spirit walker expeditions - day tours

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and detailed review of your Whales Day Trip to Point Adolphus! I'm so happy to know you still smile when you think of your day on the water with us! Also, thank you for remarking on the balance between our commitment to safety and our commitment to providing a great experience. We strive to maintain that balance, and also believe they are - and should be - compatible goals!Thank you for paddling with Spirit Walker, and that we could be a part of making great memories for years to come!

Thank you! It was such a pleasure creating a custom trip for your group, and being able to share the experience of padding in Glacier Bay with you. I'm so pleased to know that the pace and approach to the trip felt natural, and more importantly, well suited to your group. We know you really wanted to see the glaciers of the upper bay, and I'm glad you made it!Thank you so much for paddling with Spirit Walker and we wish you all the very best from Gustavus!

Thank you for paddling with Spirit Walker in Russell Fjord, and offering your life-long Alaskan perspective on the adventure! You're absolutely right: a remote wilderness expedition has an element of unpredictability. Thank you for acknowledging that your guide was professional, patient, and flexible in the face of unpredictable conditions. We make sure our guides have the necessary training, experience, and skills to provide the safest and most enjoyable wilderness adventure, no matter the location, weather, or ocean conditions. Yes, Russell Fjord has some of the most amazing scenery, and dynamic glacial activity in Alaska and I'm glad to hear you hope to return. It's one of our favorite destinations and Spirit Walker hopes to paddle there with you again. We look forward to our next adventure with you!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and kind words. I couldn't be happier to know that you had such a magical trip! I really appreciate that you felt well prepared and cared for during your trip. We know that a trip like this is a once in a lifetime adventure for most of our guests and we do our best to treat each expedition as such. I'm so glad the stars aligned and provided you with a week of magical weather too! Thank you for kayaking with Spirit Walker!

Thank you so much for paddling with Spirit Walker this summer, and writing about the highlights of your trip. How lucky to have seen bioluminescence - and really appreciate all that Alaska has to offer - big and small! It's wonderful to hear you're thinking about another kayaking trip with Spirit Walker. We look forward to paddling with you again!

Providing guests with exceptional wilderness experiences has been Spirit Walker Expeditions’ top priority since 1988.  A “sub-standard” experience is a big concern for us and we take each of the reviewer’s comments seriously.   Even prior to this review Spirit Walker had done a full assessment of the trip and is making changes that will address many of the reported concerns in the future.  In particular our standard guide training will include more time on the set up of our folding boats.  In general it should have taken between 2 and 2.5 hours to set up the boats, so we agree that four hours is longer than expected.  Additionally our training and client orientations will re-emphasize the need for clients to store their gear in dry bags when not in use.   Russell Fiord, like all of our expeditions, is a wild, awe-inspiring and by definition, unpredictable destination.  This expedition takes place in a particularly remote area that sees very few visitors each year. Tidelines are difficult to identify, there are no accurate tide tables of the area, and the highly active Hubbard Glacier is constantly in flux.  We regret that in this instance, the tides proved particularly unpredictable.  That said, it is our desire and responsibility to learn from this experience and avoid it in the future. Our standard trip procedures and training will be updated for this trip. The characterization of our guide as “semi-experienced” is of particular concern.  At Spirit Walker Expeditions our guides are our greatest asset.  Their deep field experience in Southeast Alaska coupled with the specialized safety and naturalist training we provide each year ensures they have the expertise it takes to provide to-notch experiences for our guests.   The guide on this trip, a certified coastal sea kayak instructor and wilderness first responder, has extensive guiding experience throughout Alaska, the Unites States, and internationally.  We truly regret that the reviewer did not have the outstanding wilderness experience that the other reviewers and past guests have had over our 25+ year history.   We wish him the best on his next adventure.

Thank you for reviewing your Whales! Day Trip with Spirit Walker Expeditions, and I'm glad you had such a memorable (and easy!) day of kayaking. I couldn't agree with you more about Jessi... she is indeed a wonderful guide and we're thrilled to have her back in 2014 for another summer of sea kayaking! We hope to see you again in Gustavus one day too!

Thank you for joining Spirit Walker's most remote wilderness expedition! Our guides LOVE this trip and its opportunities for amazing glacier viewing (and, yes, listening!), fantastic wildflowers, birdlife and more. Thank you for sharing the experience with us!

Thank you for paddling with Spirit Walker at Point Adolphus on such a surreal day! Listening to the Humpback whales is one of my favorite aspects of any trip there. I agree: if you want to get a real taste of Southeast Alaska you must get out on the water! If you make it back to Alaska, we look forward to paddling with you again!

Thank you so much for paddling with Spirit Walker... We love introducing children to the wonders of Southeast Alaska! I'm so glad it was a trip you'll remember for years. For Spirit Walker, family trips are often the most memorable too!

Thank you for paddling with Spirit Walker Expeditions! Your enthusiasm about the whales, sea otters - and even the bear! - is greatly appreciated. It was a pleasure sharing our corner of Alaska with you for 5 beautiful days!

My husband and I went on the Whales! day trip with Spirit Walker Expeditions and had a wonderful time. Everything about our day was great from the ship captain of our shuttle vessel to our amazing guide to the very yummy lunch we ate on the beach; Spirit Walker is clearly an experienced, well-organized and customer-oriented guide service. We saw tons of wildlife including harbor seals, porpoises, bald eagles, Rufus hummingbirds, loons, Stellar sea lions and humpback whales. A highlight of our day was having a humpback "spyhop" just 10 yards off our kayak--so close we could even smell the whale's breath! We highly recommend Spirit Walker.