Whales Swim Beside the Ships in Alaska’s Inside Passage

Wanderlust Vibes Only

Most cruises promise beautiful sunsets, sparkling seas, and endless buffets. But in Alaska, there’s a cruise route where the biggest highlight doesn’t happen on deck — it happens right in the water beside you.

Welcome to the Inside Passage, a breathtaking route that winds through fjords, glaciers, and islands along Alaska’s southeast coast. It’s one of the most scenic cruise itineraries in the world. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have humpback whales as your traveling companions.

Every summer, thousands of humpback whales migrate to Alaska’s icy waters to feed. They swim through channels and bays rich with herring, krill, and other sea life. As cruise ships glide through these same passages, whales often surface right beside them. Imagine standing at the railing with a coffee in hand, and suddenly a 40-ton giant breaches the surface with a splash so big it rocks the ship.

It’s not just humpbacks. Orcas are often spotted traveling in pods, their tall dorsal fins cutting through the waves. Sea lions lounge on icebergs, and bald eagles soar overhead. For many travelers, this is the moment that transforms a cruise from a vacation into a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

The towns along the route add to the magic. Stops like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway give travelers the chance to explore glaciers, take wildlife tours, or even go whale-watching on smaller boats for an even closer look. But the truth is, you might not even need an excursion. The whales often come to you.

Scientists say humpbacks are curious creatures, and it’s not uncommon for them to swim near ships. Some even perform bubble-net feeding — a cooperative hunting strategy where whales blow bubbles in a circle to trap fish, then surge up through the middle with mouths wide open. Watching this from your balcony cabin is the kind of travel story you’ll tell forever.

So while Caribbean cruises may be about sunshine and cocktails, Alaska’s Inside Passage is about nature on the grandest scale. Here, the journey isn’t just about where the ship goes — it’s about who swims alongside it.