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Prince William Sound, AlaskaWildlife, glaciers, wildernessPersonalized, value-added tours Casually informative Departing Whittier
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Please Read
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and Fuel Cost |
Tour prices listed below assume a price of $3.00/gal for unleaded gas (boat fuel) at the Whittier fuel dock. A fuel surcharge (or discount) based on the actual fuel price on the date of your tour will be applied to these prices. Unleaded gas at the fuel dock was $3.18/gal on June 22, 2009. |
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These trips focus on wildlife hotspots, many of them little
known and seldom visited. Capt. Gerry's expertise, plus our boat's fore
deck, covered aft deck, shallow water capabilities and quiet engines
provide excellent opportunities to see and photograph wildlife without
disturbing them. Our careful adherence to
protection guidelines assures
that your trip will have a minimal affect on the wildlife's natural
behavior.
Whale watching is our specialty and we have been quite successful at finding humpback whales during our long-day (10-hour) whale trips far into the southern Sound. We see killer whales (orcas) less often than humpbacks, but the odds of seeing them go up a bit in late summer. We occasionally see California grey, minke and fin whales as well. Our Glacier & Wildlife tours in the northwestern part of the Sound feature the same glaciers and wildlife visited by larger tour boats that operate from Whittier, but whales are seen far less often in that part of the Sound. However, our long day whale trip may be extended to see Icy Bay's magificent Chenega Glacier (see below).
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What to Expect
Long-Day Trip . This is a true wilderness whale watching experience -- we seldom see other boats of any kind, let alone other whale-watching boats. We cruise feeding grounds far into the southern Sound with the best chances for humpbacks and orcas. We travel through spectacular scenery and we usually see a variety of wildlife, which often includes Dall's porpoises, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, puffins, occasionally black bears, and sometimes minke, fin or gray whales. Icy Bay Option . At extra cost, the Long-Day trip may be extended 1-2 hrs to visit Icy Bay and magnificent Chenega Glacier. This option is unavailable May and early June due to excessive ice. Read this unsolicited "IgoYougo" report of one of our Icy Bay option tours in 2006.
. No two whale trips are exactly alike and this unknown dimension adds a flavor of adventure. We carefully honor the minimum 100-yd approach regulation, but humpbacks and orcas often approach our boat much closer. Occasionally, we experience thrilling, very close visits by humpbacks, as demonstrated by this YouTube video taken by one of our clients in 2008. |
Chenega Glacier is a mile wide and rises to 1,200 feet a mere mile from its face. 100's of harbor seals haul out on icebergs here.
. All whale tours take up to an hour break for lunch at a remote beach, where Capt. Gerry stays with the boat in the intertidal zone, leaving you free to explore in the immediate vicinity on your own. |
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This is a good all-round wildlife trip, with good chances for
humpback whales in May and June. On all trips, we keep a lookout
for whales and porpoises as we travel to the Sound's biggest Steller
sea lion rookery. We'll also visit the Sound's biggest waterfall
and will likely encounter harbor seals, sea otters, bald eagles,
both horned and tufted puffins, Arctic terns and other marine birds.
We take a break at a remote beach, where Capt. Gerry stays with the
beached boat in the intertidal zone, leaving you free to explore in
the immediate vicinity on your own. Read the
unsolicited report of an Australian woman who did this tour in 2007.
Steller sea lions are a highlight of this tour. Breeding-size bulls
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U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service photo
Tufted puffins usually nest in earthen burrows, but a
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This tour follows much of the route of the Marine
Wildlife trip, but at a more liesurely pace. Some chance for
whales and porpoises in early season. We visit harbor seal and
Steller sea lion haulouts, and will likely see puffins, auklets
(lower left photo), pigeon guillemots, black-legged kittiwakes,
glaucous-winged gulls, Arctic terns, jaegers, cormorants, black
oystercatchers, and a variety of other seabirds.
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A group from the Audubon Society, Anchorage Chapter enjoyed a perfect day for this tour.
Bottom left photo: Parakeet auklets are seen at their nesting
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Copyright © 2009 Sound Eco Adventures. All rights reserved.
Updated June 22, 2009.