Add Resurrection Bay, Alaska To Your Itinerary
Dolphins dart in and out of the waves as they keep pace with the boat, sea lions bask on the rocks along the shoreline while seabirds circle in the sky and nest in the crevices of the nearby cliffs by the thousands. Sightings include Otters, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Puffins, Dahl Sheep, an occasional Bear or Moose and even a whale or two as the excursion boats cruise on into the waters of Resurrection Bay, Alaska.
As the excursion boats leave and cruise out into Resurrection Bay the first thing you’ll realize is just how wild and remote this corner of the world is. The area covered by the bay is some twenty-five miles long and six miles wide and with the exception of the town of Seward itself, there are no signs that man has touched this region at all and the wildlife is everywhere. On shore, in the water and filling the sky the whole bay is simply alive.
Seward is also home to several of Alaska’s favorite destinations that include:
The Alaska SeaLife Center which is the state’s only public aquarium combining the aquarium with marine research and education as well as wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Visitors experience the ‘windows to the sea’ with close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions, and other marine life.
Kenai Fjords National Park, described by National Geographic as “the essence of coastal Alaska” a place where Mountains, Ice, and Ocean Meet. Only a short trip out of Seward at the edge of the Kenai Peninsula is a land where the ice age lingers with almost forty glaciers flowing down from the Harding Icefield, the Kenai Fjords’ crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests around this vast expanse of ice
Whale Watching cruises through Kenai Fjords National Park and up the areas coastal waters is one of the best locations to see whales in Alaska. Local captains are experts at spotting and safely navigating near these incredible mammals, offering a unique experience to observe them up close. The best times to see specific whales varies by season:
- Orca Whale May to June
- Gray Whale – March-May
- Humpback Whale May-August
- Fin, or Finback Whale, are the second-largest mammals May -September
Visiting Seward and Resurrection Bay
Seward is the Alaska port where cruise ships embark and disembark passengers catching the Alaska Railroad stopping in Anchorage and Denali National Park and Fairbanks. While Denali is the premier Alaska destination, Resurrection Bay offers probably the best opportunity to experience Alaska wildlife up close. So regardless of what your Alaska travel plans may include, do not miss an opportunity to spend time on Resurrection Bay.
A majority of the visitors that come to Seward are there for the train trip to Denali and arrive (or leave) on cruise ships. Many cruise lines offer combination fares that include an Alaska cruise and an Alaska Railroad trip to Denali. Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity operate observation dome railcars in Alaska with several different individual cruise line dome cars added to the Alaska Railroad trains.
Before booking that combination consider the options of making the Denali trip a separate booking*. That would allow you to spend more time in Seward with a number of good hotels available in town. It also provides the option to spend some time in a number of other Alaska towns on your trip. There are also a number of tour operators that provide booking on the Alaska railroad including the railroad itself.
*Before you make your plans it is important to make sure that your land tour includes admission to Denali National Park. Entrance to the park is very controlled and on your own you will have to make reservations with the Park Service months in advance. Admission is usually included with most land tours.
intend2travel.info 