HI BELLE! Gunalcheesh for posting......now to answer your questions......
1. There are MANY experiences to pursue at Icy Strait Point. A list of the excursions on the cruiseline websites is a great start - but there are many things to do aside from the tours. You could enjoy the waterfront and sit calmly on the beach watching for the ABUNDANT wildlife in this area....there were many times our guests got to see keet (killer whales) and yei (humpback whales) swim right parallel to the shoreline.....you could walk one of two great nature trails at your own leisure...they'll take you through a second growth forest towering with Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce trees...you can meander talking to my Tlingit people that have inhabited this place for nearly 10,000 years (as far as science can tell us)...and much more.....
2. The whale watching is OPTIMAL here....the largest congregation of humpback whales in the Southeast Panhandle culminate at Pt. Adolphus - where the catamarans will take you on your whale watch........I've been going there for years and it NEVER disappoints me or ceases to amaze me.....it IS the best whalewatching anywhere to be found in this part of the world.....
3. The ships do tender into Icy Strait Point. There are no facilities equipped to dock vessels of that size.....I think it's a bonus because it really pits you in the thick of it all, not to mention the ride here is filled with possibilities....
4. Hoonah is populated by 886 people, of which roughly 70% is Alaska Native.....if you wish to meander yourself and rent a car, you might want to check out www.buynpack.net These folks offer a few vehicles for rent, so I'm sure if you schedule ahead of time, it's quite possible! The island is the 3rd largest in Alaska - next to Kodiak and Prince of Wales......so all options are open...there are networks of roads that take you to great beaches and secluded vistas. The organized tours are great as well, all you have to do is sit and ask questions!!!!
5. Hoonah and Icy Strait Point are far from touristy.......you'll still have the opportunity to experience the true "rawness" of an Alaskan community populated by it's original inhabitants - the Tlingit. You aren't going to find streets overflowing with jewelery and t-shirt shops.....everything that operates when you are here, continues to support the people of Hoonah when our guests are home for the winter.....
6. My job at Icy Strait Point is a good one...I'm a renaissance man so I do many things....but I'm mostly on these boards simply as a member of the community of Hoonah...my original intention was to answer questions accurately and portray my people and our home with intergrity, pride and poise. I took early notice of innacurate posts by people of other communities (ie. Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway) and immediately intercepted so that all information and portrayals were coming directly from the horses mouth....MINE!
I hope that these answers are sufficient Belle, and I look forward to any other questions you may have about Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska. Your asking questions provides great information for everybody!!!!!
AAT TLEIN GUNALCHEESH!!
Koo Hook
