Join us for a rare remarkable Alaska Whales in Winter photography adventure. A beautiful setting within Alaska’s Admiralty Island National Monument, beautiful late season low angle sunlight, wintry backdrops, and an amazing gathering of humpback whales all combine to create the most surreal setting imaginable!
Alaska is a place of many wonders year around. Each season brings on a different new chapter, each exciting as the preceding season. Just as spring marks the arrival of a new summer with the return of migrating wildlife, fall and early winter witness the departure of those species as they move to winter ranges around the globe.
One of the remarkable migrating animals that we enjoy observing for so much of the summer has a very interesting, little understood ritual prior to their departure. The nutrient rich channels of southeast Alaska are the summer home of some of the largest concentrations of humpback whales found anywhere. The humpbacks arrive to Southeast Alaska in spring, with recent observations and studies finding that many make their final departure in December and January for their winter breeding and calving range among the Hawaiian Islands.
Our winter whale expedition is to a beautiful isolated bay on Admiralty Island National Monument. This appears to be a pre-migratory staging area where 100 to 200 humpback whales gather prior to their approximate 30 day voyage to Hawaii. The event presents an amazing phenomenon to witness over 100 whales concentrated within a small portion of a single bay in winter!
Limited to only six participants, this adventure is a rare gem of opportunity for nature photographers, whale enthusiasts and anyone that appreciates the wonders of nature. As the season progresses to the winter solstice, the sun in Alaska is nearing it’s lowest declination which casts a transcending illumination on what appears to be a ‘forest of whale spouts’ as this remarkable concentration of whales passively feed on an ultra rich abundance of krill. It’s a final feast to pile on blubber for these giants as when they leave Alaska, they will fast until returning in spring.
You don’t have to be a photographer to appreciate and enjoy this incredible adventure!
Our first two 2007 Alaska Whales in Winterexpeditions are scheduled to coordinate with the November 3rd – 5th Sitka Whalefest. This provides participants with an additional opportunity to learn about the most recent studies on humpback whales and other marine mammals. A select combination of biologist, researchers and enthusiasts from various locations gather in Sitka to share and exchange information in a celebration of whales.
Please email or call for additional details and information!
A humpback indentified in the 2004 Seymour Survey.
2007 Winter Whale Trips
Guided Photo/Whales 'Humpback Pre-migration Gathering' 6 max
"Oh, my God! Trip # 9 on the ‘AA' and they just keep getting better and better. And the whales- I think that this week I saw more whales than I have in the past 14 years combined!"
Barbara H. Miami, FL
The amazing cooperative group ‘bubble-net' lunge feeding humpback whales.
A Killer Whale (orca) pod surfacing in unison.
"...being in a kayak with a 60 to humpback whale surfacing and blowing so close to me, was beyond words. These gentle giants blessed us with their presence. And when the junior whale of one pair began frolicking and breaching right in front of us, it made my millennium!!"
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