Seward Ak. Boat Tour Advice: Has anyone taken any of the boat tours out of Seward, and if so, any input, advice, recommendations? I expect to be there going on a boat tour from Seward...

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Has anyone taken any of the boat tours out of Seward, and if so, any input, advice, recommendations? I expect to be there going on a boat tour from Seward on Sept. 4th or 5th and am looking for recommendations for the best one. Wildlife shooting, glaciers calving, and general scenery shooting is the plan. Thanks.

Japakomom Loc: Originally from the Last Frontier

Kenai Fjords Tours is the largest outfit and does an excellent job. If they see something they will circle around and really try hard to let you see things. http://www.kenaifjords.com

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

Wanda Krack wrote:

Has anyone taken any of the boat tours out of Seward, and if so, any input, advice, recommendations? I expect to be there going on a boat tour from Seward on Sept. 4th or 5th and am looking for recommendations for the best one. Wildlife shooting, glaciers calving, and general scenery shooting is the plan. Thanks.

Any of the boat tours are great. We were there in July, and it was cold, so dress warm. I found that it was quite a challenge to take photos from the deck of a boat, especially with the crowd on the deck, but it was fun. We were lucky enough to see plenty of whales and seals on our trip. Have fun and keep warm, recommend layering your clothing, and take a light rain suit, as it could get wet. Check the weather about a week before your arrival and you should be able to plan for the weather on the day you launch.
If you are renting a car and planning to stay for about a week, I would also recommend driving up and taking a bus tour into Denali Park. We took the 92 mile tour and saw lots of wildlife. It was an all day tour and well worth the effort.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Thank you Japakomom.

Japakomom wrote:

Kenai Fjords Tours is the largest outfit and does an excellent job. If they see something they will circle around and really try hard to let you see things. http://www.kenaifjords.com

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Thank you orrie smith. I know about layering, and getting wet. Thanks tho for the advice. Will be traveling in an RV, but the boat tour is a definite on the bucket list. I have already been checking on the temps. daily, and being on the water will be even colder!

orrie smith wrote:

Any of the boat tours are great. We were there in... (show quote)

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

We did a eight hour tour that included lunch.
If you take the large catamaran (I think it was 3 levels), go for the top deck and try to get right behind the captains helm/enclosure. It was a small area that was covered and protected from the wind and possible rain. I don't remember the name of the boat or tour company.
We encountered swells so take sea sickness pills.
I posted images several years ago. They are around here somewhere.
And send me a postcard!!!
Pat

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

As advised, dress warm. Do not forget gloves that will allow you to use your camera's controls.

https://www.outdoorphotogear.com/aquatech-sensory-gloves/
https://photographygloves.com/

I did and remember how cold my hands were for the 4 hours I was shooting.

Find a spot and grab it quickly; don't move. If you have to, have a family member hold your spot (long suffering wife for example). Bring, if you can, a monopod.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Thanks for the links. I also have a problem with cold hands and have woolies that work in combination with outer mitts. I'll try to be aggressively in the best spot possible!

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

As advised, dress warm. Do not forget gloves that will allow you to use your camera's controls.

https://www.outdoorphotogear.com/aquatech-sensory-gloves/
https://photographygloves.com/

I did and remember how cold my hands were for the 4 hours I was shooting.

Find a spot and grab it quickly; don't move. If you have to, have a family member hold your spot (long suffering wife for example). Bring, if you can, a monopod.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Major Marine Tours, I believe, is the company with the catamarans. They do a superb job. We've been out with both Kenai Fjord Tours and Major Marine, and both are good. Take the 8 hours tour if you can. You'll see more, including going up to glaciers. You'll also get served a good meal. Get off at Fox Island, if you're with Kenai Fjords Tours. You'll have an amazing lunch there before continuing on.

It can be a bit cold if the weather is inclement, so take a good windbreaker with you. Gloves aren't a bad idea, either. Just be aware that if you have a long lens, it will be hard to get sharp images from the deck of the boat as it bobs up and down, and there is some vibration from the engines. Fast shutter speeds help.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Wingpilot wrote:

Major Marine Tours, I believe, is the company with... (show quote)

Thank you Wingpilot. The tour that would be my choice with Kenai Fjord Tours ends Aug.27th, so that one is not possible, but they have others still running. I'll probably take the longest one available.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

orrie smith wrote:

Any of the boat tours are great. We were there in... (show quote)

Ditto all of this! The full-day bus tour of Denali was great. Dress warm for the boat trip. You will have a great time! In Seward, if you hike at all, you can walk up to the base of the Exit Glacier (if you are really in to hiking you can hike up to the ice fields!). We also went to a state park just southwest of town and hiked down through the woods to a spectacular spot on the bay.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

sb wrote:

Ditto all of this! The full-day bus tour of Denali was great. Dress warm for the boat trip. You will have a great time! In Seward, if you hike at all, you can walk up to the base of the Exit Glacier (if you are really in to hiking you can hike up to the ice fields!). We also went to a state park just southwest of town and hiked down through the woods to a spectacular spot on the bay.

Thanks sb. Denali I have reservations for. Sounds like Seward has several things to offer.

HallowedHill Loc: Chattanooga, TN

Can't help with the Seward tours as we had to skip something and that was the choice.

With respect to wildlife though, know the luck plays a huge part. We went to Brooks Falls and I was on the upper platform for an hour (the NPS time limit there) and the lower platform for two hours. Although the salmon were running and bears were on top of the falls, there was not a single instance of a bear at the top even trying to catch a salmon in the iconic shot. We also did the 92.5 mile Denali tour and saw moose, caribou, sheep, and grizzlies. But the closest one was a quarter of a mile away and most were closer to half a mile away. I got some great photos, but not the iconic shots.

Moral: recognize that you can maximize your chances by tour and tour guide selections, but wild life is just that, and they don't posse for pictures unless you get lucky and even then have some skill. We had a great time, I got some great shots, but don't set your expectations to high, be realistic and you'll enjoy the trip more.

olddutch Loc: Beloit, Wisconsin

Sorry I do not remember the name but in 2004 I took a Dinner Cruise out of Steward, and it was great . Whales, Puffins , Sea Otters, and a host of other Critters.. anon with Glaciers. Enjoy...

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Look for a photo specific tour. I took one (wish I could remember which one, but too many years have passed) and the boat was designed with tiers so everyone could have a good shot. I used a monopod. It was coupled with a short land hike.