Whale watching in alaska is special since you can meet different species of whales here. In general, early autumn in alaska means warm days and colder nights, so you can sight see in the sun. In alaska, cruise ships and state ferries can set up a maplify account to view whale sightings online via whale alert. Icy strait alaska is also the waters that the humpback whales return to each summer alaska whale watching season is may to september. Apr 06, 2020 whale watching in a very wet juneau, alaska updated. People said july aug is best in petersburg, how about late sept. Late september cruise alaska cruise critic community. Killer whales of southern alaska north gulf oceanic society. To learn more about these animals and where to see them, click on the links below. Whale watching in al aska many species of cetaceans, whales, dolphins, and porpoise, inhabit or migrate through alaskan waters. Southeast, south central, southwest, interior and far north alaska. Alaskan whales winter makin whoopee in hawaii pretty smart and summer havin babies and eating tons of fresh seafood in alaska.
Juneau whale watching, glaciers or other shore tours albom. We are very interested in whale watching esp humback, do you know where is the best place. Its filled with art exhibits and offers educational films on things like the aurora or the life of a bowhead whale. The humpback whale is one of the largest baleen whale species and a common though spectacular sight during summer months in alaska. Countless whales spend the summer near alaska shores feeding, and views of these mighty mammals are best in the waters near anchorage.
First and foremost, however, alaska is bear country. Whale watching cruise with kenai fjords tours in seward alaska. This familyrun company operating out of valdez will show you the best glaciers, with great customer service along the way. All our whale watching tours begin from seward and take you out into the waters of resurrection bay and beyond. The last of the salmon have made their journey upriver, and many animals will go into hibernation for the long winter ahead.
They can be seen near seward alaska in the waters of resurrection bay. Prince william sound in alaska is the summer habitat for gray, humpback and orca whales, making april through september some of the best months to whale watch. Apr 30, 2016 not the best video, but we got to watch the whales feeding around knudson cove marina this afternoon and it was amazing. However, the days are shorter and chance of weather is higher. Silence, then a gigantic form breaches the surface. Killer whales can be seen in southeast alaska between early may and early june with whales more sporadically spotted in june through september. Daily boat tours to tracy arm rarely return without whale sightings and youll often spot many on a single trip. The two lines that are often recommended on cruise critic are harv and marv harv and marvs alaska whale watching and orca enterprises juneau alaska whale watching orca enterprises. Whale watch alaska 317 west 12th, st, juneau, alaska 99801 rated 4. Alaska whales where to see whales in alaska for 2017. September is a shoulder month, but can still be an excellent time for wildlife. April 6, 2020 by the planet d it was a sad day when we pulled into juneau on our alaskan, princess cruise. I am planning a trip to alaska in late september to mid oct, we will drive and take domestic flight within alaska.
U of alaska museum of the north if youre curious about alaska s native cultures, its wildlife, or its natural wonders, this is the museum for you. Set sail from juneau to see humpback whales in their natural habitat. Likliehood of seeing whales in september alaska forum. Whale watching tours are offered in juneau and near glacier bay. Whales begin their migration from the warm waters of mexico in february arriving in alaska waters in april. Alaska early september whale watching from juneau ill be stopping over in juneau for a couple of days midweek in the second week of september and looking at a whale watching trip. If its whales you want, its whales youre gonna get. Saw whales right from leaving port in bc, just after sailing under the lions gate bridge. To download the full whaleplanner as a graphic, please just click this link and save the graphic on the next.
See alaskan wildlife on this whale watching tour in hoonah that takes you out onto the waters of glacier bay and icy strait, where humpback whales arrive each year to feed before heading south for the winter. From the boat, you may also spot orcas, seals, and sea otters. The best time to see alaska s resident orca whale pods are between early may to early june with whales being spotted during the months of june through september. But you must first go to where the whales are swimming. The hoonah whale season is roughly may to september. Witness the amazing annual migration of california gray whales, traveling 5,000 miles to kenai fjords national park, alaska. You also have a good chance of seeing minke whales, pacific whitesided. From may to september, humpback whales that have migrated north from their winter feeding grounds feast on alaskas plentiful krill, herring, and bait fish. It is not uncommon for cruise passengers to see whales right from. September is the last month of the year that we would recommend travelling to alaska for a grizzly bear safari after this, the weather gets colder, and the days shorter. Dalls porpoise, sea birds, sea lions, otters, and more april september seward alaska whale watching. All tours begin operating in the spring, which comes around may in alaska, and run through september, weather permitting.
