This summer, EYOS returned to Southeast Alaska, navigating fjords carved by ice and coastlines shaped by centuries of tides. Days unfolded among tidewater glaciers, quiet rainforests, and the steady presence of humpback whales and brown bears. Our expeditions brought guests into landscapes that felt both immense and immediate—where the crack of calving ice or the sight of a sea otter at rest could stop you in your tracks. Our cameras followed moments both vast and intimate. Through this photo essay, we look back at a season defined by wild places, close encounters, and the quiet power of Alaska’s coast.
- Along a salmon-rich stream in Southeast Alaska, two brown bears face off in a raw display of the wilderness. Encounters like this are a highlight of EYOS expeditions, where guests witness ancient cycles of migration and survival unfolding just meters away, guided safely and respectfully by expert naturalists.
- Hanse Explorer’s newly added 24’ “7” RIB – C Series dive tender cuts through the emerald waters of Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest, its wake slicing past towering evergreens. Compact, powerful, and versatile, this tender gives guests aboard the Hanse Explorer access to hidden coves, quiet inlets, and secret wildlife hotspots that larger vessels can’t reach, turning every excursion into a private adventure.
- Near South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord, a harbor seal rests on an iceberg calved from the glacier. Each summer, hundreds of harbor seals gather in these ice-filled fjords to give birth and raise their pups, taking advantage of the ice as safe haul-outs away from predators and the open sea. The abundance of seals here makes Tracy Arm one of the most reliable places to observe these quiet marine mammals against a backdrop of towering ice.
- Paddleboarders glide across the glassy waters of Tracy Arm Fjord, dwarfed by the towering face of South Sawyer Glacier, with the sleek Hanse Explorer anchored nearby. Summer’s calm conditions and long daylight hours make this corner of Southeast Alaska perfect for getting close to glaciers, icebergs, and wildlife, offering an intimate perspective on one of the region’s most dramatic landscapes.
- A group of humpback whales rises through a shimmering curtain of bubbles, executing the remarkable bubble net feeding technique. Circling schools of herring, they trap their prey before lunging upward with mouths wide. While humpbacks exhibit this individually in other places, this group behavior is specific to Southeast Alaska and is learned across different social groups. Because of the nutrient-rich waters during summer, the region’s fjords and channels make it one of the best places in the world to witness this extraordinary spectacle up close.
- A humpback whale breaches in the still waters of a fjord against a backdrop of old-growth forest. Moments like these define summer with EYOS in Alaska in the heart of one of the richest marine environments on Earth.
- Bathed in the golden glow of a long summer sunset, a guest stands at the yacht’s bow, sailing past the lush expanse of the Tongass National Forest. With nearly 19 hours of daylight, summer in Southeast Alaska offers endless time to explore this unique temperate rainforest—the largest in North America—where towering old-growth trees, hidden waterways, and abundant wildlife create a truly magical backdrop for adventure.