Alaska Whale Watching Tips

Watching whales on one of our Alaska vacation and tour packages, is a trip to put your your to do list the next time you visit the last frontier in the summer months. In south central Alaska, particularly in Kenai Fjords National Park or Prince William Sound, will could see up to 4 different types of whales. You will also see a variety of other mammals including dall’s porpoise, stellar sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goat, and possibly bears.

Let’s not forget about the huge array of birds including puffins, cormorants, auklets, bald eagles, and more. Let’s not forget the glaciers that you will be able to see as well when you are out looking for whales. This is a must do activity for Alaska trips that we encourage everyone to consider. Here are some important tips to help you plan your Alaska trip with Silvertip for an experience that you will never forget.

Alaska whale watching will start in May and typically wrap up by mid September. You will be able to see whales for the duration of this time period, but typically late May into early July is the best.

When you are preparing for your whale tour on your Alaska vacation there are some important things to bring. You are going to want to have layers of clothing and good rain gear. Although most boats have enclosed & heated cabins you are going to want to be out on the deck so you can have the best viewing and photography opportunities. If you can stay warm and dry you are going to have a better experience.

Bringing a good camera with a tele photo lens is also going to help you capture some great shots and memories as there is a minimum distance that the tour boats are suppose to stay from wildlife. Now a days your phone’s camera also have pretty good lens and can grab some great shots as well.

It’s also important to have some water and snacks with you, even know most tours offer some sort of food or lunch. Don’t forget any medications you need as you could be out there from 2-4 hours up to a full day of 8 hours.

The most common whales you could see in Alaska are Orcas, Gray whales, humpback, finback whales, and beluga whales. The orca whale (also known as killer whales) have resident, transient, and offshore pods that have teeth and eat just about any other fish or mammal it can catch. Gray whales are more around in the beginning of the summer and travel up to 10,000 miles per year (5000 miles each way) as they migrate from Alaska to Baja.

The humpback whale migrates from Alaska to Hawaii each year and are present all summer long. The finback whale is one of the fastest moving whales as they move summer colder water to winter warmer waters eating and breeding. Finally the Beluga whale travels in pod that you can see all summer long as they follow baitfish and salmon as they try to migrate towards various Alaska streams.

Seward in our opinion is the best place to take a tour and see the most variety of whales, other mammals, and wildlife Kenai Fjords National Park is a prime location for food for all these whales, creating a mecca for Alaska whale watching.

Another wonderful place to see most of these whales is Prince William Sound. If you want to see a Beluga whale then consider stopping on a variety of pull outs along the Seward Highway near Anchorage. The Kenai Peninsula is Alaska’s playground for a reason and the whale, glacier, wildlife cruise is no exception. Our playground is one of the best places to view whales in Alaska.

As you look to find the whale tour that is best for you it’s important to consider a few of our tips. There are many different sized boats that offer whale tours. We recommend a smaller boat (25-55 foot long boat) that holds less then 20 people plus crew over a larger boat (100-150 foot long boat) that can hold 100 plus people on it.

Being in a smaller boat allows you more agility and mobility on the water. You end up moving around the area more, seeing more whales and other mammals, and getting closer to the glaciers within the Kenai Fjords National Park.

The smaller boats are very stable and you will get a more personalized and private experience. A tour like we are recommending will cost $350.00 – $450.00 per person. Now you can get on a larger boat for as low as $150.00 per person for a whale tour but spending more on a smaller tour option is hands down the way to go.

When on an Alaska whale watching tour take our tips into consideration and you will have the best trip that mother nature is offering. Remember smaller boats typically provide better trips with more viewing opportunities. Kenai Fjords is one of the best national parks in the USA to enjoy viewing whales, other mammals, birds, and glaciers. We highly recommend adding this to your Alaska vacation.

silvertip

We are Andrea and Jeremy Anderson.  The summer of 2026 marks our 23rd year in the tourism industry helping people plan the best fishing and sightseeing vacations on the Kenai Peninsula,  and our 11th season operating Alaska Silvertip Lodge and Cabins. In the spring of 2016, we purchased Silvertip Lodge and Cabins from Dean and Mary Talley, who built the first cabin in 1999.

Andrea grew up in California but fell in love with Alaska after visiting her grandparents in Cooper Landing. After graduating college in 2004, she moved up to Cooper Landing and worked in nearby Moose Pass. Jeremy grew up in Wisconsin, and in 2001 he spent his first summer in Alaska working at the Russian River Campground. Jeremy spent the next few years working as a rafting guide on the Upper Kenai River. In July 2004, Andrea and Jeremy met and began a great adventure on the Kenai Peninsula.

Over the past 23 years, Andrea and Jeremy have developed a diverse set of skills in the Alaskan tourism industry and have spent countless hours recreating outdoors. Andrea has worked as a guide for several rafting companies, ran a fishing lodge, and currently manages reservations, logistics, and accounting for Alaska Drift Away Fishing. Jeremy is co-owner of Alaska Drift Away Fishing and guides on the river for trout and salmon.