Alaska s seafoodrich waters are the summer home of many different kinds of whales. Orcas, humpbacks, minkes, gray whales one of the best places in the world to view orcas a. At that time their primary food source krill is greatly reduced in amount due to the short days and cooler sea temps. They mostly stay in the same area for 15 weeks or more, mostly in glacier bay or icy strait. From what ive read, whale watching is usually best out of juneau. Best places for whale watching when to go whale watching. Depending on the time of year, we regularly see five species of whales orca. The best time for whale watching in alaska including juneau and seward plus alaska whale watching season and dates is covered in depth. Several outfitters in southeast and southcentral alaska offer charter boats to remote coves with rentals and expert instruction. The body of a humpback whale washed ashore at kincaid park, which attracted some curious visitors on monday, september 25, 2017. Humpback whales, blue whales, minke whales, orcas, belugasall of them inhabit the waters around the state. Juneau, alaska s professional whale watching and wildlife tours alaska, the last frontier, land of the midnight sun, northern lights, glaciers calving into pristine waters, grizzly bears feasting on wild salmon, otters frolicking in kelp beds, eagles soaring overhead, humpback and killer whales feeding and playing in quiet inlets. Beluga whale fans must plan a whale watching tour out of cook inlet, which is near alaska s capital city anchorage.
Marine mammal viewing alaskas marine mammals range from oceandwelling creatures, like whales, to those dependent on the oceans for food, like polar bears. As the spout of water shot up into the air and my heart skipped a beat. While you will see humpies from a cruise ship, booking a whale watching excursion in juneau or icy strait point will get you much, much closer. Ideally, would like the have flexibility to look at the weather when i arrive and choose whether i.
During big falling tides between midjuly and september, watch for belugas exiting the arm down a channel that parallels the highway between. That huge population swims right through sitka sound. On any given day trip youll likely see huge rafts of sea otters, horned and tufted puffins, cormorants, humpback whales, or. Whales can be seen all summer from may until september. Several pods of orcas, killer whales, reside in the prince william sound area and humpbacks can be spotted in the western portion midmay through september.
The symbol of arctic can be spotted near the katovik and barrow communities. Your best chance of seeing a beluga whale in cook inlet is between july and september either before or after high tide. Best time to see whales in alaska alaska whale watching. Juneau, alaskas professional whale watching and wildlife tours. But there might be fewer whales around in september best time to see whales in alaska so you might be arriving too late in the year for the best opportunities.
An alaska cruise takes travelers through some of the worlds most remote, untamed wilderness and allows upclose experiences with wildlife such as brown and black bears, moose, otters, and majestic bald eagles. Daily boat tours to tracy arm rarely return without whale sightings and youll often. Between may and september, humpbacks stay in the northern parts of the passage to feed. Across alaska, nearly all the whales migrate south between september and may, but some nonmating males do frequently stick around silver bay, in sitka, yearround. Various species of whales migrate between the warm coastal waters of mexico and the frigid waters of alaska. You may be surprised by the weather comparisons you see between the average september temperatures in alaska and the average temperatures at home. Beluga whales are now considered an endangered species and are usually the hardest of all whales to spot when in alaska. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Whale watching in a very wet juneau, alaska the planet d. Yes, it is cheaper, you will experience less crowd ashore and less kids.
Beyond that, whale meat is considered an alaska native soul food. Juneaus whales are like snowbirds everywhere they spend the beautiful summer months here at home but head to hawaii for the cold winter months. I completed 2 seasons working cruise ships doing alaska cruises out of vancouver and we experienced 2 major storms, with both being in september. A whale that made an unusual trip into freshwater then was shot thursday by hunters on the kuskokwim river finally was pulled onto shore saturday. The one thing you can count on in juneau, is that you cant count on the weather. And just how rainy should we expect the weather to be at that time of year. The best time for whale watching in alaska getaway usa. Although alaska whales generally do not possess hind limbs, some whales such as sperm whales and baleen whales sometimes have rudimentary hind limbs. Will the local whale population still be around in the local waters at that time. Whale watching tours, the taz near glacier bay, alaska. Vancouver and alaska cruise towards the arctic waters of the gulf of alaska. Average september temperatures for alaska current results.
