There She Blows!

[divinylsd]

Hello, first time cruiser and first trip to Alaska. Going the first week in September aboard the Infinity. I want to see whales, and more whales, and considering booking a couple outings during the cruise in Icy Strait and Juneau if I can fit two excursions in during the port time in Juneau. Does anyone have an opinion on the odds of seeing whales during this time of the season? I have been reading a lot of places that during September the season is winding down and the chances of seeing them is slim. I don't just want to see spouting. I have seen that more than enough times on the northern east coast. I am hoping to see breaching, tail flapping, pods, the once in a lifetime experience. Can anyone who has traveled to Alaska this time of year provide some insight?

I am not booking any excursions through the cruise line, making all the arrangements myself. Anyone have any suggestions on that?

Also considering doing a sea-plane or helicopter charter in Juneau. Anyone have any recommendations on that?

Can anyone share the excursions they most enjoyed while in Ketchikan?

Any ideas on what kind of weather to expect? I have been reading rain and more rain.

Thanks for any insight offered.

[gizmodog]

May not see many whales then I've been there in may, July and September, saw no whales in september

 

 

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[jelayne]

We were there in September, 2014 and did a whale watching tour- saw a very few whales all in the distance. We have seen far more whales in Hawaii in Feb-March than we saw in Alaska.

 

Unfortunately September isn't the best time to see whales in Alaska.

On the bright side only had a misty rain one day. Weather was great.

[4cats4me]

We saw a lot of whales in July. They were bubble netting, so we saw a whole group of whales trying to get the fish. Amazing!!!

We hardly saw any at the end of August.

 

 

 

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[onespots]

We were in Alaska during September 2015. Although we sailed from Seward to Vancouver B.C. Icy Strait Point was one of the last ports we visited. Thinking it was about September 9th. We encounter many sightings of Humpback Whales. Our captain of a small boat (16) passengers total with only 10 aboard for the early morning excursion, stated that most whales stay in this area until November before they head to warm waters around Hawaii. These whales were close to where the Infinity was moored ( 3 miles or less ) We did not spend much time searching for whales & the bulk of our time just floating & hoping the whales would surface near this small boat. We were very fortunate as this happened many times. Wonderful photo opportunities on a very calm sea, mild breeze, & overcast sky. Except for bubble feeding we saw most everything & one pod of 8 whales working together. Everyone aboard was out on the deck for the duration of this trip. Guess we were lucky. Captain Dan thanked us all for the small amount of fuel he had to use during this outing.

 

Good Luck in your Pursuits of Whales

 

 

[chemmo]

Having over the years booked trips looking for different wildlife across many continents and sometimes seeing nothing we now try to not get our hopes too high....We have chosen the 'right time of year' and seen nothing and on other occasions been told 'not to expect too much' and been treated to stunning animal performances...

 

I am not saying don't try to be in the right place at the right time but ensure you don't feel too deflated if your only sightings are at a distance. Look forward to seeing other things too like the glaciers or birds....

 

Ironically our best and longest sighting of a whale was one early morning in the South Pacific. We had got up early and were enjoying coffee and croissants when suddenly there it was....We grabbed our camera and got a couple of shots but our best out of water bit was before we got the camera. When we spoke to others later that day it seemed like we were the only lucky ones, for that magical minute or two just being in the right place at the right time...

 

We loved Alaska (late August into September), our whale sightings were at a distance but still enjoyable. We were glad we had found out a little about some of the birds we saw too and had a small chart to help identify. The highlight of our cruise was a sea plane flight over the glaciers, stunning.

 

Sincere best wishes for a great cruise, may the whales feel your enthusiasm and give you a great show!

[snowmc]

There has been a resident humpback whale at Icy Strait Point the last year or so. He/she likes to hang out near the ship dock. Many people said that they had a better whale watching experience right by the ship than they did on an excursion! That being said, Juneau is a great place for an excursion. There are several different options available there. The further south you go, the more unlikely you are to see them....that's from our experience of 10 Alaska cruises. For seaplane tours, I would suggest Ketchikan. The Misty Fjords are amazing. In my travel blog...http://www.zest4travel.wordpress.com....I have several articles about the Alaska ports and glaciers. I also have a packing list I have developed over the years. Enjoy your Alaska cruise....it is amazing.

