Whale Video
Watch humpback whales as they bubble feed along the coast of Southeast Alaska.

Whale Watching in Alaska

Southeast Alaska is where most of the whales are

Watching Alaska's whales are the crowning jewel of many Alaskan vacations. Thousands of whales make their way to the rich feeding grounds of Alaska waters after a long winter in Hawaii. Depending on your itinerary, numerous whale-watching tours are available. The waters of Resurrection Bay, Prince William Sound and southeast Alaska are particularly popular and offer several options. They range from deluxe half- or full-day tours on large, comfortable commercial boats to longer, customized trips on small charters.

Alaska Whale Watching Tours:
Prices start at around $159 a person for the 2011 summer season.

Humpback Whale:
Graceful and magnificent, humpback whales inspire awe in young and old alike. These marine mammals travel great distances to take advantage of the best breeding grounds and feeding spots. North Pacific humpbacks, for example, mate and give birth in Hawaii and then travel to Alaska each summer to feed.

Grey Whale

Gray Whale
Whalers used to call them "devilfish" because of the fierce defense they put up when hunted. In its lifetime, the average gray whale commutes over 400,000 miles – the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back. Each year, gray whales go back and forth between their feeding grounds in the Arctic to breeding grounds off the coast of Baja California. They spend six months of the year just traveling!

Beluga Whale:
Beluga Beluga whales are not born white. It takes about 6 years until they gradually turn white. Belugas are one of the three whales that spend all their lives in arctic waters. Beluga are special among all whales because they can turn their heads. Maybe this is so that they can communicate with each other better! Beluga are very social and make a wide variety of sounds.