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In the past thirty years, the level of formality has dropped significantly on cruise ships and there is no need to pack a ball gown or tuxedo. However, many ships host a night or two on which fancier attire would be appropriate. For women, a sparkly shirt and dressy pants or skirt are often sufficient, while men could bring along a sports coat and maybe a tie, depending on their own personal style. If you’re not sure about the dress code, check out the ship’s social media pages. The guest shots they post will give you an idea of what people are wearing for fancy dinners and sporty excursions. In the colder, northern waters of Anchorage, beluga whales rule the sea.
Denali Hiking Adventures: Our Personal Picks for the Best Trails
Unlimited numbers of whale watching boats causing wave of concern - Juneau Empire
Unlimited numbers of whale watching boats causing wave of concern.
Posted: Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While in Sitka, explore one or several of the region’s remote islands and their rich wildlife by boarding an expedition catamaran. On the way, the catamaran will navigate through the waters of Sitka Sound, where you’ll have multiple opportunities to see whales, brown bears, and sea otters. While in Icy Strait Point, you’ll have the chance to take a shore excursion to Point Adolphus, an active feeding ground and one of the best humpback whale viewing areas in Alaska. Spotting wildlife at Point Adolphus is all but guaranteed, since a large number of whales gather here during the summer to feast on the nutrient-rich water found in the area. One of the perks of an Alaska whale watching cruise is the opportunity to see wildlife from the comfort of your ship. To increase your chances of successful whale watching while on board, hang out on one of the cruise ship’s many open-air decks—some would say the best way to see Alaska and its surreal beauty.
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Denali National Park for the great hiking, glaciers, the tundra which I knew nothing about but learned to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of as well as the wildlife of the park. Juneau and Anchorage were not very pretty towns but we were glad that we had the opportunity to see them. Here are insights from our team of Alaska whale watching cruise specialists, a group that includes a former Alaska naturalist guide and experts who have lived, worked and explored the region in depth. Following a short motorcoach ride to scenic Auke Bay, you'll board a waterjet-powered catamaran designed for wildlife viewing. Whether you’re arriving by plane, car, or cruise ship, Alaska’s prime whale-watching locations are easily accessible.
Can you see whales from the cruise ship in Alaska?
Orcas live in coastal Alaska’s waters, including outside Seward, near Kodiak, in Whittier’s Prince William Sound, Glacier Bay, Icy Straight, and Alaska’s Inside Passage. Every spring, gray whales migrate through Alaska’s waterways to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas in the Arctic Ocean. Belugas can be found outside Anchorage in the Turnagain Arm, and humpbacks are plentiful outside Juneau. If you’re looking to spot a more diverse amount of species, take an excursion along Stephen’s Passage and Auke Bay for whale watching and the chance to see frolicking seals and soaring bald eagles, too. At WildLifeWaves, I explore the best of sea travel, from whale watching to coral reefs, always with an eco-friendly approach.
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She created 3 meals a day in a small galley at a four star level. Every meal was a creation of her imagination and always delicious. My husband never stopped raving from Alaska to Wisconsin about the amazing skill of Tracie's craft. She also found time to help with lowering the anchor and taking care of a garden on the top of the boat. The minke whale in Alaska is both the most populous and the most discreet. Minkes are the smallest of the “great” baleen whales and can grow up to 35 feet long and weigh up to 10 tons.
Northwestern Fjord Glacier and Wildlife Cruise
After traveling somewhere new, you want to bring something back with you to remember all of your fun adventures. Often spotted hunting, circling high in the sky or perched in a tall evergreen, keeping watch over the area, the majestic bald eagle owns the Alaskan skies. Near the port of call at Sitka, tour the Alaska Raptor Center, where injured eagles and other raptors such as owls, hawks and falcons are rehabilitated. After watching raptors regain strength and practice survival skills in their Flight Training Center, you'll leave in awe of the wondrous wingspan and incredible intensity of these flyers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t see whales if your Alaska cruise is in the spring or fall. Then, board a sightseeing boat for the chance to see those animals in action while also getting the opportunity to view the dramatic coastline scenery of the icy Kenai Fjords National Park.