[thyme2go]

I'm not sure what people are talking about.......Humpbacks start to gather for migrations to Hawaii and the west coast in late summer/fall. So.......they are still there! BUT--they don't post a schedule of where they are and what they are doing. Check out local tours in Juneau as this is their business and they will know where they are for encounters---this is their money maker.

We've never taken a whale watching tour since bringing binoc's and scanning the water has always given us sightings in the late summer--but I'm okay with looking for things to happen, and realize that may not suit everyone. Some of it is pure luck, but the more you look the increased chance of seeing nature at play. Alaska has a ton of wildlife (air, sea and land) and viewing opportunities....

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We had better whale watching experiences in mid July than we did in late August. That hasn't stopped us from going back this August, hoping for better bear viewing this time but still doing a whale watch in Juneau.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

In my experience, the best whale watching is in Icy Strait Point. Second best would be Juneau. For a float plane trip, I'd recommend Island Wings in Ketchikan. Still haven't seen whales feeding and I've been three times, so don't get your hopes up. Have seen orcas around the ship in Icy Strait Point but never humpbacks.

As for weather, we had reasonably good weather in September, but you must always be prepared for rain. Layering is the key. It could be pretty warm, so be prepared for that as well.

Enjoy! Alaska is fabulous!

[phoenix_dream]

The most whales we have ever seen (and we have been on several whale watching trips in Juneau and Icy Strait) was last September in Juneau. I couldn't believe my eyes. We used Captain Larry of Orca Enterprises. The naturalist from Celebrity (can't recall his name) was on our boat. He said he had never seen so many whales. He also indicated that due to global warming it was becoming more common to see more whales later in the season than years ago. Won't entertain a political debate of that point - just relaying what he said.

[Zoedokey]

We were on the Infinity last month and saw whales on our Icy Straight Point trip with Glacier Winds. Small boat, only 6 passengers and a great captain. There were no whales by the dock that day, but there have been at other times.

 

Mickey Live has several talks and meetings on the Infinity and these are very worth going to. We saw a pod of Orca off the side of the ship one morning during his Sunrise with Mickey session in the Constellation Lounge.

 

We got closer to whales on our long day private Tracy Arm excursion with Adventure Bound in Juneau (along with bear, seals, sea lions etc). However, we never saw one breach.

 

The float trip in Ketchikan with Island Wings was simply amazing! Beautiful area.

[phoenix_dream]

As the posts (including my previous) are indicating, no one can really say for sure when/if you will see whales. My trips were July, August, and the first week in September. In Sept. we saw at least 20 whales, including breaching right next to our boat and bubble feeding. It was spectacular. So keep your fingers crossed - you may get lucky like we did.

 

As to weather - the advice is the same regardless of which month you go. Layers, layers, layers and always rain protection. Rain is very common in Alaska and you can't let it prevent you from doing what you want to do. And when I say rain protection I also mean for your feet. Make sure you either have rain proof shoes or a second pair if yours get wet, especially if you are doing any excursions where you will out hiking on land. We have also had weather from 80 degrees to upper 40's, although September will likely be towards the cool end (50's during the day most likely, but could see 60's further south). It is always cold by the glacier.

[Doctor G]

I, too, recommend a floatplane excursion in Ketchikan. I have been on two, and they were the highlight of the cruise. We used Island Wings for the second excursion and loved the pilot/owner and the size of the plane (6 passengers). On that excursion we landed on a lake and got off the plane. Misty Fjords National Monument provides beautiful scenery.

 

Another great excursion in Juneau was a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier. You get off onto the glacier and walk around.

 

Carolyn

[divinylsd]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I intend to keep my eyes opened and will hope for the best. Thanks again.

[NoName]

We did a whale watching tour with Harv & Marv in Juneau Sept 2016 (I highly recommend Harv & Marv). We saw LOTS of humpback whales. It was a great day! We saw two Orcas swim by on our balcony one day at sea on the ship. Luckily the captain made an announcement and we were able to scramble out to the balcony in time. Fabulous....I wouldn't have any concern about seeing whales in September......! Kim

[QShip]

Two years ago were on the last Alaska cruise of the season in September and saw a lot a whales. We were with Floyd of F.I.S.H.E.S. in Icy Strait point. Saw bubble feeding as close as legally possible, about 150', a whole family of curious seals staring at us, and a momma bear and cubs. It was a wonderful excursion.

