Alaska wildlife ?

[footballbabe3]

We are interested in taking a cruise to Alaska in either June,July,August. Where is the best place to see whales and wildlife. Also are any of these month good for this?

[RaiderDuck]

We're going on one next week and will report back.

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, footballbabe3 said:

We are interested in taking a cruise to Alaska in either June,July,August. Where is the best place to see whales and wildlife. Also are any of these month good for this?

Later August is probably better once the salmon are running. The link below (Post #269 and #270) show some of the people we encountered a couple of weeks ago. We spend several hours a day watching the sea around the ship for whales and other sea life as we move between ports in the evening. 

 

 

[footballbabe3]

Thanks 

28 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Later August is probably better once the salmon are running. The link below (Post #269 and #270) show some of the people we encountered a couple of weeks ago. We spend several hours a day watching the sea around the ship for whales and other sea life as we move between ports in the evening. 

 

 

Thank you bird. I have been reading your review. Raiderduck I can’t wait to hear from you. 

[mapleleaves]

Go to the Alaska forum.  At the top of the page there are a few hundred trip reports posted from the past few yrs.  Many are detailed photo journals with info on sights, activities, vendors.  There's also a HELPFUL RESOURCE thread, currently on the first page; it has links to web sites to help with your planning, including port web sites and downloadable Visitor Guides.

 

Whale watching tours are best in Juneau and Icy Strait.  

Assuming you're on a RT cruise,  bear viewing tours are most popular out of Ketchikan starting mid July.  This link has info on the locations and peak viewing times:  https://www.experienceketchikan.com/bear-viewing-in-alaska.html

 

My trips have always had to be in August due to work constraints.  I've always had rainy weather.  My preference would be June .... typically the weather gets wetter as summer progresses.  OTOH, one cruise was enough for me, I prefer land travel starting in Anchorage and heading to Denali and/Seward.

 

The weather will be what it will be. Just be sure to have a waterproof jacket. 

[dexddd]

For whales, I'd say Victoria but not sure if NCL has any ships getting there during the day vs night hours.

 

For your convenience, of course.

Edited August 25, 2019 by dexddd

[Deeliteful]

I have cruised to Alaska in June and in early September. Best time for bears was the later cruise and saw whales as well.

I started my holiday staying on  Vancouver Island for a few days first (Campbell River) and saw loads of whales and bears there with Discovery Marine Tours, absolutely awesome.

Highly recommend if you can do both. 

[Cruise_More_Often]

There are good bear trips in Icy Strait Point, but wait until the salmon are running. We went on one in early June, knowing it was probably too early, and we saw only one bear. 

[doverboy]

On a June 2016 cruise to Alaska we saw: Killer Whale following behind the ship as we sailed into Juneau, Plenty of humpbacks and Orcas on a whale watching excursion, Grizzlies in Denali along with mountain sheep and some caribou, wife saw a moose doe and fawn as my ambulance was driving to Wasilla, Eagles are like pidgeons in Alaska. Don't ask about the ambulance

[Sauer-kraut]

End of May into June this year.

Orca swimming on the port side of the ship one morning after breakfast.  I just happened to see them as I was walking the decks and was up on 15.

Whales, did a specific tour in Hoonah, only 6 passengers on the boat and had excellent humpback sightings.  Stellar sealions swimming around us, but unfortunately no bears at that time and we did look at most of shoreline back into the slip.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Somewhere between Sauer and Bird for timing.  After May is when salmon begin to run.  With salmon, you get bears.  The whales were starting to appear at the end of May.  So many eagles.  

[drumming cruisers]

Went on Yukon Tour out of Skagway. once in June and last week. Saw bears both times.  Saw whales in both Juneau and Icy Strait on whale watching excursions, Sorry downloaded same picture, don't know how to delete one

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by drumming cruisers
addition

[drumming cruisers]

[footballbabe3]

Thanks to all for the help. I am getting so excited.

[jaja]

Our first cruise , over a decade ago, was to Alaska.  Only saw killer wales in the far distance, but did see  eagles, seals, otters, and a bear catching a salmon !  (PS- it was salmon "season" and the small streams were "frothing" with the salmon activity !)  

[jmh3791]

Did Seward to Vancouver end of May this year.  We flew in a few days early, spent a day driving around Anchorage to see a few moose (with babies), took the Kenai Fjord Tours out of Seward to see otters, puffins, seals (with babies, ) Sea lions, dall's porpoises, orca's (with babies,) and humpbacks (with babies.)  Eagles were everywhere and we saw whales while docked at Icy Straight.   No bears for us (tho people on the Skagway train saw them on that trip), and too early for the salmon to be running.  We were also too early to see the Beluga Whales off the Seward Highway.   August may be the ideal time to see the most of everything, but you'll also see a LOT of people during that time.  

[Peachypooh]

We cruised labor day weekend around 7 years ago the inside passage. Saw quite a few whales

while standing on our deck. So many in fact that we didn't bother with a whale watching

excursion.

[zqvol]

On 8/25/2019 at 11:26 AM, footballbabe3 said:

We are interested in taking a cruise to Alaska in either June,July,August. Where is the best place to see whales and wildlife. Also are any of these month good for this?

 

Fine tiing for whales, seals, sea otters and eagles. Bears are always iffy.  If you go to Denali you will likely see moose, caribou, possibly bear, but in the southeastern part of the state not so much. You will be able to find bear when the salmon are running.

[drumming cruisers]

Saw a porcupine in a tree hiking to Nugget falls/Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Was in June. I didn't even know they climbed trees. be on the lookout for them!