Instead, she gracefully returned to the sea, her tail breaking the surface as she descends. You can jump to a separate table for each region of the state. We will be doing the usual cruise itinarey, inside passage, juneau, skagway and hubbard glacier etc appreciate all the advice and help from everyone who has posted on all the various topics in this forum. May and september are typically less touristy and chillier. Earlyseptember whalewatching from juneau flyertalk forums. Josiah patkotak fills out a report for the wildlife department after successfully striking a whale with his familys crew, patkotak crew, while senior wildlife. Whale watching in alaska many species of cetaceans, whales, dolphins, and porpoise, inhabit or migrate through alaskan waters. North pacific humpbacks leave their chilly alaskan feeding grounds in september. The best time to see these majestic marine mammals is from june until august. From eyepopping color shows to northern lights displays and rare fishing opportunities, read on to find out the top reasons alaska should make your travel itinerary this fall. Book a whale watching holiday in canada with canadian affair for the chance. For gray and humpback whale viewing april and may are the best times but they are often seen all summer. Unlike whale watching in the open ocean, the waters of juneau alaska are more restricted, which brings the whales closer together.
Most species of whale bear a fin on their backs known as a dorsal fin. Its the only baleen whale that vocalizes, bellowing a peculiar song that can last up to twenty minutes, is repeated for hours and gradually changes over time. While juneau is a gorgeous state capital chockfull with wildlife, its also abundant with lots of weather. Sperm whales are found worldwide, and in recent years southeast alaska longline fishermen have had a number of encounters with sperm whales in the gulf of alaska. The naturalist michelle even commented who are you people that you get to spot these whales. Sep 03, 2014 one day while we were out at sea, i was in the bathroom getting ready for brunch and angeline started screaming from the balcony killer whale moooommm killer whale i threw on my robe yes, there are super comfy free robes to use while on the carnival miracle.
Spring and summer are ideal times for whale watching in alaska, particularly from the months of may through september. About 12,000 whales will migrate to hawaii in september to october. Killer whales are present in alaska may thru september. Going on a alaska cruise in mid september is this a good time to see whales and what is the weather like at this time.
The only amphibian in interior alaska, the wood frog, is found here too. For the purposes of this web site, whale will be interpreted as being limited to the larger of the cetacean order of mammals known to the. For a limited time in early summer, this cruise departs from seward in search of our favorite black and white marine mammal the orca. Be sure to check back as we continue to build the website and add more animals to the list. A visit to to juneau, alaska is not complete without setting out on a boat for some whale watching. We will be cruising alaska in september and i am wondering what are the chances of seeing whales and in what areas they are likely to be. Blues and minke whales also feed in prince william sound during the summer. Icy strait point whale watching this site contains affiliate links to products andor services. Belugas, which can be hunted by alaska natives, are more typically the type of whale that swims up a river, noaa says.
We will be doing the usual cruise itinarey, inside passage, juneau, skagway and hubbard glacier etc. Juneau is the best spot for whale watching in alaska. However, the absolute best time to see them is in the months of june and july, during peak whale season. Go to the weather calculator and plug in your home city. Whaletrips alaska the best tips for whale watching in. Whale watchingalaska inside passage, late sept college. I unconsciously held my breath as i hoped this majestic whale would breach the water, jumping into the air. Telegraph cove on vancouver island, the orca capital of the world.
Your whale watching juneau adventure begins with convenient pickup near the cruise docks, followed by a 25minute drive through downtown juneau, with narration provided during the journey to introduce you to the sights of alaskas capital city and its rollicking history as a wild frontier mining town. Most of them leave for hawaii and mexico in earlymid september. Various species of whales can be seen throughout alaska during the months of may through september. The humpback whale migration is this autumn in alaska. Whales, juneau, alaska september 5, 2016 4k youtube. The whale watching season here runs from approximately may to september. In alaska you can meet orcas, gray whales and humpbacks. Likliehood of seeing whales in september alaska message. Your guide to whale watching in alaska in 2020 scenic states. The most important region for whale watching in alaska is the southeast around the inside passage with its countless fjords, glaciers, lakes and mountains.
