Major Marine Tours
from $109 per adult
Spring Wildlife Cruise and 1 more option
- Length
- 4 hours (12:30 pm to 4:30 pm)
- Age
- No minimum stated; infants under 2 free
Cruises narrated by the captains
Quick picks
- Lowest price Major Marine Tours $109 per adult for Spring Wildlife Cruise
- Private trip Seward Ocean Excursions $2,866 per group for Full Day Private Tour
- Low to the water Seward Ocean Excursions Small boat with heated cabin and flushing head, up to 6 passengers plus captain
The Seward whale year
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: in season | April: in season | May: in season | June: not usually seen | July: not usually seen | August: not usually seen | September: not usually seen | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: not usually seen |
| Humpback whale | January: in season | February: in season | March: in season | April: in season | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: in season | October: in season | November: in season | December: in season |
| Orca | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: not usually seen | May: in season | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: not usually seen |
Peak In season
From alaskacollection.com, sewardoceanexcursions.com, alaskacollection.com. Whales turn up outside these months too.
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring Wildlife Cruise |
$109 per adult |
4 hours (12:30 pm to 4:30 pm) |
No minimum stated; infants under 2 free | Not stated | Check dates | ||||
4 Hour Kenai Fjords Wildlife CruiseIncludes Binoculars available onboard |
$159 per adult |
4 hours |
No minimum stated; infants under 2 free | Not stated | Check dates | ||||
Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half Day TourIncludes Bottled water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and hot cider, Binoculars |
$209 per person |
3.5 hours (8:30 am or 1:00 pm departures, May 15 to August 31) |
2 minimum, 6 maximum |
No age limit; children under 13 wear a life jacket | Small boat with heated cabin and flushing head, up to 6 passengers plus captain | None; wildlife and destinations are never guaranteed | Full refund 14+ days out; 50% within 14 days; none within 24 hours; full refund or rebooking if operator cancels | Check dates | |
Full Day Private TourIncludes Optional beachcombing, Extra time for wildlife or photos |
$2,866 per group |
8 hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm) |
1 to 6 |
No age limit; children under 13 wear a life jacket | Small boat with heated cabin and flushing head, up to 6 passengers plus captain | None; wildlife and destinations are never guaranteed | Full refund 14+ days out; 50% within 14 days; none within 24 hours; full refund or rebooking if operator cancels | Check dates | |
Resurrection Bay TourIncludes Hot lunch (Southwest chicken burrito with tortilla chips) |
Not listed |
4 hours (12 p.m. departure, daily May 14 to September 11, 2027) |
No minimum stated; infants under 2 free | Not stated | Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours in advance | Check dates | |||
Spring Resurrection Bay TourIncludes Hot lunch (Southwest chicken burrito with tortilla chips) |
Not listed |
4 hours (12 p.m. departure, Thursday to Sunday, March 11 to May 13, 2027) |
No minimum stated; infants under 2 free | Not stated | Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours in advance | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Seward small boat harbor and Resurrection Bay
Kenai Fjords boat tours leave from Seward's small boat harbor, daily in summer, the National Park Service says. The park does not run or recommend tour companies, and no rangers ride along, so narration comes from each company's crew. Half-day trips stay inside Resurrection Bay, a fjord of the Gulf of Alaska, while full-day trips reach the tidewater glaciers inside the park. Seward borders Kenai Fjords National Park and serves as its gateway town.
Major Marine Tours' office is at 1412 4th Ave. Its 4-hour cruise leaves at 12:30 pm from May 17 to October 10, with extra 10 am and 3 pm sailings from June 11 to August 15. Kenai Fjords Tours asks guests to arrive an hour before its noon Resurrection Bay departure. Seward Ocean Excursions boards at slips M1, M3, M5 and M7 in the harbor, and guests should be at the slip 15 minutes before departure. If the boat is still out on an earlier trip, they wait there for it.
Spring gray whales, summer humpbacks, Resurrection Bay orcas
Gray whales travel about 5,000 miles from Baja California to feed in Alaska, and Seward's spring cruises catch them passing between mid-March and mid-May. Kenai Fjords Tours runs its spring trip Thursday to Sunday from March 11 to May 13, 2027, and Major Marine's spring cruise runs March 20 to May 16, 2027. The park service says humpbacks feed in the fjords from late spring through summer, and Seward Ocean Excursions calls them "extremely common" on its summer tours.
