The 17 Best Kenai Fjords National Park Cruises from Seward 2024 Valerie & Valise
Table Of Content

You will spend time in front of a towering tidewater glacier and watch for calving, where giant chunks of glacial ice break off and crash into the water. Tour Kenai Fjords on one of our cruise options ranging from 4 hours to 8.5 hours. Our cruises explore the glacier-carved fjords and abundant wildlife of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, offering some of the best glacier viewing and whale watching opportunities in Alaska. Whichever cruise you pick, you'll generally see at least one active tidewater glacier, and your captain takes the boat as close to any glacier as safely possible—typically between a half mile and a quarter mile.
8.5-hours National Park Tour with Dinner on Fox Island by Kenai Fjords Tours
Select the time, the length and the route that most stokes your sense of adventure. Our tours take you further into the fjords, and can include an exclusive dining experience on remote Fox Island. To make the most of views and fresh air on the exterior decks, it is important to dress in layers for this tour. Bring a rain jacket, hat, and gloves, and wear warm base layers and rubber-soled shoes.
Alaska’s Best wildlife and glacier cruise.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sensory stimulation of this six-hour adventure. The six-hour tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park was dazzling in a whole new way.
4-hour Wildlife Cruise by Major Marine Tours
When crew and passengers spot wildlife, the captain slows and maneuvers at a safe distance to give everyone a chance to see. Depending on the season and the day, it may be Dall's porpoises or otters playing in boat wake, seabirds of every variety diving from cliffside nests, or orcas gliding just below the water surface. In the most compact tour, you’ll see the jagged cliffs, seabirds, marine wildlife, and alpine glaciers, including the magnificent Bear Glacier. Includes a short stop at Fox Island with a locally sourced, buffet-style lunch. This is a great option for kids who love Alaskan wildlife, too. Major Marine Tours offers world-class wildlife and glacier cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park, departing from the beautiful harbor town of Seward, Alaska.
5-hour Resurrection Bay Tour with Fox Island (Kenai Fjords Tours)
This Ethereal National Park Is Home to Ancient Glaciers and Unmatched Wildlife - Thrillist
This Ethereal National Park Is Home to Ancient Glaciers and Unmatched Wildlife.
Posted: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The most popular tour, perhaps because it is a pretty full day, but still flexible. Major Marine Tours is a proud participant of Whale SENSE, an education program that recognizes whale watching companies committed to responsible whale watching practices. This tour crosses through the Gulf of Alaska for a short time, where there is a higher chance of seasickness due to the area’s bumpy open waters.
Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
The sky is clear and the sun creates a million sparkles of light on the face of the ocean. A humpback whale erupts from the shallow waves in a full breach. A glacier cracks loudly making the phrase “white thunder” make sense as a giant piece of ice falls into the water. An otter rides the wake of our boat, holding onto a rock it will use to crack open the clamshell in its other paw for lunch. These are some of the quintessential experiences you can have on a Kenai Fjords National Park cruise.
A Brief History of Coastal Marine Grant Projects (U.S - National Park Service
A Brief History of Coastal Marine Grant Projects (U.S.
Posted: Thu, 09 Jun 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Why Choose Kenai Fjords Tours?
While we cannot guarantee whale sightings, our captains visit wildlife hot spots and communicate with other vessels about recent wildlife sightings to give our guests the best chances of viewing whales. On average, we see whales on 80% of our 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruises. The longer you are on the water, the greater your chances are of seeing whales. Major Marine Tours is my favorite Kenai Fjords cruise operator, and this 8.5-hour tour is their longest tour that will take you to the furthest reaches of the national park. You’ll spend a whopping 8.5 hours out on the water – a great amount of time on a day with good weather (or a miserable unending slog if the water is choppy or has swells!).
Tips for the Best Whale Watching Experience
Captains are always on the lookout for wildlife and will stop the boat to drift along when something's been spotted. You'll probably see hundreds of harbor seals just basking on the icebergs around you, and you might see any number of puffins, cormorants, sea otters or Dall’s porpoises. Okay, now that I’ve covered all of the companies that offer Kenai Fjords cruises, I want to provide you with a ranked list of all of the cruise itineraries they offer. These are all of the primary cruises offered during the Alaskan summer season. I cover each one briefly to explain why I ranked it that way. Join Alaska’s most popular wildlife and glacier cruise, gliding past wildlife, coastal rainforests, glaciers and remote islands.
Even on a sunny day, the air coming off a glacier can be quite chilly. If seasickness is a concern, err on the side of caution and take motion sickness medicine in advance. Dramamine, Bonine, and ginger chews are available for purchase onboard. Your captain takes the boat as close to any glacier as safely possible for the best view. Along the way, you’ll head deep into fjords to watch glaciers calf and skim the edge of the Gulf of Alaska with the best chances to spot whales and other wildlife.
If you have any questions about these, let me know in the comments. In this post, I promote travel to a national park that is the traditional lands of the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) people. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands.
Cruises 6 hours and over include a complimentary hearty deli lunch for all guests. For over 30 years, Major Marine Tours has been showing our guests Alaska’s towering glaciers, abundant marine wildlife, and stunning scenery on our world-class Kenai Fjords cruises. Our Kenai Fjords National Park cruises offer some of the best whale watching opportunities in Alaska, with chances of seeing humpback whales, orca whales, gray whales, fin whales, and minke whales. Our 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise explores the world of whales, wildlife, and glaciers found in Kenai Fjords National Park. Our experienced captains will fully narrate your journey and will point out the spectacular sights while providing information on the area’s wildlife, history, and geology.
We had a blast and would do this again with this company in a heart beat. Visit an active tidewater glacier and discover the whales and abundant wildlife of Kenai Fjords National Park on our most popular cruise. KFT’s fleet is the largest in Southcentral Alaska; its boats are 95 feet long, with smooth catamarans that hold up to 150 passengers. You can sit inside the heated viewing area with giant picture windows, or stroll the large viewing decks. All tours include at least one meal at no additional cost depending on the length of the trip.

The well-being of our guests and staff has always been our top concern. This season we are continuing to take appropriate measures to ensure you can travel with confidence. 3.5 Hour Excursion – Departure times vary – Explore the beautiful coastline and points of interest around Resurrection Bay while looking for local wildlife, and Whales whenever possible. See beautiful Resurrection Bay in the spring, as well as additional wildlife viewing and opportunities to view Bear Glacier in the distance. Several local hotels provide shuttle service to the Small Boat Harbor. For self-drivers, parking is available across the street from the Harbor 360 Hotel or one block south of the South Harbor Office on 4th Avenue.
Yes, this cruise visits one active tidewater glacier in Aialik Bay. Depending on weather, you may also see Bear Glacier, which is a piedmont glacier and the largest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, along with alpine glaciers perched high in the mountains. The captain narrates during the cruise, sharing some of his deep knowledge of the Seward area’s history and terrain.
Check in at the boat tour office located in the Harbor 360 Hotel. A deli lunch with turkey sandwich, chips, granola bar, brownie, and soft drink is served on board. A vegan/vegetarian lunch option is available and must be requested in advance. Additional snacks, hot and cold drinks, and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. The staff made sure we had two tables together and everybody was very accommodating. It is nice that you have the tables as your home base for the entire trip.
Comments
Post a Comment