Alaska serves as summer feeding grounds for humpback whales, making it one of the most reliable whale watching locations in the world. Your captain knows these waters well and can help locate these magnificent creatures. Keep an eye out along the water’s surface for a gush of water spraying in the air from the whale’s blow hole, or a flap of it’s tail as it comes to the water’s surface for a breath. With luck, you may even see whales bubble net feeding or breaching completely out of the water. Keep your binoculars, cameras, and video cameras at the ready to capture these special moments.
Your private vessel also is equipped with submerged bow camera and hydrophone so that even when ocean creatures are not above the water’s surface, you can see – and hear – their underwater movements and communication. Your crew is well versed in these ocean creatures and can help answer questions about the whales or deliver an educational program for younger guests.
While whales are often the featured wildlife attraction of southeast Alaska, many other creatures call this area home. Marine wildlife includes harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. You may even spot a variety of land animals along the coastlines including brown and black bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goats, beaver, and moose. Alaska’s Inside Passage is also an ornithologist’s dream as it is home to bald eagles, common and pacific loons, black oystercatchers, harlequin ducks, red-breasted mergansers, tufted and horned puffins, and more!