Orca Island Cabins

Take a private, 1-hour boat ride to a pristine wilderness resort featuring 8 comfortable, fully-equipped waterfront yurts and experience complete immersion in the wonders of wild coastal Alaska. Your stay includes full access to our sea kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, skiffs, snorkel gear and fishing gear, so you can experience the surrounding waters and abundant wildlife at your leisure.

Orca Island Cabins sits on a picturesque, one-acre island and adjacent coastal property in the protected waters of Humpy Cove, 9 miles southeast of Seward. Accessible only by boat, your stay includes round-trip transportation from the Seward Harbor aboard our 15-passenger cabin cruiser, which can feel like a mini-wildlife tour in and of itself.

Once you arrive, you'll stay in spacious, bright, luxurious yurts designed for relaxation among nature, providing everything you need for a comfortable, stress-free experience, including: running water, a private bathroom, a queen-sized bed and full-sized futon with comfortable bedding, and much more. The yurts let in the sounds of nature--the breath of a humpback whale or the lapping of the tide– for the most restorative experience.

During the day, take advantage of your surroundings and explore remote coves and tidepools, salmon-spawning streams, and coastal forests. Then kick back on your deck or gather around a fire ring to share the day's adventures.

Yurts Truly: Sustainable and Civilized

Susan and Dennis Swiderski founded this gorgeous getaway. Susan and Dennis are longtime Alaskans who have operated B&Bs and tour companies in Anchorage and Seward. Following their purchase of the property in 1995, they decided to develop the island in a sustainable manner beginning in 2002, erecting three yurts on the property. In 2012, they added two additional yurts on the property next to the island and connected the island and mainland properties with a pedestrian footbridge. Today, there are eight yurts, and the property is operated by Susan and Dennis’s son, Jonah, and his wife, Yen.

There are no roads to Orca Island Cabins, so to get to the resort, you take a private, 1-hour boat ride from the Seward Boat Harbor. You must bring your own food and ice and prepare your own meals. Each yurt features an oven with a gas range and a propane grill on the deck, plus basic kitchenware for easy food preparation. There's water for hot showers and drinking, along with a propane fireplace to keep you cozy. Each yurt has a collection of books, including guides on the ecology and history of Alaska.

Outside you'll find private decks, extensive boardwalks and community fire rings. There’s also a small art gallery on property featuring Susan’s art and beautiful driftwood creations, plus a curated collection of local commodities for purchase.

Island Living: Kayaking, Tidepooling and Fishing

Once you arrive at the property, your island host will give you an orientation to the land and all of the watercraft, and share maps and charts with you as you plan your adventures.

It's easy to be lulled into the pace of island living. You can enjoy reading out on the deck, tidepooling at the water's edge and looking for the resident animals: seals, river otters, and eagles. Or you can go kayaking or paddleboarding and explore the surrounding area while fishing for salmon, hiking to waterfalls, and discovering secluded coves. Orca Island Cabins also offers a semi-private 2-hour wildlife boat tour of Resurrection Bay, or our team can help you schedule a tour or charter service for fishing trips, whale watching, or to cruise to nearby Kenai Fjords National Park. However you pass the days at Orca Island Cabins, the yurts and location combine for a unique, Alaskan wilderness experience.