Snorkel in Ketchikan

[LarryL]

We are on the Coral for the May 18th sailing. Has anyone had a chance to do the snorkel in Ketchikan?

[RickEk]

We are on the Coral for the May 18th sailing. Has anyone had a chance to do the snorkel in Ketchikan?

 

You can snorkel in Ketchikan?!? :eek: Sounds really cold to me!

[swom]

This is why I won't cruise to Alaska. I know it's very beautiful, but so is a nice Caribbean island and I CAN snorkel there with no frost bite!!!! :D

[chrysalis]

Not in Ketchikan, but I did snorkel in Sitka Alaska on our Tahitian cruise last July.....here is a quick underwater video I put together of the experience.......

 

 

We wore complete "dry suits" and it was hard to use my camera with the thick rubber gloves we had to wear, but I enjoyed the experience alot.

[RickEk]

Not in Ketchikan, but I did snorkel in Sitka Alaska on our Tahitian cruise last July.....here is a quick underwater video I put together of the experience.......

 

 

We wore complete "dry suits" and it was hard to use my camera with the thick rubber gloves we had to wear, but I enjoyed the experience alot.

 

Interesting! Were the suits heated? What was the ambient water temperature?

[chrysalis]

Interesting! Were the suits heated? What was the ambient water temperature?

 

No, the suits were not heated.

 

If I recall correctly, the water temp was about 45F where we were.

[MsJ]

Hi... we were on the Ocean Princess to Alaska in July 2001...we did do the snorkeling in Ketchikan....it was a fun thing to do.....we also wore a full dry or maybe wet suit...feet hands and head all covered....I dont remember what the water temp was...maybe in 50's.. but didnt really feel the cold..just a little when we first got in ......we mostly saw a LOT of kelp...and the divemaster was bringing up animals from the bottom ..which I dont think should be done...no touching or feeding the wildlife is my personal guideline.....but it was fun...and I am glad we did it.....I love saying we went snorkeling in Alaska:).....we did have an eagle flying around over us.....

[JandD Mom]

Hi... we were on the Ocean Princess to Alaska in July 2001...we did do the snorkeling in Ketchikan....it was a fun thing to do.....we also wore a full dry or maybe wet suit...feet hands and head all covered....I dont remember what the water temp was...maybe in 50's.. but didnt really feel the cold..just a little when we first got in ......we mostly saw a LOT of kelp...and the divemaster was bringing up animals from the bottom ..which I dont think should be done...no touching or feeding the wildlife is my personal guideline.....but it was fun...and I am glad we did it.....I love saying we went snorkeling in Alaska:).....we did have an eagle flying around over us.....

 

 

:eek: Seriously?

[LarryL]

Not in Ketchikan, but I did snorkel in Sitka Alaska on our Tahitian cruise last July.....here is a quick underwater video I put together of the experience.......

 

 

We wore complete "dry suits" and it was hard to use my camera with the thick rubber gloves we had to wear, but I enjoyed the experience alot.

 

Thanks for sharing the video. I'm really looking forward to this excursion. I have a waterproof camera that will also take the temperature there. I have the same concern about the gloves. A minor comcern though.

[davidnsteph]

Not in Ketchikan, but I did snorkel in Sitka Alaska on our Tahitian cruise last July.....here is a quick underwater video I put together of the experience.......

 

 

We wore complete "dry suits" and it was hard to use my camera with the thick rubber gloves we had to wear, but I enjoyed the experience alot.

 

Thanks for posting the video. There's plenty of underwater wildlife there. Don't know if we'll be doing this, but it's good to know that we can.

 

DavidnSteph

[MsJ]

:eek: Seriously?

 

ummmmmm yes

[rdsqrl]

Hi... we were on the Ocean Princess to Alaska in July 2001...we did do the snorkeling in Ketchikan....it was a fun thing to do.....we also wore a full dry or maybe wet suit...feet hands and head all covered....I dont remember what the water temp was...maybe in 50's.. but didnt really feel the cold..just a little when we first got in ......we mostly saw a LOT of kelp...and the divemaster was bringing up animals from the bottom ..which I dont think should be done...no touching or feeding the wildlife is my personal guideline.....but it was fun...and I am glad we did it.....I love saying we went snorkeling in Alaska:).....we did have an eagle flying around over us.....

 

Are you sure it wasn't a hungry vulture, waiting for you to slowly expire of hypothermia??

[rav4lady]

Are you sure it wasn't a hungry vulture, waiting for you to slowly expire of hypothermia??

 

You really aren't cold while snorkeling because of the suits, everything was covered except a tiny bit of face around the mask and outside the hood. Afterwards, we poured very warm water down the front of our suits for a personal hot tub experience! I have fond memories of this excursion. If I remember correctly, when I was there the water was in the 50's and is kept that temp by the Japanese Currents that flow through there. Enjoy!:)

[MsJ]

Are you sure it wasn't a hungry vulture, waiting for you to slowly expire of hypothermia??

 

hhhhhmmmmm maybe

[dcl1710]

We did the snorkeling in Ketchikan on our cruise in 2003. It was great! Many colorful things to see. It is not as colorful as say Maui, but fun. Little secret: the water is not that cold. When we went it was in the 60's and they provided wet suits. Our group made a pact to tell everyone that it was colder water to impress people!

[NH Cruisers]

We are seriously giving thout to the snorkeling on our May cruise. It is always the highlight for me when we go to the caribbean. I scuba dive but here in New England the diving is quite bland comparitivly.

[Genessa]

I did the snorkeling in Ketchikan in 2003. Fantastic! Definitely an experience of a lifetime and a great story.

 

We wore a full wet suit - they have a joke about bathing suit optional, but we all wore one. Just a little bit of your face is exposed.

 

When we went the water was in the 50s, but with the wet suit on, you just felt a very brief, slight chill - not cold.

 

Most of the sea life they brought up was sea stars. I had no idea sea stars came in some many shapes, sizes, or colors. There was one that looked like a sun and another that looked like it had been tie dyed. The guides marked underwater where they picked them up from and were careful to put them back.

 

The visibility just isn't what it is in the Caribbean, so you would not get the great sights snorkeling, that's why they brought the sea life up. They had those tube things for those who can't swim to hand onto.

 

I know a man who makes trips up to Alaska to dive. He swears by it, but I'd rather dive in the Caribbean.

[luxurysailer]

This could be exciting if a pod of killer whales sights you. Ever seen that film of one slinging a seal completely out of its skin?

[Mahini]

I too went snorkeling when I was in Ketchikan and would highly recommend that you do it. It is totally different than snorkeling in warmer climates. When I went, both the water and air temperatures were 52F. One trick I picked up from these boards was to put petroleum jelly on your lips before entering the water to help insulate them from the cold.

[F5Loar]

WE did it too so I know you can do it. Is it the same as snorkeling in the Gulf? No. But it is so different it is worth doing it for the sheer adventure and to say you have been there and done that and got the T shirt. I think there is only one tour company that does it. Very organized with great equipment. Our day it was not very clear but clear enough to see some very different fish.

I tried to do it several years back but was canceled due to rough waters in May. This last year it was in June.