The ultimate whale-watching and whale photography trip in Alaska!
2024 Dates: 22 – 27 March 2024!
2025 Dates: 27 March – 1 April 2025!
Early each spring, hundreds of Humpback Whales migrate across the Pacific to Alaska. The whales have eaten little for months, and by the time they return to Alaska, they are hungry. Fortunately for them, schools of spawning herring are abundant, the perfect food supply. But Humpbacks have a strategy to make catching them even easier, a cooperative feeding technique called “Bubble-net feeding”. A whale, or more often, a group of up to several whales, dives down below a school of herring. They then circle, blowing a stream of bubbles from their blow-holes. They spiral upward and inward, forcing the herring into a tight ball. As they near the surface, all the whales lunge upward, their mouths agape, sucking down hundreds or thousands of fish in the process.
This Alaska Whale Photography trip, based in the southeast Alaska community of Sitka, is timed to hit the window when the hungry whales are bubble-net feeding like crazy.
6 days/5 nights
4 Full days of private boat charter
All-inclusive from Sitka, Alaska.
Dates
22 - 27 March 2024 - Space Available!
2024 Rate - $5700/person with a minimum of 4 participants. N single supplement is required!
2025 Rate - $5800/person. No Single Supplement is required!
Secure your spot by paying the $500 deposit below:
Trip Overview
Sitka is rightfully recognized as one of the most beautiful towns in Alaska. Situated on the west coast of Baranof Island, Sitka lies in the core of the archipelago that lines the northwest coast of North America. Surrounded by volcanoes, glaciated peaks, the sprawling Tongass National Forest, and the rich waters of the North Pacific, it is an incredible place.
That, however, is just our setting. Our eyes will be set firmly on the ocean and the leviathans within. In late March, Humpback whales are arriving in droves from their wintering grounds. Hungry, after long months of eating little or nothing, they begin feeding like crazy as soon as they hit the rich, Alaskan waters.
With four full days of private whale-watch charters, we’ll be spending a lot of time watching the show. Bubble-net feeding is one of the most dramatic natural phenomena I’ve ever seen. Witnessing several enormous whales, working cooperatively to corral and then devour schools of herring, is truly remarkable. Watching a pod of whales lunging from the water, mouths gaping, fish spilling from their open maws, and flocks of seabirds hanging above is a breath-snatching experience.
I can’t wait to spend days catching it.
Itinerary
Day 1
Independent Arrival in Sitka, Alaska. You’ll be met at the airport and shuttled to our hotel, the Longliner Lodge, which is located right on the water at the Sitka Harbor. We’ll have a group dinner that night at the hotel restaurant.
Days 2-5
Four full days of whale-watch charters. Our local boat captain has years of experience in Southeast Alaska, and his boat, a 43-foot expedition-style motorized catamaran has a spacious, heated cabin, and ample deck space for our small group to make images. Equipped with a marine head (restroom), and a small galley, it’s the perfect platform for photographing whales, seals, otters, and all the other abundant wildlife and scenery of the region.
During the few waking hours between boat trips, you’ll have the chance to explore historic downtown Sitka or venture further out with the group to photograph the temperate rainforest and wild coast surrounding the town.
Day 6
Independent Departure. Transportation to and from the airport will be provided.
- All lodging after arrival in Sitka, Alaska
- All meals
- Local Transportation
- Boat Charter
- Local Explorations
- Guide Services
- Photography Instruction
- Small Group Size
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- Flights from your home to Sitka
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tips
25 March- Arrival. Group Dinner in the evening.
26 -29 March – 4 Days of whale-watch boat charters. Photography of bubble-net feeding whales, other wildlife, and the landscape. Local explorations around Sitka, and photography technique workshops.
30 March – Departure
2024 – $5700/person
2025 – $5800/person