[Iamthesea]

We did a whale watching tour with Harv & Marv in Juneau Sept 2016 (I highly recommend Harv & Marv). We saw LOTS of humpback whales. It was a great day! We saw two Orcas swim by on our balcony one day at sea on the ship. Luckily the captain made an announcement and we were able to scramble out to the balcony in time. Fabulous....I wouldn't have any concern about seeing whales in September......! Kim

 

Early September with the same group. We saw multiple whales. Best whale watching we have done so far! Highly recommend Harv & Marv.

 

Whale

Edited July 12, 2017 by Iamthesea

[casper106]

There are no guarantees. It's not a show.

[RoxiRoo]

ISP Glacier Winds is a great excursion. He will bring you to the whales. He knows them by name. small boat, great time.

We also saw a pod of Orcas right off the ship on the last night. they were maybe 50 feet from the ship. It was amazing.

Only day we got rained out was in Juneau. 4 inches of rain that day. Our floatplane got cancelled for the weather - we hope to do it again another time.

Enjoy - it's a great cruise! I did not see a breech, but many others on the cruise did.

[phoenix_dream]

There are no guarantees. It's not a show.

This is your answer to a first time cruiser excited about visiting Alaska and a person brand new to Cruise Critic??? A little kindness and consideration would go a long way.

[QShip]

Sorry for the delay, it took a while to find the photos and manipulate them so they could be linked. These are just a few of probably a hundred.

 

(btw, Photobucket will soon no longer allow such linking. Anyone have a suggestion for a replacement?)

 

http://s613.photobucket.com/user/marant1946/library/

[2disneydads]

We were on the Infinity last month and saw whales on our Icy Straight Point trip with Glacier Winds. Small boat, only 6 passengers and a great captain. There were no whales by the dock that day, but there have been at other times.

 

Mickey Live has several talks and meetings on the Infinity and these are very worth going to. We saw a pod of Orca off the side of the ship one morning during his Sunrise with Mickey session in the Constellation Lounge.

 

We got closer to whales on our long day private Tracy Arm excursion with Adventure Bound in Juneau (along with bear, seals, sea lions etc). However, we never saw one breach.

 

The float trip in Ketchikan with Island Wings was simply amazing! Beautiful area.

We've booked with Glacier Winds for our August 14 stop off the Radiance of the Seas in Icy Strait Point. Couldn't be more excited. If anyone is going to find whales, it will be these small boats that can get around more easily and that have local skippers familiar with the resident whales. I would suggest looking into a booking with Glacier Winds. They somethings work with Fishes for large groups, so you might want to consider Fishes if Glacier Winds is sold out.

 

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[2disneydads]

We were on the Infinity last month and saw whales on our Icy Straight Point trip with Glacier Winds. Small boat, only 6 passengers and a great captain. There were no whales by the dock that day, but there have been at other times.

 

Mickey Live has several talks and meetings on the Infinity and these are very worth going to. We saw a pod of Orca off the side of the ship one morning during his Sunrise with Mickey session in the Constellation Lounge.

 

We got closer to whales on our long day private Tracy Arm excursion with Adventure Bound in Juneau (along with bear, seals, sea lions etc). However, we never saw one breach.

 

The float trip in Ketchikan with Island Wings was simply amazing! Beautiful area.

We also did the float trip with Island Wings the last time we were in Alaska. You might not see whales, but the majesty of Misty Fjords will more than make up for that. Island Wings is a great experience - seeing such a well- maintained vintage aircraft is worth the price alone.

 

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[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Originally posted by casper106 There are no guarantees. It's not a show.

 

This is your answer to a first time cruiser excited about visiting Alaska and a person brand new to Cruise Critic??? A little kindness and consideration would go a long way.

 

Of course it's not a show. What a mean response! Everyone who goes on a whale watch is hoping to see whales. To the original poster, I hope you have a wonderful whale watch cruise and see lots of whales! And most of the posters here are eager to share their cruising experience with you, so keep on posting and asking questions.