Glacier Bay Humpbacks

About this spectacle

Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska offers one of North America's most dramatic marine wildlife encounters. Humpback whales feed in these nutrient-rich glacially carved waters, breaching and lunge-feeding among icebergs and snow-capped peaks. Visitors aboard tour vessels may witness the explosive exhale of a whale's blow before a fluked dive, set against the backdrop of calving tidewater glaciers. The air carries the sharp chill of glacial meltwater and the occasional thunderclap of ice falling into the bay. Harbor seals, sea otters, and bald eagles frequently share the scene. The scale of the landscape dwarfs everything — a towering wall of blue ice beside a surfacing whale creates imagery that is difficult to find anywhere else. Summer's long Alaskan daylight extends viewing windows late into the evening, and calm mornings offer mirror-like reflections of the surrounding peaks.

When to go

May — Sep, peak Jun — Aug

Getting there

Nearest airport: JNU. Nearest city: Juneau.

Booking options

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