5 Small Ship Wildlife Cruises

Ocean lovers looking for a unique adventure should read on. SEEtheWILD offers an exciting alternative to the typical luxury cruise, where wildlife is the focus, rather than massages and mai tais. On these small but luxurious ships, including a classic schooner, you will explore marine wildlife hot spots in style.

Travelers on these voyages will enjoy opportunities to snorkel, kayak, cruise on Zodiacs, or even disembark for a bit and camp and hike. With destinations spanning the globe, you can choose the warm waters of the Bahamas, or the stunning glaciated shoreline of Alaska; either way, adventure awaits and the ocean is calling!

The following five trips are the most popular small ship wildlife cruises offered on SEEtheWILD.org; you can also browse the full listing of cruises on our website.

• Galapagos Adventure: The quintessential wildlife tourism destination, the Galapagos Islands are home to a slew of unique species, including giant tortoises, iguanas, Galapagos penguins, whales, dolphins, and many unusual species of birds. Explore this fascinating area by private yacht, with opportunities to disembark at a giant tortoise research station, to hike, and to even camp overnight among tortoises. Offered by Natural Habitat Adventures, this 11-day trip starts at $5,695 per person.

• Great Bear Rainforest: Delve into the rugged coastal rainforest of British Columbia on this sailing expedition with Maple Leaf Adventures. Aboard the schooner Maple Leaf, you will search for gray whales, orcas, and porpoises before heading inland to explore the Great Bear Rainforest itself. Home to grizzly bears, black bears, and the elusive white Spirit Bear, this remote national park offers plenty of opportunities to view wildlife in its natural habitat. This 10-day trip starts at $2,630 per person.

• Alaska by Sail: Join Maple Leaf Adventures for a voyage that goes above and beyond the typical Alaska cruise. Sailing on the schooner Maple Leaf, you will sail along remote islands and rugged shoreline, view glaciers up close, search for whales and eagles, and enjoy opportunities to explore on your own. You will be able to kayak among archipelagoes, and hike in majestic temperate rainforest, accompanied by naturalist guides. This 12-day trip starts at $5,870 per person.

• Antarctica Wildlife Expedition: Explore one of the world’s most remote and wild places on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage. Setting off from Tierra del Fuego, you will cruise through the Drake Passage, a convergence of tides frequented by whales, porpoises and seabirds, before heading into the stunning frozen landscape that many penguin species call home. Cruise among icebergs and alongside glaciers, and enjoy learning about penguins and marine wildlife. Offered by Natural Habitat Adventures, this 10-day trip starts at $5,295 per person.

• Bahamas Dolphin Research: Feeling a little chilly after reading about Antarctica? Perhaps the warm waters of the Caribbean are for you. You will assist a long-term research project by observing the behavior of bottlenose and spotted dolphins as you snorkel the Bahamas’ characteristically clear waters. Offered by the Ocean Society, this 7-day trip starts at $2,890 per person.

Regardless of your destination, these small ship cruises offer the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a wide variety of marine wildlife. More exhilarating than the typical cruise ship experience, these voyages are both more personalized and more adventuresome. Get ready for a life-changing experience on the open ocean as you support wildlife conservation.