Stephens Cruises: Wildlife and Glacier Boat Tour from Valdez on Prince William Sound

For wildlife, the Stan Stephens Wildlife and Glacier Cruise is pretty awesome for getting out into Prince William Sound. Leaving from the main marina area, there is a ton of wildlife just right there in Port Valdez with sea otters rafting together and bald eagles all around. Then navigating the fjords you’ve got whales and sea lions, leading to more otters and seals, and then finally a calving tidewater glacier (either the Meares or Columbia Glacier). Round out the experience with puffins and more epic scenery and it’s absolutely perfect.

We’ve got the full scoop on what it’s like to spend a day out on Prince William Sound with Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises (which we’ll now just call Stephens Cruises) and how you can have the best time. If you have any questions about being on water for the day and watching for wildlife and glacier calving, please leave a comment or send us a note. This is a really fun experience but it’s also a big day that you’ll want to be sure will be fun for everyone involved. This can be one of the highlights of your time in Valdez and your Alaska trip!

Highlights of Stephens Cruises from Valdez

The thing that stands out to me so strongly about doing the Stephens Cruises out of Valdez is the amazing combination of beautiful Alaska scenery and the continual wildlife all around the boat. For so many people, wildlife is such an important part of visiting Alaska and even though there are lots of creatures on land, they can be really difficult to spot in the summer months because the vegetation is so thick. Being on a boat though, you’ve got wide open spaces and smooth waters where otters and seals break the surface very clearly. The shorelines where bears are digging are unobstructed if you’re watching from the water. And then the humpback whales: you’ll likely never see them as well from onshore as on the water. Stephens Cruises has a whole crew who’s both attending to guests on the boat and actively watching for wildlife from all angles. It’s great.

When it comes to getting to see a tidewater glacier, Stephens Cruises does just what you’d hope for in getting as close as is safe, navigating through icebergs and positioning the boat to be able to watch the face of the glacier calve off. Hanging out in front of a glacier and taking in its sheer size is really something, and then when you see a huge chunk of ancient ice break off, it’s awesome.

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Use discount code MYAKTRIP10 for a 10% discount on your booking.

Note: Stephens Cruises does two different boat tours to two different glaciers. You can either do the Meares Glacier or the Columbia Glacier. The difference in tours is in length (Meares is a longer trip) and what the glacier is doing. Columbia Glacier is receding, but the Meares Glacier is actually advancing, which is very unique and it’s quite visible as you’re face to face with it, observing the next trees onshore to be plowed over by the advancing ice. Choose the boat tour from Valdez that you’re most interested in, but I think the longer one is really cool and you do get more time out on the water.

As a side note to all of the cool and beautiful things you get to see on the Stephens Cruise from Valdez, I have to say that the boats are some of the nicest sightseeing/whale watching boats that I’ve been on in Alaska or anywhere. The catamarans are quite large and their interior is lovely, and is just the right touch of comfort with plenty of indoor seating and tables, and then outside there is both seating and tons of standing space, both under cover and exposed. Everyone approaches a wildlife or glacier cruise differently and if you’re like me, you’re outside 85% of the time, so having both covered and open seating outside is great for enjoying the fresh air and getting into the photography side of the boat tour.

Which Boat Tour from Valdez Should I Do?

Whether it’s doing the Stephens Wildlife and Glacier Cruise from Valdez or doing one of the Kenai Fjords Tours, we always get questions around which tour is best to book. When you’re planning your time in Valdez and on Prince William Sound, you need to consider just how long you can or want to be on a boat. The difference between going to Columbia Glacier or Meares Glacier is 1.5 hours, with the trip to Meares being the longer one. I like being out on the water for longer as it provides more chances for more wildlife. When you cover more territory, you get opportunities to see species that you might not see on a shorter trip.

Besides the length of the boat tours, the other thing to consider with Stephens Cruises is if you care which glacier you visit. The Meares Glacier is very unique in that it’s one of the few advancing glaciers, which is very evident when you’re there at the face. You can see how it’s literally moving across the forest, taking down trees that are hundreds of years old as it moves… but it is still moving at a glacial pace. The Meares Glacier doesn’t calve off as much at the neighboring Columbia Glacier, which is receding, so that may influence your choice of which boat tour from Valdez you want to do too. The Columbia Glacier definitely puts out more ice into the inlet, but that doesn’t always mean that you’ll have better luck with timing for calving. Ultimately, I think choosing your boat tour based on how long you want to be on the water and how important the wildlife potential is to you is the way to go.

Being Prepared for a Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

You know, I’ll just say it: not everyone does great on boats. Some people look at a boat and get seasick, while others can be in a squall and be living their best life. Luckily, when you do a boat tour with Stephens Cruises from Valdez, whether you’re on the Glacier Spirit or the Valdez Spirit, both boats are catamarans which means that they are very stable when they’re at sea. Also, from Port Valdez to the edge of Prince William Sound and up the inlets to the glaciers, the waters do tend to stay pretty calm. There’s just the short time that you’re a bit further from the protection of the fjords that you may encounter a little swell, but it’s typically not too bad. If you think you’ll suffer from motion sickness, take precautions in advance either with pressure bands, OTC medication (not a recommendation) or whatever you need to do to make the trip enjoyable.

Dress warmly for your boat tour from Valdez, even in the summer when it’s a sunny day. The wind can come off Prince William Sound and be quite chilly, and then when you’re at the face of the glacier, it’s like standing in front of an air conditioning unit. Warm pants, sweaters, a warm coat and stocking cap are all recommending any time of year. If you have a rain jacket, it’s a good thing to bring as well just in case the weather turns wet. Rain doesn’t cancel a boat tour with Stephens Cruises.

When it comes to camera gear for photographing the wildlife and glaciers, there are two approaches to it: just enjoy the cruise and snap some photos for memories, or bring your biggest camera lens and get pictures inside the humpback whale’s blowhole. I fall into the latter category, but there’s nothing wrong with just doing the boat tour from Valdez and enjoying the experience, getting pictures of whatever is close enough to the boat or just the scenery. I have found that using a 600mm lens does a great job on tours like the Stephens Cruises tours, as it can get you close enough for some wonderful photos but you’re not so close that you actually lose your subject matter if the boat moves with the waves. Yes, that’s a problem when you’re using a larger lens on a boat and it can be very frustrating. When a swell comes or the boat shifts, if you are fully extended you’re view moves past so fast and it’s difficult for your eyes to catch back up with your subject. A 600mm lens is great to shooting otters and puffins, and can be versatile enough to do landscape.

Dining on Stephens Cruises Boat Tours

Dining on Stephens Cruises: Yes, when you’re doing a boat tour from Valdez that’s basically an all day thing, they are sure to keep you happy and fed. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks, but you’ll be provided snacks and lunch on your wildlife and glacier tours. On the longer tour to Meares Glacier, you’re actually provided morning bagels with spreads, and then a plated lunch in the afternoon (our lunch was baked chicken with alfredo sauce, rice and veggetables). There is coffee and tea available all day, and then they have addition treats available for purchase onboard.

Parking for Stephens Cruises in Valdez

Stan Stephens Cruises goes out from the primary marina area in downtown Valdez. You can park wherver you like in the downtown area, following signage and posted restrictions. If you’re staying downtown, the hotels are all walking distance to the marina, from the RV park all the way to the ferry terminal. Because Valdez is such a walkable town, you don’t need to drive unless you’re staying outside of the downtown area.