The carcass of a humpback whale washed ashore at kincaid park, which attracted some curious visitors on monday, september 25, 2017. What is one of the better mid priced tours to book dont want to. Whale biologists and resource managers can automatically share whale sightings, helping them to better understand whale feeding and migration patterns. Villagers recover whale carcass from the kuskokwim river. Weather in juneau, alaska juneau whale watching tours. The endangered beluga whales of upper cook inlet near anchorage follow the runs of salmon and hooliganand are most often seen just before and after high tides in turnagain arm along the seward highway. We just got back from alaska rt from vancouver september 17. Marine mammal viewing alaska department of fish and game.
Is juneau the place to book a whale watching tour or is there somewhere better like skagway. Whale watching boat tour in juneau, alaska youtube. Just like orcas, beluga whales are interested in eating salmon, so they will typically appear near large. Youll find the humpback whales tend to be spotted in alaska from april through september, although sometimes all the way up to december. Alaska the best tips for whale watching in alaska whaletrips.
Sep 26, 2017 the species of whale that was shot hasnt been confirmed. Why climate scientists depend on alaskas indigenous. Although orcas are seen in the area yearround, three main pods, called the southern residents, are more frequently glimpsed during the spring through fall months. Taz whale watching tours offers two touring options each day, seven days per week may 28, 2016 through september 5, 2016. Seeing a colossal humpback whale take its deep, sounding dive with flukes flipping up above the surfaceor a killer whale leap in a spectacular, wavecrashing breachcan be one of the most breathtaking moments of your alaska experience. Once a whale is spotted, our captain will slow down and allow the passengers outside on the front and back viewing decks for excellent picture opportunities and an up close experience. Best time for polar bear watching in alaska 2020 when. Then, after your amazing experience whale watching in juneau alaska, its time to head to majestic mendenhall, the worlds only driveup glacier. Whale migration patterns throughout alaska alaska shore. These gentle giants are around 49 feet in length and can weigh up to 29 tons, aka 58,000lbs. Killer whales of southern alaska download the 2011 photoidentification catalogue the matriline, a mother and her offspring of both sexes, is the basic unit of both resident and transient killer whale. Alaska whale watching in late september to mid october.
They can be seen in the waters of resurrection bay, near seward, as well as throughout southeast alaska, with the largest abundance found near juneau and ketchikan. Travel alaska recommends spring whale watching, too. What is one of the better mid priced tours to book dont want to be on a small boat because of sea sickness. Falling in the often overlooked shoulder season, visiting alaska in september is one of the best kept secrets aroundso, shhhh. Canada to alaska and youll be rewarded with incredible whale watching.
Hunting, butchering and distributing the animal, village leaders say, is how elders teach young people the culture. Travel alaska from fairbanks to anchorage a jaunt with joy. Uk 0203 424 6323 download brochure send an enquiry request a callback. Watching wild polar bears in their natural habitat is one of the unique experiences in the world. The highlight of this tour is seeing the humpback whales that have traveled to alaska for feeding in the nutrient rich waters of alaska s capital city.
Whale watching holidays orca watching canadian affair. Your best bet to see orca whales in alaska is midmay to midjune when theyre hunting for salmon. Juneau whale watching tour alaska shore excursions. Alaska whale watching includes where to see whales in alaska. Though endangered worldwide, the most commonly seen whale in alaska is the humpback. Orca quest cruise in kenai fjords major marine tours.
Join major marine tours the local whale experts as we search for orcas, distinguishable by their stately dorsal fins and fascinating social behaviors. Upon arrival, you will meet your whale watching cruise excursion captain and staff who will welcome you aboard and give you a quick safety orientation. Appreciate all the advice and help from everyone who has. Juneau exclusive whale watching excursion juneau excursions. Alaska has resident killer whales and is the destination for migrating whales during the summer. Alaska whale watching tours best in seward, whittier. Average temperatures for september at cities, towns and parks throughout alaska are listed below in degrees fahrenheit and celsius. My wife and i will be visiting sitka for 3 full days in september, 99 through 911. Point hope, the village caught between tradition and climate change alaska had its hottest year on record in 2014, and for villagers in point hope who have hunted and.
Whale watching from a small cruise ship reveal humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, puffins and. The period between august and october is a noice season, so bears usually rest on the beaches, thats why its the best ti. The dead whale was previously spotted floating in knik arm. The best time to whale watch is from april to november, when approximately 600 humpbacks inhabit the waters of the northern inside passage. How to see whales in alaska the best whale watching spots.