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Surrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska's Stephens Passage

“Good evening, Adventurers. We just noticed some whale action on the starboard side of the boat. A humpback calf is breaching and seems to be pretty active.”

Our first whale sighting! A young, playful humpback calf graced us during the second night of our UnCruise adventure in Alaska.

Scott and I seem to have exceptional luck with whale encounters. Throughout the week, we spotted more humpbacks sporadically, plus two transient orcas that approached our boat closely in Port Houghton.

Surrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens Passage

Surrounded by Humpbacks

The real spectacle unfolded on Thursday evening as we cruised through Stephens Passage en route to Dawes Glacier.

Our experienced captain and crew remarked they'd never witnessed anything like it. Just before sunset, our vessel was encircled by 50 to 100 humpback whales—feeding at the surface, tail slapping, breaching, and displaying their flukes before deep dives.

Surrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens Passage

Whales were visible in every direction. Some glided close alongside, mouths agape, revealing their baleen plates clearly.

These are the moments that define travel adventures.

Surrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens PassageSurrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens PassageSurrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens PassageSurrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens PassageSurrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens Passage

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Surrounded by Humpback Whales: An Unforgettable Encounter in Alaska s Stephens Passage

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