Can anyone recommend a good birdwatching cruise to Alaska?

Question

Can anyone recommend a good birdwatching cruise to Alaska?

Answer 1

Cheapest per mile would the Alaska Marine Highway (state ferry) in SE AK.  Buy a north-bound (or south-bound) ticket and you can hop on a ship from Bellingham, WA to Ketchikan, AK, spend 2 days or a month there, catch another boat to Wrangall, etc.  But while sailing, you're a half mile from shore so mostly you just notice the eagles and whales.

Scenic and easy would a bird-watching cruise out of Homer Alaska.  Some outfits specialize in that and some water taxis will do it when requested.  I went with serious birder friends 6 years ago and they went by all the rookeries and open-water feeding spots, pointing out species as they went.

If you want to seriously add to your life list, get yourself out to Dutch Harbor or Adak in the Aleutian Islands and hire a local guide.  Better yet, go on the one of bird-watching tours in the Pribilof islands (Saint Paul and Saint George).  My serious birder friends (lifelists = 620 or so) added 9 species in 4 days there.  Which is VERY productive birder if you're at the level.

The clever way to get out there is to use frequent flyer miles on Alaska Airlines because it is a round trip ANYWHERE they fly.  And they go to Adak (previously went to Dutch Harbor) and Nome (jumping off spot for the Pribilof Islands).  I gave my friends miles because they had the coolest (literately) proposed itinerary (Phoenix - Seattle - Anchorage (visit us) - Nome (to take a twin-prop to the Pribilofs) -Anchorage - Seattle - Phoenix).  And that was all one round-trip award.

Answer 2

I went on a cruise/tour with Princess cruises. We flew into Fairbanks, stayed overnight, then took a train to Denali National Park. The next day we went on a wilderness tour. Many birds and other animals were pointed out. After a couple more days of tours, we got on the ship. Each port we went to, we saw many bald Eagles. In the inside passage, we saw more Eagles and many sea birds. So I would say, this would be the perfect cruise for you. Bring binoculars and you will see so much wild life it's unreal.