Kenai Fjords Tours in Seward, Alaska has multiple boats and multiple tours that visit Kenai Fjords National Park and surrounding areas. Their longest tour is the Kenai Fjords Tours Northwestern Tour. I arrived into Seward, Alaska on a Thursday morning at 7:40 am since I had been camping at the Turnagain pass and the cold temps had awakened me early. I pulled into the offices of Kenai Fjords Tours, inquiring about tours for the upcoming days. There are two major Wildlife and Glacier cruise companies out of Seward, both highly rated, but I had heard several recommendations in for Kenai Fjords Tours.
The girl at the welcome desk was friendly and helped provide advice. She looked at the weather forecast and saw today was to be beautiful with rain the following two days so that settled it! I booked it on the spot and quickly scrambled to move my car over to the free long-term lot provided by Kenai Fjords Tours and packed all my warm clothes for the day.
If you can afford it, please do a wildlife and glacier cruise from Seward – it was the highlight of my 3-night stay in this cute coastal town. This post contains affiliate links. This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.
Kenai Fjords Tours Northwestern Tour Start – Breakfast
We boarded the boat about ½ hour before departure and the first thing I noticed was the smell of cinnamon rolls. Shortly after departure, they announced we should come down to the kitchen to get our included small breakfast – a fresh mini cinnamon roll, yogurt, and juice. Coffee wasn’t included with this cruise, but I had purchased the souvenir cup for $8 that gave me all the coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and fountain soda that I cared to drink. With a 9 hour tour, it was nice to have unlimited hot drinks!
Puffins & Other Sea Birds
I had seen a few puffins during my glacier and wildlife cruise in Valdez, but there were so many puffins on the Northwestern Glacier tour! There were also Auks and Murres, the northern hemisphere birds that are most like the penguin.
Water Mammals
We had several opportunities to view water mammals that include Sea Otter, Harbor Seals, and Steller Sea Lions. All these animals are amusing to watch.
The Northwestern Glacier
We saw several glaciers along the way, but the highlight was getting up close to the Northwestern Glacier. I am sad to report that this glacier is only a tidal glacier (one ending in the ocean) by a small bit… it is retreating so it will only be a few years until it is a hanging glacier, one that hangs above. But, being that it’s still a tidal glacier, it was exciting to see it calving into the ocean. Unlike the Columbia Glacier in Valdez, there were few icebergs at the Northwestern Glacier.
Lunch
After visiting the glacier, it’s time for lunch – a wrap, chips, and granola bar. And before you get back to port, fresh baked cookies!
Other Scenery
The whole day is packed with scenery, and it was a gorgeous day at that. Curiously, in the morning as we left, there was a cloud at the top of each peak that looked like steam from a volcano. We also got right under a high waterfall for great photo opportunities.
Orcas & Whales
The highlight for me was watching a pod of Orcas. The captain got a message that more than an hour prior, there were Orcas out in open water. We deviated course to get there and for awhile searched in rough waves in vain. But then we saw one, and another, and another. A young one breached several time. This was better than the lazy Orcas I saw in Port McNeill, BC a couple years ago. We also heard there were humpbacks in the area, but our time was short. We did, however, get to see a flip of a whale tale, or fluke, before we went back to port.
Tips for Kenai Fjords Tours
If you want to spend any significant time outdoors, pack warm clothes, even on a seemingly warm and sunny day. I recommend you have long pants, sweatshirt, windbreaking jacket, hat that will cover your ears, neck wrap or buff, and gloved (the cheap stretchy ones are fine).
There is a 10% discount if you book online. As I made a last minute booking, I obviously wasn’t booking online, but I asked about the discount and they gave it to me! Score, as this saves around $20 off the price.
Where to Stay in Seward
Since Seward is a frequent passenger cruise terminus, there are lots of hotel rooms in town, as well as B&Bs. Most hotels are concentrated near the harbor, the departure place for the wildlife and glacier cruises, or the downtown area, home of the Alaska Sealife Center. But Seward is quite small ,so it is possible to walk between the harbor or downtown, or catch a shuttle. (Check Rates and Availability in Seward).
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