Take a 4-hour guided kayak tour to Clover Pass, (2 -2.5 hours in the kayaks) with scheduling to fit virtually every cruise ship. This is an amazing waterway with several rainforest islands, about 15 miles north of town. Your guides will get you away from the crowds and often to better weather where you'll paddle around 3 scenic islands where dense rainforest meets the sea. The Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in the U.S. and surrounds Clover Pass. Most tours encounter the resident Steller sea lions, seals, bald eagles and other birds, an immense array of intertidal life, and sometimes humpback whales, orcas, porpoises and jumping salmon along the route as well. Occasionally we even see Sitka deer or black bears down at the beach. While specific wildlife viewing cannot be guaranteed, Clover Pass is second to none for wildlife viewing near Ketchikan and our micro climate, north of town, consistently provides dryer weather and calmer waters than downtown.