Whale sightings Inside Passage

[Mumsysailor]

We're cruising the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Seward in June. Can we expect to see whales from the ship or will we have to book a whale watching excursion?

[Glaciers]

If you’re diligent and spend time out on deck you’ll see them although it’s nothing like a whale watch excursion. An excursion allows you to get much closer and the view from a smaller boat near the waterline is superior to seeing them from high up on a large cruise ship. We were surrounded by them while exiting Glacier Bay last year and they were very close to the ship although it was a bit unusual. Find the naturalist or a seasoned crew member and they will be able to tell you the best places to be on the lookout for them. Go forward on the ship with a good pair of binoculars.

[NoobCruise]

You *might* see whales from the ship, but your odds are way way better if you book an excursion. If seeing whales is a priority, definitely book an excursion.

 

We did the roundtrip out of Seattle and had a balcony on the back corner of the ship. We saw whales on 4 different occasions from our balcony. However, we had fantastic weather and basically lived on our balcony while sailing. I spotted this humpback while relaxing on our balcony the afternoon before we sailed into Victoria.

 

1163 by Rescue-Diver, on Flickr

 

 

We also did the whale watching out of Juneau and saw LOTS of humpbacks and orcas, and much more close up than from the ship.

 

Alaska Cruise_20120903_151628 by Rescue-Diver, on Flickr

 

Alaska Cruise_20120903_154549_02 by Rescue-Diver, on Flickr

[Sea-level]

Tip:

Whales are not hard to spot. Just look around for some vapor spray and you will see a whale respnsible for it - this is from when they expell their breath.

Look at the Noobcruise's first photo.

The vapor spray can funnel upward to around 10'-20' high.....so it's not hard to identify.

[Mumsysailor]

You *might* see whales from the ship, but your odds are way way better if you book an excursion. If seeing whales is a priority, definitely book an excursion.

 

We did the roundtrip out of Seattle and had a balcony on the back corner of the ship. We saw whales on 4 different occasions from our balcony. However, we had fantastic weather and basically lived on our balcony while sailing. I spotted this humpback while relaxing on our balcony the afternoon before we sailed into Victoria.

 

Wow! Great pictures. We did a whale watching from Boston a few years back and wasn't that impressed. I realise there are no guarantees on these trips. Had hoped to see something from the ship especially at Glacier Bay but will most likely book an excursion.

 

I see several ports offer them. Any recommendations?

[NoobCruise]

Wow! Great pictures. We did a whale watching from Boston a few years back and wasn't that impressed. I realise there are no guarantees on these trips. Had hoped to see something from the ship especially at Glacier Bay but will most likely book an excursion.

 

I see several ports offer them. Any recommendations?

 

We did see one in Glacier Bay as we were starting down to Johns Hopkins Bay, but it was way over by the opposite shore and mostly the water spout. Neither of us got good pics of it.

 

We did the ships excursion in Juneau. We had been booked on the Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer, but when we went to meet the tour, we were told it was cancelled due to weather, so last minute we hopped on the ship's whale watching. However, if we cruise there again, we'll probably book privately as the boats are much smaller and more intimate. Harv and Marv in Juneau seems to be a favorite on these boards, so we'll probably try them.

[NoobCruise]

Tip:

Whales are not hard to spot. Just look around for some vapor spray and you will see a whale respnsible for it - this is from when they expell their breath.

Look at the Noobcruise's first photo.

The vapor spray can funnel upward to around 10'-20' high.....so it's not hard to identify.

 

That is exactly how we spotted them from our balcony. Keep scanning for waterspouts and spray.

[Budget Queen]

I am an avid Alaska whale watcher from cruiseships. Necessary is a good pair of wide angle binoculars. ALWAYS have them with you. You need forward viewing and proper attire. I would never consider aft or balcony viewing, as I want the most success. Just fine for many people.

 

There are concentrated feeding areas, that I know easily, many people don't, so hooking up with the ship naturalist can offer you better luck.

 

The one point, I find people over and over asking- what TIME will I see them. IF you get good information- then you need to expand this time at least an hour on each side. ME. it's more.

 

Very few people actually make hours of investment and give up pretty quickly- main factor is lack of proper attire. Overall, you will find maybe 20 die hards. :)

[Budget Queen]

We did see one in Glacier Bay as we were starting down to Johns Hopkins Bay, but it was way over by the opposite shore and mostly the water spout. Neither of us got good pics of it.

 

.

 

You were hours late in the game for "Glacier Bay" whale watching, which starts OUTSIDE the park in Icy Strait. You were at least 3 hours into the trip.

 

Again, for serious watchers, you need to be out on deck, before dawn with a morning entry, and stay out. Humpbacks are not up by the glaciers- dead end on no food. Same with coming out- the decks are usually empty, going through prime areas.

 

You need to know what direction you are going and where to look. There are significant opportunities, which I always enjoy.