Alaska’s Glacier Wilderness with Glacier Bay Cruise
Loosely defined as the waterway south of Stephen’s Passage and east of Chatham Straight, this crossroads area offers an astounding variety of bays, coves, islands and open water that consistently attracts whales. The Seward Highway runs southeast of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm for almost 50 miles. Beluga Point is at Mile 110.4, and Bird Point Wayside is at Mile 96.
Overall, our 3 best whale-watching Alaska spots are Juneau, Icy Strait Point / Hoonah, and Seward. Blue whales "summer" in the eastern and northern Gulf of Alaska in July and August and are just returning to Alaska after extreme whaling drove almost the entire population to extinction. Check out our Alaska Inside Passage Cruises with convenient departures from Seattle and Vancouver for the chance to see Humpback whales on Holland America Line adventures.
Experience Alaskan Glaciers
From April through September is prime whale watching for most species. In fact, the journey from Alaska to Hawaii is one of the longest mammal migrations, covering approximately 3,000 miles. If you’re interested in witnessing this incredible journey from both ends, you might want to consider whale watching in Maui, Hawaii.
As you approach the massive glaciers, watch the distant icebergs for small dark specks. Seals haul out on the ice to rest, often leaving their young unattended on the frozen surface. Head to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward for an up-close view of these adorable, agile creatures. To see a whale breaching is actually not as common as you might think, considering most of the whale watching pictures you see are of a whale breaching.
And there will still be animal sightings, just in more modest quantities. The weight of a school bus and weighing in at 30 tons, gray whales tend to follow Alaska’s outer coast. These whales swim cape to cape across the openings of fjords and bays. Their spring trips skirt Alaska in April and June, with the largest concentration of gray whales passing the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak areas during the month of May. Combine the Alaska cruise with a train adventure aboard the Wilderness Express, Royal Caribbean's luxurious, domed-topped rail car designed for optimal viewing of the breathtaking scenery.
This 970-foot-deep fjord extending south from Seward toward the Gulf of Alaska and the Kenai Fjords National Park may be one of the most reliable places to view marine wildlife in the world. Its pristine, food-rich waters are only a few miles from the open ocean, offering extraordinary access to the productive outer coast. Whales can sometimes be seen from the waterfront park or off the beach at Lowell Point south of town. There visitors will see feeding humpback whales on most summer days, and have a good chance of encountering pods of killer whales, especially once salmon have begun schooling for spawning runs. During calm weather in the outer bay, where real ocean swells sometimes roll in from the Gulf, it can be a total bird-and-mammal show, with Alaska’s most common marine species active and easy to see. (Sea lions, seals and sea otters also abound.) In April and May, gray whales pass the mouth of the bay on their epic spring migration to the Arctic.
Discover the top tips for planning a cruise to Alaska and uncover the best times of the year to spot Alaskas wildlife, locate must-see attractions, find Alaskan cruise deals and more. Plan your romantic Alaskan cruise with our adventurer’s guide to discovering the coziest vacation spots and most scenic restaurants for couples traveling in Alaska. As you plan your Alaska vacation, you might be torn between traveling by cruise ship, plane or even car. Enjoy an insider’s guide to discovering the best family cruises for your next vacation onboard Brilliance of the Seas. Brilliance of the Seas makes it impossible to feel bored during a vacation! These top things to do onboard this beloved cruise ship make it a fan favorite for many.
If you’re dead set on seeing a specific kind of whale, read on for the best times to see whales in Alaska. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. Find the most Instagrammable places for your next vacation cruise to Alaska. Come discover the prettiest spots to take pictures with our travel photo guide. You can also consider yourself lucky if you see a group of whales together with all of their mouths open, called bubble net feeding. Seeing whales in every single one of these places in Alaska was exciting, whether it was a closer up view of the whale or even if it was a bit far away.
It’s a whale surfacing for the whale behavior called lunge feeding. Whale watching is one of the most popular things to do in Juneau. Another fun shore excursion in Juneau takes you out to sea on a jet-powered catamaran specially designed for the waters of Alaska.
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