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How common are whale sightings from the ship?


stjlo
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I will be traveling on the Emerald Princess at the end of July in a balcony stateroom, r/t from Seattle with stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and going through Tracy Arm Ford. Do I have a chance to see whales from the ship?

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sure you have a "chance" BUT that depends on you investing the time looking and knowing areas. If you are willing to consider that, I am always successful. But, I am also always on wildlife tours, which give me a much more extensive view.

 

IF you are going to just do cruise ship viewing, then you must be accepting of hours of looking for a few second view. Necessary is a good pair or wide angle binoculars.

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We see whales every time from the ship but we love sitting on our balcony and enjoying the scenery and watching for whales. The areas between ketchikan and skagway while in the inside passage are your best bets. you can also ask your room steward if they know which areas have seen whales recently.

 

Angela

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Whales are frequently sighted in Puget Sound and near San Juan Islands as well as when the ship turns into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. So that first evening if you can spend time on deck (with views to both sides) and watch carefully chances are fairly good. The Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) stick around Puget Sound and vicinity all year but there have been a lot of sightings of Transient whales this year out of Victoria. Residents eat salmon but the transients eat seals which in turn eat salmon and other fish and follow the fish. Also there have been increasing Humpback sightings in the Salish Sea.

 

Check out the Center for Whale Research website and the "Encounters" tab for recent sightings just before your sailing date.

 

Also as an indication of where people spot whales from around Puget Sound check out this map. There are not current whale spottings but rather where people go to try to spot them. Your ship will pass most of them so that first evening look closely.

Edited by Sequim88
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In all of our 13 cruises to Alaska we have never seen any whales in Puget Sound or in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. But we have anyways spotted whales out in the ocean on the first full sea day, on the last full sea day and a few near Juneau. All you have to do is dedicate the time to scan the ocean for them and you’ll see them. I like to watch for whales from up in Skywalkers lounge, it’s quiet up there and you can see a lot of ocean. Last year when I was on the ships tour, up on the bridge we saw dozens of Gray whales right up close to the ship. After the tour I asked some people if they saw the whales and everyone said no.

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There are a number of whale "hot spots" along the Inside Passage, i.e., Snow Passage, Icy Strait, Frederick Sound, and lower Glacier Bay. Check with your naturalist for times. On some ships the naturalist will be on the bridge announcing sightings. However, if you really want to see whales up close, take a whale watching tour. The captain's biggest interest is staying as far away from the whales as possible.

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There are a number of whale "hot spots" along the Inside Passage, i.e., Snow Passage, Icy Strait, Frederick Sound, and lower Glacier Bay. Check with your naturalist for times. On some ships the naturalist will be on the bridge announcing sightings. However, if you really want to see whales up close, take a whale watching tour. The captain's biggest interest is staying as far away from the whales as possible.

 

This is a more accurate detailed description compared to between "Ketchikan and Skagway, which is missing major areas.

 

If you get the information for your cruise- then be conservative with your time. Plan on at least an added hour on each side.

 

Knowing your areas is essential, which is simple to manage, looking at the old post I detailed which was up last year.

 

I'm actually way more focused and detailed than Wolfie's mention, but that is an excellent place to start and be aware of. .

 

Added, for Inside Vancouver Island, I'm up prior to dawn on northbound and am out once to the Queen Charlotte's on the Southbound, yes, skipping the meal because of my priority. :)

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It takes some effort to look, but with patience we saw whales regularly, but not often close by.

 

Examples of what you could see

 

often just a whale spout in the distance (notice the kayaks closer in)

 

1332692482_7eaec5e745_z.jpg

 

mom and baby swam along side for a bit

 

1331803341_54419f5f4e_z.jpg

 

A quick snap and I was the only one of the 5 of us that saw it

 

1332688090_0413c9d696_z.jpg

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We've seen lots of whales on our AK cruises - you have to know what to look for and bring binoculars. We don't book balcony cabins, so we find a nice indoor lounge where we can sit at the window for a good view, especially on sea days. Look for the spouts and tails. I think a lot of passengers honestly believe that the whales will come right up to the ship, jump out of the water and wave to them with a big smile! You just need a little patience and a good eye. Same for eagles - it will look like a golf ball sitting in a tree. On the last day of our cruise last year, a lady came to the lounge we were in, and we pointed out some whales to her. She was stunned! She said she hadn't seen any whales on the entire cruise. I asked her if she had made an effort to see them like we had, and she said no. At least she saw a few before the cruise ended. If you really want to see them up close, take a whale watching tour - they are very interesting. Have fun!

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