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- Wildlife Viewing
- Sitka Bike & Hike
- Saltwater Fishing
- Sea Kayaking
- Whales Watching
- Flightseeing
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| | | | Wildlife Viewing |
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Sitka abounds with year-round wildlife viewing opportunities. A number of ocean-going CHARTERS AND TOURS provide an extraordinary means to capture on film one of the world's most striking assemblies of marine wildlife: magnificent humpback whales, stately sea lions, endearing harbor seals, playful sea otters, and teeming seabird rookeries. The ancient Sitka spruce and hemlock rainforest that dominates Baranof Island provides cover for abundant wildlife, including the brown bear and Sitka black-tailed deer.
Although whales can be seen year-round while out on the ocean, humpbacks practically park themselves in front of Sitka's harbor in the fall and early winter. Situated on a high overlook just six miles from downtown, Whale Park offers visitors a great vantage to viewing the gentle giants of the Pacific. In early November the SITKA WHALEFEST celebrates Sitka's marine life with special activities and information seminars from renowned marine biologists.
THE ALASKA RAPTOR CENTER
The Center offers close-up encounters with local wildlife and is a pioneering project that combines veterinary expertise and volunteer efforts to nurse back to health hundreds of injured or sick birds of prey, including bald eagles. While the center makes every effort to return eagles, hawks, owls, and other raptors back to the wild, a few never recover flight and remain housed at the Center as part of its education program. During the winter, staff is onsite and the Gift Shop is open 8-4 Monday thru Friday. Birds may or may not be on display, depending on the weather. In winter, tours are not offered, but you are still welcome to come up and have a look around!
Saint Lazaria Island
Located at the mouth of Sitka Sound, the island is home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds in summer. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and is definitely another gem to see, particularly for birders. The birds include the ornate tufted puffin and its cousin, the rhinoceros auklet. Charters and tours are available to visit this southeast Alaska birder's paradise. |
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| Sitka Bike & Hike |
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| Sitka Bike & Hike is a tour service operated out of Sitka, Alaska. We offer fun and safe guided tours around the Sitka area for the entire family. Sitka is located in the Southeast part of Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest, the largest National Forest in the United States. It is home to abundant wildlife, over 1,000 islands, and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. |
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| Saltwater Fishing |
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| Fishing still tops the list of outdoor activities in Sitka. The waters around Sitka boast the highest saltwater sportfishing catch rate in the nation for king salmon. Nevertheless, fishing is just a small part of outdoor recreation here. The best fishing is from a boat, and will usually require that you hire one of Sitka's numerous licensed charter vessels. Consult with your charter captain, however, about whether he or she would be willing to make fishing the side dish of your trip rather than the main fare. So many possibilities open up once you've hired a boat: puffin-viewing at St. Lazaria Island, hot-tubbing at Goddard Hot Springs, and beachcombing and hiking on the black sand beaches of Kruzof Island. Fishing is at its very best June through August. The most commonly landed species are king salmon, silver salmon, pink salmon, halibut, and ling cod. Licenses are required, sold either by the charter operator or at one of the sporting goods stores in town. A processor in town can freeze and vacuum pack your catch for the trip home. |
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| Sea Kayaking |
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| Sitka is smack in the middle of the finest sea kayaking country in the world. Period. Words fall far short of describing the pleasures of this rapidly growing sport that has been likened to backpacking without the burden of a pack. The Inside Passage offers thousands of miles of sheltered waterway, and there are no restrictions whatsoever on camping in the Tongass National Forest. As if that weren't enough, the US Forest Service also maintains many recreational cabins which are accessible by saltwater. You could paddle from cabin to cabin, or use one as a home base from which to explore for several days. This is particularly appealing in early spring, when the cabins have a low occupancy rate and the camping may still be a little chilly. Sitka is emerging as a world-class kayaking destination, and new opportunities to participate in this extraordinary activity are developing all the time. Stay tuned!
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| Whales Watching |
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| Sitka Sound, on the edge of the wild Tongass National Forest, is an amazing place, absolutely teeming with life. Whales humpback, gray, minke and orca, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and jumping salmon, as well as puffins, murres, auklets, eagles and many other wild animals are abundant residents. Enthusiastic visitors, natural historians and photographers alike will marvel at this spectacular wild paradise!!! Two, three and four hour tours as well as fully customized options are available. While most trips tend to focus on whale watching, extended tours include exciting destinations more distant from town |
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| Flightseeing |
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| We provide floatplane tours for you to enjoy scenic mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, islands, beaches, and forests. Alaskan wildlife frequently adds to the interest, beauty, and adventure. Trips are customized per client's requests and may include a lake landing. Charges are by airplane time, and there is comfortable seating for three passengers. | |
Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by a Sitka vacation specialist.
Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
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