigenerational relationship involving ancestry, self, and
descendants; heritage, contemporary culture, and legacy; an
unbroken chain of storytellers, daily life, and dreams, always
negotiating, in the words of T. S. Eliot, between tradition and the
individual talent. He writes in one poem, that 'myths are a place
to rest / from so much catching up to ourselves, / a place to rest
in all this confusion.'"
Joe Zuboff
(Deisheetan, Raven/Beaver from Angoon) is the Clan Leader for the
Raven House in Angoon, Alaska. His role reflects the values that
have been passed down for generations. Zuboff succeeded his uncle
as Clan Leader and says his brothers mentored him about important
Native traditions. Joe sings spirit songs of the Killer Whale, the
Bear, and other families. It is a powerful spiritual experience.
You will be moved by his ability, talent, skills in drumming, and
his confidence and courage in the songs he sings. He is not
Hollywood. He is the real thing--not done for show or
entertainment, but for spiritual purposes.
SKAGWAY
Part 1:
2.5-Hour for Fire Ceremony
Relive the gold rush with the White Pass &
Yukon Route Railway as it steams through its second century of
history! This forty-mile roundtrip train ride climbs from
tidewater at Skagway to the Summit of the White Pass, a 2,865
foot rise in elevation! Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold
Rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic
Civil Engineering Landmark. Experience the breathtaking
panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels,
trestles and historic sites from the comfort of our own
vintage parlor car.
4.75-Hour Tour
VICTORIA, BC
ITINERARY:
Our Whale-Watching adventure
features:
