We offer 3-hour tours. You can email us if the tour times don’t work with you, often times we can adjust to accommodate you (selkiesnorkels@gmail.com).

Please see detailed meeting instructions for cruise ship passengers.

Promptly 15 mins before tour time
Pickup at Centennial Hall, downtown Sitka.

00:00 - 00:10
Check in and orientation at the snorkel shop.

00:10 - 00:30
Put on wetsuits and collect gear kit.

00:30 - 00:40
Drive to Magic Island State Park.

00:40-00:55
We walk down to the beach over a gravelly/rocky shore. While everyone is getting their gear on, our guides will give you a safety briefing.

01:00- 02:30
Snorkel time! Our knowledgable and safety-oriented guides swim around the island and point out wildlife. You can experience the kelp forests, rocky shores and eel grass environments of Magic Island. You have 60-80 minutes of snorkeling, and longer depending on how quickly everyone is able to get their wetsuits on.

02:30 - 02:50
We return to the snorkel shop, change out of our suits, and there will be hot chocolate, coffee and tea available.

03:00
Drop off at Centennial Hall in downtown Sitka, where you can grab a bite to eat, head out on your next adventure, or catch a complimentary shuttle back to the cruise terminal.

Note: If you are arriving on a cruise, we recommend having at least 30 minutes between docking and tour time, and at least 30 minutes between the end of the tour and all aboard.

The ocean around Sitka is 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit in summer months. However we will keep you warm with state-of-the-art 7mm wetsuits, gloves, hoods and booties. The only part of your body exposed to the water is your lower face. Iceman Wim Hof says cold water is good for your body and soul, and we find this to be true. See our testimonials page for reviews on how warm our travelers are ;).

• A swimsuit to wear under your wetsuit (or underwear you don’t mind getting wet).

• A plastic bag for wet swimsuits

• A dry set of underwear

• A hairbrush, etc for afterwards

• Cash tip for your guides :)

• And bring your sense of adventure!

Definitely. This website is too small to list all of the creatures that live in the kelp forests of Sitka. Giant Pacific Octopi, colorful rockfish, kelp greelings, sculpins, sea scallops, crabs, sand dollars, sea stars, anemones, needlefish, perch, tubeworms, nudibranchs, kelp snails and abalone are just some of the animals you should look out for. From shore or in the water, it is also common to see bald eagles, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions and sometimes even a passing humpback whale.

Due to the strenuous nature of the tour, we recommend that all guests arrive in good physical condition, and anticipate walking a quarter mile over loose rocks. All guests should be able to comfortably swim unassisted for 4 laps in a pool. Those who have the most fun on our tour will have prior snorkeling or diving experience, will enjoy ocean adventures, and will be up for a challenging physical experience.

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate guests with heart conditions or with a history of seizures or fainting.

We have wetsuits from sizes 8yo child to XXXL mens, and we will do our best to accommodate all body sizes. Generally the suits can accommodate people from 75lbs - 280lbs.

Our top priority is to keep you safe. If the weather is too rough for a safe snorkel, we will cancel the tour and you will be 100% refunded. We will do our best to rebook you.

However we do not cancel tours because of rain— that is the beauty of the temperate rainforest, and snorkeling in the rain is a magical experience in itself.

We pick up passengers at Centennial Hall in downtown Sitka. Centennial Hall is the central spot for tourism and excursions in the town of Sitka. Located 5 miles south of the cruise terminal, Centennial Hall is serviced by continuous cruise terminal shuttles while the ships are docked. We pick passengers up here 15 minutes before tour time, in the area that is labeled “Tours and Excursions.” Please see our detailed Meeting Instructions page for more details on where to meet the purple van.

We prefer to allow at least 30 minutes between end of tour and ship departure time. If our scheduled tours don’t match your schedule, please reach out to us and we will see if we can adjust our tour times. If the end of our snorkel tour is at least 30 minutes before your ship departure time, we guarantee your return to ship on time. If you miss your ship, Selkie Snorkels will pay for the next available flight to the next port.

Please note we have never had any clients miss their ships in 2 seasons. We work closely with the cruise lines and keep tabs on the cruise arrival and departure times. (The cruise lines want you to book everything through them so they will try to discourage you from booking independently, but we think it’s great to support local businesses, though we are a bit biased ;).)

Absolutely! If you are an experienced free diver or have a group of people who would like to snorkel outside of our scheduled tours, we would be more than happy to organize a private tour. Private tours for up to 5 people cost $1300 plus tax, and for 6-10 people cost $2000 plus tax, and include pickup and drop off at the cruise terminal. Please reach out to us by email at selkiesnorkels@gmail.com for more info or to book a private tour.

$180 per person + Alaska state tax. If you are a Sitka resident, please email us for information about our local rate.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email at selkiesnorkels@gmail.com . We are here to help.