What is the best time of year to see whales on an Alaskan cruise?

When is the Best Time of Year for Whale Watching on an Alaska Cruise? You're in luck. April to November is the best time to see whales in Alaska and that nicely aligns with the Alaska cruise season. Like most of us, whales enjoy Alaska in the spring and summer months, when the days are long and food is plentiful.



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When is the Best Time of Year for Whale Watching on an Alaska Cruise? You're in luck. April to November is the best time to see whales in Alaska and that nicely aligns with the Alaska cruise season. Like most of us, whales enjoy Alaska in the spring and summer months, when the days are long and food is plentiful.

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The best whale watching ports of call are typically Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Sitka in Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.

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While the ship is sailing through the northern Pacific waters, whales can sometimes be spotted from the ship. This can happen in the open ocean on the way to or from Alaska, or while the ship is sailing through the Inside Passage.

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If you are cruising north, selecting a starboard (or right-side) stateroom is best since the land is on that side. When sailing south through the Gulf of Alaska, choose a port side (left side) stateroom.

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YES! There are few experiences in life comparable to the extraordinary feeling of seeing gregarious dolphins as they approach from every angle, excited to see our passengers aboard the safety of each of our vessels within our sea-worthy fleet. When asked if whale watching is worth it, our answer is an assured YES!

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For cruise ships, avoiding a whales requires that the captain, pilot, or other bridge personnel detect the whale at a sufficiently large enough distance to change course or speed. This often means detecting the whale several kilometers away.

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Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell, and Thorne Bay are the best ports of call for cruises throughout Alaska.

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At any time during the cruise season you'll certainly see some of Alaska's most amazing animal inhabitants, including whales, dolphins, bears and bald eagles. However, many migratory species are sighted more often during certain times.

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You can see chunks of boat float away. A 2022 study found that out of 49 attacks that year, whales damaged ships in about 73% of interactions. And 25% of those had to be towed back to port.

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(Alaska cruise itineraries don't venture far enough north for polar bear viewing.) In general, small expedition ships strengthened to weather sea ice are the best vessels for a polar bear safari. Choose a cruise with onboard naturalists who are skilled in keeping an eye out for the hard-to-spot creatures.

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Generally, skies are clearest near the spring and fall equinoxes in later September and March. Some late September/early October Alaska cruises can include northern lights sightings as well.

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The Alaska cruise season typically runs from late April to late September, and the cheapest months to cruise to Alaska are during the shoulder season months of April, May, and September.

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Collisions with vessels can be fatal. When a whale or sea turtle is hit by a ship or another vessel, these gentle creatures are likely to die or suffer a horrific injury. Ship collisions have been identified as a significant human cause of baleen whales (mysticete) mortality [1].

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Their findings were fascinating; the blue whales showed little active avoidance of oncoming ships. When in close proximity, none of the whales studied appeared to move away from the ships.

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16 incredible whale watching trips in the USA
  • Bar Harbor, Maine. ...
  • Depoe Bay, Oregon. ...
  • Eastsound, Orcas Island, Washington. ...
  • Virginia Beach, Virginia. ...
  • Cape May, New Jersey. ...
  • Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. ...
  • Oak Harbor, Deception Pass State Park, Washington. ...
  • Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii. Kona Snorkel Tours.


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A Gratuity is not required on most whale watching tours, but the crew works very hard, and they are the ones who make the experience possible, so it is recommended that you tip between $3-$5 per person.

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