Skagway wildlife tour focus – Whales

When you think of Alaska, whales are one of the first varieties of wildlife that come to mind. There are a number of different whale species in Alaskan waters, but Skagway only gets a few of them. Humpback whales and orcas are the most common, but minke whales occasionally make an appearance. In today’s Skagway wildlife tour focus, we are going to learn all about whales.

Is there a whale watching tour in Skagway

Maybe. During some seasons, humpback whales are quite common. We may see them every day from the dock where the cruise ships tie up. However, during some years whales are more casual visitors. Why? Probably because of available food sources. Whales are huge so they have to eat a lot of food. If there’s food in Skagway’s ocean waters, there will be whales. If not, no whales. Pretty simple stuff. For the purpose of our wildlife tour focus, we will talk about various whales and the wheres and whens of seeing them.

Skagway wildlife tours for whales

Probably the best Skagway wildlife tour for spotting whales is the Ocean Raft Wildlife Adventure. This two-hour tour takes you out in the ocean, which is a key component to a successful whale-spotting tour. Keep in mind that this is not a whale watching tour because you may or may not see whales. If you ask your attractive tour salesperson whether whales are being spotted, they will answer honestly. We want you to enjoy your tour. If the whales aren’t around, we will help you find something else because we are good at our job.

Another tour where whales are often spotted is the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. Again, this is not a whale watching tour, so you need to temper your expectations.

Skagway wildlife tours in Juneau

If you’re traveling to Juneau, we have whale watching tour available that guarantees whale sightings. That’s hard to beat. If seeing a whale is very important to you, book that tour and do something else in Skagway. We can make all of that happen.

Are there places to see whales without going on a Skagway wildlife tour?

Yes. If the whales are hanging out, a good place to spot them is at Yakutania Point. I’ve seen whales so close to shore that you could leap onto their back if you were a lunatic or drunk. Don’t do that. Sometimes Skagway gets a big run of fish in May. They are called euchalon. Whales like to eat them. This is a good time to see whales at Yakutania Point. You will know if they are running because seagulls will be all over the place. They eat them too.

Can we see orcas on a Skagway wildlife tour?

It happens occasionally, but not very often. Orcas come through Skagway maybe a dozen times throughout the year. It’s a random thing. If you see orcas, consider yourself lucky. Minke whales are extremely rare sightings, so don’t get your hopes up.

Thanks for joining us on this Skagway wildlife tour review about whales. Whether you see a whale or not, we are sure you’re going to have a whale of a time in Skagway.