wildlife on alaska cruise
chris
Those of you who have been on alaskin cruises what have your experiences
been with wildlife sightings- including sealife? I would appreciate input
and any links to your photos- It is a very expensive vacation and would like
to make sure that my expectations are inorder.
Thanks
Chris
Don & Lynn
I have seen a few spouts, no whales. White water caught my attention on two
occasions. It was dolphins or porpoises, the kind of fish that arch through
the air above the water. There were dozens of them and it was great to
watch. But that was it. Have a great cruise.
Don
"chris" <chris...@ids.net> wrote in message
news:xOadnfd2Z-t...@conversent.net...
L...@notmine.com
What you have a chance to see depends in part on where you go.
We had a terrific Whale Watch experience in Juneau on Capt Larry's boat
(booked on shore not thru ship).
LB
Doug McDonald
> I'll probably get jumped on for this. We have spent 3 weeks sailing Alaska.
> I have seen a few spouts, no whales. White water caught my attention on two
> occasions. It was dolphins or porpoises, the kind of fish that arch through
> the air above the water. There were dozens of them and it was great to
> watch. But that was it. Have a great cruise.
I've spent three weeks sailing Alaska (SE Alaska, in the
middle summer).
I've seen perhaps 30 humpback whales, and many more orcas. Some
orcas swam right alongside us. A couple of humpbacks surfaced
within 10 yards of us. Innumerable porpoises followed or
preceeded (i.e. swimming in front of ) us.
I've seen 10 or more bears from the boat.
Of course, it helps that this was a 65 foot yacht, not a
monster floating Hilton.
If you want to see wildlife, go on a wildlife cruise on
a small (100 foot or less) ship. However, the prices are
not for the faint of heart, nor those used to seeing
monster-ship prices.
Doug McDonald
Liz Vollan
What wildlife you see depends on what excursions you go on. While it is
possible to see whales and dolphins from the ship, it takes quite an eagle
eye to spot them.
I've seen orcas in good numbers and humpback whales on
whalewatching/wildlife quests from Juneau and lots of eagles in Ketchikan.
To my great excitement, this year in Ketchikan I was on a rainforest
sanctuary walk and finally saw my first bear and my first spawning salmon.
But others in my groups have seen bears in past years by doing excursions
involving either smaller boats or from float planes.
Alaska is a state abounding in natural beauty. You're sure to enjoy
yourself there.
Liz Vollan
"chris" <chris...@ids.net> wrote in message
news:xOadnfd2Z-t...@conversent.net...
Peri
> Hi Everyone,
> Those of you who have been on alaskin cruises what have your experiences
> been with wildlife sightings- including sealife?
Chris, we've only done Alaska once (Summit, summer of 2002), but the best
wildlife viewing we had BY FAR came post-cruise when we took a tour of the Kenai
Fjords out of Seward (http://www.alaskaheritagetours.com/476.cfm). It's a small
ship that can get very close to the shore and the action. We were thrilled to
see bald eagles, sea otters, orca pods and more. It's almost impossible to
sight wildlife from a cruise ship.
~ Peri
Mason Barge
<lizbook...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Hi Chris,
>
>What wildlife you see depends on what excursions you go on. While it is
>possible to see whales and dolphins from the ship, it takes quite an eagle
>eye to spot them.
Well it just depends on luck. I've gotten good views of both
humpbacks and orcas from onboard ship -- last cruise, a humpback came
up about 50 yards from where I was sitting reading a book.
Mason Barge
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
-- Abraham Lincoln
L...@notmine.com
We saw a pod of 10 humpbacks feeding using bubble net technique.
spectacular! Also regular breaching by a "baby" - under 30 feet long.
A couple of the big ones passed about 30 feet from our 18 passenger
boat. Feeding went on for two hours. An experienced whale watcher ( 17
trips) said this was best he ever saw.
So it is a matter of luck too.
LB
Scott C. Donohue
I just returned from an inside passage cruise on one of those "Floating
Hiltons" (Carnival Spirit). We had a "Naturalist" on-board, Michelle, who
pointed out all the wildlife to be seen from the ship. We were able on an inside
passage cruise, to see a humpback breach in our wake, humpbacks spouting, diving
and feeding, orcas (large & small) bald eagles, porpoises and seals.
Luck deffinately plas a big role in what you can see from the ship. On the
larger ships you may have better luck on the excursions, but the opertunity
still exists to see wildlife from the ship as well.
Happy Sailing,
Scott
JLeary256
>spectacular! Also regular breaching by a "baby" - under 30 feet long.
>A couple of the big ones passed about 30 feet from our 18 passenger
For clarification- humpbacks are NOT pod whales- they were together only
briefly for this encounter then split.
