Expeditions

Missions

Some researchers know exactly what they want to do on the Endeavour and where they want to do it. Other researchers just want to explore: they pick an area and we go.

A birding expedition fulfills our research requirement if you submit a list of our sightings to Audubon. So does whale monitoring, if you photograph the whales’ flukes and submit them to www.HappyWhale.com, a tracking database. So do photo safaris if you document a specific location and publish the photos. Nature cinematography is a natural for us. 

In 2023 we will be starting benchmark studies with student teams. We will pick a well-defined location like an island, a lagoon, or the mouth of a river. Each student will focus on one aspect of natural history: land mammals, marine mammals, birds, fish, botany, geology, paleontology, or art (photography or drawing). Together, the students will document their observations, each student writing a chapter in the study, and we will publish the study with a museum, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Research Gate, on the Alaska Endeavour website, and elsewhere. The students will each get an author credit. Benchmark studies are invaluable in conservation.

Scheduling

Alaska is a very big place. We try to schedule expeditions based on where the Endeavour will be or need to be next. This cuts down on travel time for us and costs for you.  Below is our schedule as we know it today.  

The earlier you book the more flexible we can be on dates and locations!

Photo: Bill Urschel

Team Size

We can accommodate up to seven expedition members plus crew, but for longer expeditions or when there is very little shore time, we recommend no more than five members.

Costs

The cost of a typical expedition is $2,450 per day, which includes the boat, food, captain, and fuel for the first 250 miles of the expedition. On longer expeditions, we charge actual fuel costs.
Financial support for independent researchers and students may be available. Please reach out to us with your mission and needs.

Deposit

We ask for a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the remaining 50% one month before departure. 

Publication

To further our science and education mission, we ask that you allow us to publish photographs, videos, and other output from the expedition on our website, emails, and social media, and assist us in writing a report on the expedition, providing detail and correcting errors.