Join Seawind Aviation as they show you the best of Ketchikan by float plane! Fly over the city for an aerial view and visit remote lakes and waterfalls. Breathe in the fresh Misty Fjords air away from the hustle and bustle of the cruise port. Book Seawind Aviation tours online here.
Seawind Aviation
3 Activities
Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour
Southeast Alaska’s Misty Fjords National Monument is just a short flight from Ketchikan, allowing you unbeatable access to this pristine wilderness area via seaplane. Soar above this majestic work of nature with a unique personalized tour from the air. 3,000-foot granite walls that are fractured by time and scoured by glaciers thousands of years ago, plunge thousands of feet into deep fjords. The misted mountains lift snowfields and wildflowers above the tree line. Waterfalls cascade out of rock clefts and disappear into the forest slopes. The lush mountaintops are covered with ancient green trees clinging to the steep slopes while high valleys cradle picturesque lakes. Just when you think you have hit the peak of your experience, your floatplane will touch down on a saltwater fjord or mountain lake and feel the colossal beauty with all of your senses. Book a Misty Fjords tour today for a sightseeing experience like no other! Protected Wilderness: The Misty Fjords National Monument landscape and its living things are a protected 2.3 million acres. The area has been managed by the U.S. Forest Service continuously since it became a wilderness area in 1978. Your pilot will call your attention to any spectacular Alaskan wildlife often seen in the monument and the Tongass National Forest. Sightings may include brown and black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles, orcas, and humpback whales. On the occasion that wildlife is close by, photo opportunities will be afforded right from the floats of the plane! By the time you begin the journey back to Ketchikan, you will have made memories to last a lifetime. The Amenities: You’ll be able to learn all about the magnificent Misty Fjords through the live narration and conversation with your pilot. Every passenger is provided a voice-activated headset that is designed for aviation and allows communication between you, the pilot, and others onboard. During each flight, we will touch down on either a remote mountain lake or a calm saltwater inlet. When the weather permits, we can alter itineraries and cater to personal preferences. This ability allows the opportunity to view nearby whales, watch bears fish in the wild, celebrate a special occasion, or spend as much time as possible in this unique landscape. We are often able to take the airplane to shore, allowing you to step out and enjoy the beauty, take priceless photos, or simply breathe in the freshest, most fragrant air anywhere.
Traitors Cove Bear Viewing Tour
The Experience: The Traitors Cove Bear Viewing experience begins with a short 20-minute floatplane flight over the lush wilderness of the Tongass National Forest. Your pilot will narrate along the way, pointing out key points in the area. After you touch down in Traitors Cove, you will be met on the floatplane dock by your personal Alaska Bear Guide who will drive you about one mile down a United States Forest Service (USFS) road to a trailhead. Your guide will safely escort you down the trail (approximately 250 yards) to the Margaret Creek Bear Viewing platform. Along the trail, your guide will point out the flora, fauna, berries and trees as well as any wildlife you encounter. Keep your eyes peeled all around – bald eagles and even bears are known to perch high above in the trees. USFS Facility: The Margaret Creek Bear Viewing observatory is maintained by the USFS whose policy allows bear tours from late July into late September. We operate our bear viewing tours from the beginning of August through mid-September in order to maximize the peak of the bear viewing season. To protect this delicate habitat, only a small number of visitors are allowed on the platform at one time and there is a restriction for the total number of visitors per day. As a result, you are guaranteed an intimate and awe-inspiring experience. An opportunity to visit this location is an opportunity not to be missed! It is advised to book this tour as early as possible due to the strict availability. The Amenities: Upon arrival to the platform, you will be at a prime vantage point to see Alaska’s REAL fisherman! Watch the true champions of the tour – the 5 species of salmon battling in the last part of their life, to arrive upstream to spawn. They are fighting not just the swift current but also the bears. See the black bears fattening up for winter, plunge into the rushing water with jaws wide, to eat the wild salmon heading upstream to spawn. Besides bears feeding, you are also likely to see Bald Eagles feeding on salmon scraps left over by the bears. Your naturalist/guide will answer any questions you have about the local wildlife, flora, and fauna.
Anan Bear Viewing Tour
Your unique Anan Creek Bear Viewing experience begins not at Anan Creek, but at Seawind Aviation’s home base in Ketchikan, Alaska. Within minutes of departing Ketchikan in one of Seawind Aviation’s seaplanes, you will take flight and be transported over inlets, bays, and lakes and over the lush, wilderness of the Tongass National Forest on a 40-minute flight to the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. After the water landing at Anan Creek, the pilot will guide the seaplane up to the beach, which, depending on the tidal currents, may be covered with kelp and mussels and possibly a starfish or two. Be aware, however, that the rocky beach may be wet and slippery, so good footwear is a must! On the beach, your party, including a Seawind Aviation “bear guide” will be met by U.S. Forest Service personnel, the stewards of the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, as you move to the trailhead and down the half-mile path to the observatory. Along the way, you will see the thick flora, fauna, and fir and cedar trees that define the rain forest. And don’t forget to look up – bald eagles and sometimes even bears have been perched high above in the trees. * The Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory The Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, maintained and operated by the U.S. Forest Service, is open for permitted “bear tours” from early July into late August, which is typically when the salmon run is most abundant and bears are most hungry. After a short walk to the trailhead, and then down the trail – about 1 mile in total – you will arrive at the Anan Wildlife Observatory, which consists of a covered viewing shelter, a photo area accessed by stairs, and outhouse facilities. The viewing “season” is short, as it is the salmon run that brings the bears down to the creek-side. And, to protect this delicate habitat, the U.S. Forest Service issues only a small number of daily passes (obtained by Seawind Aviation upon booking your tour) and a limited number of viewers are allowed on the platform at any one time. Based on past experience, in order to maximize your opportunity for the best bear viewing experience – after all it is Mother Nature! – Seawind Aviation offers Anan Creek “bear viewing tours” during the peak season from early-July through August. So, it is advised to book this tour as early as possible and not miss this intimate and awe-inspiring experience!
Filters
Join our newsletter
We'll send you 1x/mo updates on local Alaska and The Bahamas as well as holiday promos, available only via email
We care about your data in our privacy policy.