Last month I tried to describe, geographically at least, the nature of the Inside Passage to Alaska, often called the Marine Highway, that has its southern terminus right here in Puget Sound.

The ways and means to ply this protected waterway come in a variety of packages. But the amount of intimacy with nature experienced here, can be indirectly proportional to the size of the vessel you choose.

Let’s start with the big guys … the giant cruise ships that carry a couple thousand passengers. This is comfortable traveling and you’ll never be bored. You’ll get an overview of the passage, and a chance to shop and take tours in places like Juneau and Ketchikan.

An Alaska Ferry carries far fewer passengers. Budget travelers can haul aboard their tents and sleeping bags, camping right on the deck, or pay for inside cabins. These working ferries make frequent stops at small picturesque villages, dropping the locals on and off.

Several “soft adventure” cruise companies operate in the passage, carrying as few as 80 passengers at a time. Some trips start and end at Juneau, so you have to fly to and from. The big advantage of these cruises is flexibility. Most carry kayaks and inflatables, stopping often to let passengers hike or paddle the wilderness (even among icebergs). I once had a mother humpback whale and her calf pass under my kayak…now THAT’S getting close to nature!

Smaller chartered vessels carry from four to 18 passengers who can often call the shots on where the ship goes and how long it stays. These trips too, highlight kayaking, exploration and generally staying close to nature.

Thousands of private boats cruise the passage every summer, but the farther north you venture, the fewer fellow boat owners you’re likely to have to maneuver around.

Those stalwarts relying on kayaks and canoes alone have the greatest adventure of all. Sitting right on the water, they have the best views of everything that’s going on, whether it’s a raccoon chowing down on a big red crab in the low tide zone, a bald eagle diving on a hapless fish, cascading falls bursting from a mountaintop into a fjord, a humpback whale feeding on herring, a grizzly cub chewing grass on a quiet shore. (I envy you all, but these well-used bones don’t sleep well on the ground anymore!)

No matter how you do it, a trip up the Inside Passage is bound to open a new window on your view of our surrounding waters and the need to preserve them for those who come after.

Nancy Sefton is a North Kitsap resident and marine naturalist. She is a former teacher and an award-winning nature photographer and videographer who produces educational nature videos for regional schools.