Alaska - Best Whale Watching Time ?
 

Planning an Alaskan Cruise
When is the best time to see whales?
Thanks

We were in Seward in early July and took a Fjords cruise. Saw tons of whales, mama, babies, etc. The boat even stayed out longer in order to see all the activity.

Seward is NOT a whale watch area. You have just as much chance of seeing no whales. It is a ROUTE trip, seeing varied wildlife. I have taken these boat tours over a dozen times, and my whale sightings have only been about 50% of my trips.

IF You want whale watching, Juneau and Hoonha have 100% sightings of humpbacks, all cruise season.

Best time to view whales (Humpback) in Alaska is mid June through August. You will see whales before and after this but during this time they are very predictable and gathered together in larger feeding pods that make them more easily viewed. Southeast Alaska is the most consistent place to watch whales. Choose an itinerary that includes Point Adolphus or Frederick Sound. Choose an Alaska small ship cruise with 100 or fewer passengers over a big cruise ship. Small ships will stop and linger when whales are sighted and some cruises will get travelers closer using small zodiacs or even kayaks. Big cruise ships can take over a mile to stop and its tough to watch whales from 10 stories high.