The Cruise departs from Whittier and traverses 145 miles through the passageways of Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Upon leaving Whittier the vessel heads east out Passage Canal to the Egg Rock sea lion rookery located in Port Wells. From there it proceeds to Esther Passage where only small ships can navigate the waterway. High mountains protect this narrow channel from rough seas and winds. Many different animals call this area home; bald eagles are commonly seen fishing in the area along with an occasional puffin. It is not uncommon to see orcas plus sea otters are almost always present.
Esther Passage opens into College Fjord where the vessel turns north for a panoramic view of all the glaciers. Next, Surprise Glacier and Barry Arm located in Harriman Fjord. The Captain plots a path through the ice filled waters up to the front of the glacier so passengers can watch for house size chunks of ice calving into the sea.
On the return trip to Whittier the vessel will stop one more time at a kittiwake bird rookery that is located just across the bay from Whittier. Over 10,000 birds inhabit these rocky cliffs each summer laying eggs. They fish constantly in front of the rookery and then train the young hatchlings all the survival tips they will need before returning to they fly south for the winter.
