Holgate Glacier panorama

We didn’t book a tour from the cruise ship as we knew we could find one in Seward. Our Kenai Fjords tour from Seward Alaska began within minutes of us paying for it at the counter.

Day 91 – June 1st, 2014.

The view from the other side of the harbour in Seward looking back towards the cruise ship as we make our way to the Kenai Fjords tour booking office.

MS Oosterdam from the other side of the harbour in Seward

We took a shuttle from the Seward cruise terminal to the Kenai Fjords tour office at the harbour and joined the boat all within a few minutes, lucky for us it was leaving at 11.30am and we were just in time. The Kenai Fjords tour cost us $149 per person for a six-hour tour and even though it was not ideal conditions we had a great time.

Kenai Fjords Tour catamaran

The weather was very overcast, raining on and off and bloody cold and the trip in the twin hull catamaran was very bumpy in places and many of the passengers were sick. When we did reach calmer waters and slowed to look at the scenery it was awesome.

Kenai Fjords Tour

Lots of wildlife was on show from Stellar Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, Otters, Sea Gulls…

Steller Sea Lions in Kenai Fjords

Humpback Whales, Porpoises, Puffin Birds, Mountain Goats with young and Bald Eagles all clearly visible with binoculars.

Whales in the Kenai Fjords

After about one & a half hours we arrived at the Holgate glacier which was huge and the glacier coloured water around us was full of chunks of ice floating by.

Holgate Glacier in Alaska

The captain’s voice spoke clearly out of the speakers and said “listen to the glacier talking”. We listened to what sounded like distant thunder rumblings and louder more piercing cracks and pops which sound like dry pieces of wood snapping, these are the sounds of the glacier moving.

Holgate Glacier in the Kenai Fjords Alaska

The colour of the water was glacier green/grey and the rain was more like sleet and did I mention that is was damn cold. Trying to take photos was hard going with my fingers almost freezing.

Holgate Glacier in Alaska

The six-hour trip was very good with the captain giving out plenty of really informative commentary about the area and wildlife.

Unfortunately we didn’t see any Orca’s which was what we were really hanging out for. But we had a wonderful trip enjoying so much that Alaska and the Fjords, Glaciers and wildlife have to offer.

We would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to get up close to the Glaciers and viewing some of Alaska’s wildlife.