JLeary256
>been with wildlife sightings- including sealife? I would appreciate input
>and any links to your photos- It is a very expensive vacation and
First off for ANY wildlife viewing you need tours. The brochures are greatly
enhances. From your cruise ship- it requires a good deal of invested time out
on a full front deck dressed appropriately with a good pair of wide angle
binoculars. Sightings will be brief- a few minutes. I do this all the time
(10 Alaska cruises) and seldem is anyone else out. Tours are excellent out of
Juneau for humpbacks 100% of the trips- orcas only coming in every 5-10 days.
If you want orcas, go out of Victoria BC or Friday Harbor Wa. I have always
seen them sailing inside Vancouver Island- again a few minute view for being
out hours. :) As for land animals- rare on the inside passage before
August. Brown bears out of Pack Creek from July via $400++ pp float plane trip
out of Juneau. Black Bears out of Ketchikan cheaper. For the best bargain
around- Denali Park is the jewel- my min. distance in is Eielson via the
SHUTTLE, cruise tours don't go in as far and by all means upgrade the useless
Natural History tour to the Tundra Wilderness. Not likely any wildlife.
Lee
> I've spent three weeks sailing Alaska (SE Alaska, in the
> middle summer).
>
> I've seen perhaps 30 humpback whales, and many more orcas. Some
> orcas swam right alongside us. A couple of humpbacks surfaced
> within 10 yards of us. Innumerable porpoises followed or
> preceeded (i.e. swimming in front of ) us.
>
> I've seen 10 or more bears from the boat.
>
> Of course, it helps that this was a 65 foot yacht, not a
> monster floating Hilton.
>
> If you want to see wildlife, go on a wildlife cruise on
> a small (100 foot or less) ship. However, the prices are
> not for the faint of heart, nor those used to seeing
> monster-ship prices.
Agreed...we "cruised" on Glacier Bay Cruise Line Wilderness
Discoverer. It wasn't cheap, but if it's wildlife you're after...
Several times during the cruise we came upon whales. Not sure this
will happen on a Princess or HAL cruise (chuckle, chuckle) but our
captain cut the engines and stayed put for quite some time (30-45
minutes or until we got our fill) so we could watch the whales dive,
surface, lunge feed, breach....all just off the bow a ways. And,
standing on the deck of the Discoverer, you're a lot closer to the
water than you are standing on a deck that's 10+ stories high.
I love my "floating Hilton" cruises, but not for Alaska...you just
miss too much.
Lee
>
> Doug McDonald
Doug McDonald
> Doug McDonald <mcdo...@scs.uiuc.edu> wrote in message news:<cerfd3$19t$1...@news.ks.uiuc.edu>...
>
>
>>I've spent three weeks sailing Alaska (SE Alaska, in the
>>middle summer).
>>
>>I've seen perhaps 30 humpback whales, and many more orcas. Some
>>orcas swam right alongside us. A couple of humpbacks surfaced
>>within 10 yards of us. Innumerable porpoises followed or
>>preceeded (i.e. swimming in front of ) us.
>>Of course, it helps that this was a 65 foot yacht, not a
>>monster floating Hilton.
>>
>>If you want to see wildlife, go on a wildlife cruise on
>>a small (100 foot or less) ship. However, the prices are
>>not for the faint of heart, nor those used to seeing
>>monster-ship prices.
>
>
> Agreed...we "cruised" on Glacier Bay Cruise Line Wilderness
> Discoverer. It wasn't cheap, but if it's wildlife you're after...
The Glacier Bay Cruises ships are not small, they are
intermediate sized. Small means less than 100 feet, fewer than
15 passengers.
Doug McDonald
Ray Goldenberg
<mcdo...@scs.uiuc.edu> wrote:
>Small means less than 100 feet, fewer than
>15 passengers.
Hi Doug,
Those are not CRUISE ships. They are dinghys. <vbg>
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Monte
On the Norwegian Sky (now POA) leaving Glacier Bay a Grizzly Sow with 3
yearling cubs were sighted (they were almost as large as she). Triplets are
rare and all three surviving is almost unheard of. The capt took the ship
as close to the shore as he could and we floated around while watching the
them for close to an hour.
Another time (Vision OTS) we were unable to dock at Skagway because of high
wind. The Capt announced that he was taking the ship to an area know for
Grey Whale sightings. We didn't see many during the day an then as we were
leaving that area, a group of about 5 of them came up near the bow of the
ship. My wife & I were in the Windjammer by a forward window when it
happened. And these whales came up not more than 15-20 yds from the ship.
It was amazing to see them from that vantage point. BUT-it was the only
time all day I didn't have my camera with me.
-Monte
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Lee
> The Glacier Bay Cruises ships are not small, they are
> intermediate sized. Small means less than 100 feet, fewer than
> 15 passengers.
We had 50 or so passengers on board (max was about 90). For this
newsgroup, that's small. Don't be so petty.
Lee
>
> Doug McDonald