Major Marine and Kenai Fjords Tours both list orcas and humpbacks, alongside Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, Dall's porpoises, puffins and bald eagles. Seward Ocean Excursions also sees humpbacks on fall, winter and spring trips, orcas at times in those seasons, and gray and fin whales now and then in summer. A photo on the park's boat tour page shows whales bubble-net feeding. Major Marine and Seward Ocean Excursions both say wildlife is never guaranteed.
Cold wind on sunny days, rougher outer waters
Resurrection Bay is the sheltered choice. The park service suggests a shorter trip in its protected waters for anyone prone to seasickness, or medication taken before boarding rather than once you feel ill. Seward Ocean Excursions says the bay is usually calm but conditions outside it can turn bumpy, and its crews look for smoother water when a guest is struggling. Major Marine keeps its 4-hour cruise in the bay, with the captain picking the route from recent sightings. Seward Ocean Excursions adds that time of day makes no difference to sightings.
Warm layers matter even in summer. The park warns that wind on the water can be surprisingly cold on sunny days and suggests warm layers under a windproof, waterproof shell, plus a hat, gloves, sunglasses and sunscreen. Seward Ocean Excursions gives summer air temperatures from the 50s to the 80s, water in the 50s and 60s, and up to 80 inches of rain a year. Its cabins are heated and have a flushing head, but it expects guests will want time outside.
Six-seat boats, captain-narrated cruises and glacier days
Major Marine Tours lists $159 per adult and $79.50 for ages 2 to 11 for its 4-hour Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise, plus tax and fees, and $109 for the spring cruise. Its captains narrate, binoculars are aboard, and cruises of 6 hours or more include a deli lunch. Kenai Fjords Tours runs similar 4-hour Resurrection Bay trips with a hot burrito lunch and a full refund up to 24 hours ahead, but its pages show no fares. Alaska residents save 20% with proof of residency.
Seward Ocean Excursions is the small-boat choice, with no more than 6 guests and a heated cabin, and it is a Whale SENSE member. Its 3.5-hour half-day trip costs $209 per person with no child discount, leaving at 8:30 am or 1 pm from May 15 to August 31. A private full day for up to 6 is $2,866. It promises no wildlife, puts the engine in neutral when a whale comes within 100 yards, and refunds or rebooks when it cancels for weather.
Before you book
- Take seasickness medication before the boat leaves, not after symptoms start, the park service advises; a half-day trip inside Resurrection Bay is the gentler option.
- Check whether your tour feeds you: the park notes that many companies serve meals or snacks, and suggests bringing your own if yours does not.
- Allow an hour before departure: Kenai Fjords Tours asks guests to check in one hour ahead of its noon Resurrection Bay tour.
- Children under 13 wear a life jacket on Seward Ocean Excursions boats, and infants need their own booked spot within the 6-guest limit.
- Getting there. Seward is about 120 miles (190 km) by road from Anchorage on the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway. It is also the southern end of the Alaska Railroad, with seasonal Coastal Classic passenger trains.
The operators
Seward Ocean Excursions
from $209 per person
Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half Day Tour and 1 more option
- Length
- 3.5 hours (8:30 am or 1:00 pm departures, May 15 to August 31)
- Group
- 2 minimum, 6 maximum
- Age
- No age limit; children under 13 wear a life jacket
- Boat
- Small boat with heated cabin and flushing head, up to 6 passengers plus captain
- If no whales
- None; wildlife and destinations are never guaranteed
No more than 6 guests per boat
Kenai Fjords Tours
Price on request
Resurrection Bay Tour and 1 more option
- Length
- 4 hours (12 p.m. departure, daily May 14 to September 11, 2027)
- Age
- No minimum stated; infants under 2 free
Tours sold through alaskacollection.com
Seward questions
When is whale season in Seward?
Gray whales pass Seward in spring, when operators run spring wildlife cruises from mid-March to mid-May. The park service says humpbacks feed in the fjords from late spring through summer, and summer cruises run from mid-May into September or early October.
How much does whale watching in Seward cost?
Major Marine Tours charges $159 per adult for its 4-hour summer wildlife cruise and $109 for its spring cruise, plus tax and fees. Seward Ocean Excursions charges $209 per person on boats of up to 6 guests, or $2,866 for a private full day.
Sources
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.
- nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/boattours.htm
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seward,_Alaska
- majormarine.com/tour/...
- alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/...
- sewardoceanexcursions.com/faq
- alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/...
- majormarine.com/tour/spring-wildlife-cruise
- nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
- sewardoceanexcursions.com/tourssightseeing
- ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-II/...