I completed the26-glacier cruise aboard the M/V Bravest on Summer Solstice 2026…read more The first thing that I noticed was that there was no Internet access and cell service was spotty at best. However, that had nothing to do with the cruise. It is just something that visitors to Whittier should be aware. Checking in and boarding went smoothly and on schedule. The crew were courteous and professional. The seas around Whittier are very calm, similar to the Inland Passage in Alaska's panhandle, due to the outer break-water islands. Adding a catamaran makes it as stable as it gets on water. There was zero pitching or rolling motion moving at 30 knots. When coming to a stop there were a few seconds when the vessel pitched and/or rolled in its own wake. Nobody got seasick on my cruise. The meal of salmon chowder was not bad. Nothing really to write home about. The meal is served shortly after leaving the dock. There are also other hot items that can be purchased, like a Buffalo Hotdog, or a Cheeseburger. I would not place any of their meals higher than fast-food quality. The bar also opens after leaving the dock. There are were several beverage choices, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. There was one humpback whale feeding near the shore of Esther Island. The vessel stopped for several minutes to watch the whale using bubble-net feeding techniques. The whale only made an appearance on the surface twice. There were no sea lions, but there were a handful of sea otters in the Port Wells passage and in College Fjord. The vessel also stopped for a few minutes at the Kittiwake Rookery which is directly across the bay from Whittier. I have absolutely no complaints about the crew or the vessel. They all performed exactly as expected and were very professional. I am also not going to dispute that there were 26 or more glaciers visible while on the cruise. Alaska has more than 100,000 glaciers. If you stand anywhere in Alaska you are likely to see a glacier somewhere. My only complaint is with their chosen route. I had previously taken the exact same cruise in 1996 when they were based in Seward instead of Whittier. In 1996 there were a dozen or more different tide-water glaciers, with no less than six or or seven actively calving. We stopped at four of them and spent several minutes watching them calve. This time, however, there were only four (barely) tide-water glaciers with only two actively calving and only stopping at one - the Harvard glacier. The wildlife can be unpredictable, but glaciers are not. We know exactly where they can be found. They need to include no less than three tide-water glaciers that are actively calving and stopping at least at two of them. Or the tour isn't worth the price. People are paying to see glaciers calve up-close and personal. Wildlife viewing is always an option, but it should not become the primary purpose of the cruise. We stopped longer and more often for wildlife (three times) than we did for any active tide-water glacier. I took this cruise primarily because I had never seen that portion of Prince William Sound in the 35 years I have lived in Alaska. So I was not that interested in the wildlife or the glaciers. However, I could sense the disappointment of the other passengers on our non-stop return to the Whittier docks.

I would 100% take this cruise again - we chose the option for the motorcoach to take us from…read moreAnchorage to Whittier and back . The driver was friendly and punctual. The actual cruise was amazing, entirely staffed by knowledgeable women, and was everything I could have hoped for. In addition to the glaciers we saw humpback whales, otters, seals, bald eagles, and a swimming black bear. I had the veggie chili which was closer to a bean soup than a chili but it was very tasty. The boat was extremely clean and well maintained and the captain was super informative. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who is visiting Alaska.

I have been out with kristen a couple of times it was a blast.You never come back empty handed. you…read morealways get your fish.She knows where to go.So if you are looking to catch fish go with salt water excursion

This is my glowing, unsolicited review...many, many thanks to Ben and Satchel for an unforgettable…read moretrip. You should know that despite being a born-into-it coastal Mainer, I'm a middle-aged occasional couch dweller who's never fished in my life, and I would have totally enjoyed the awesome trip into Prince William Sound even without catching anything. But Ben and Satchel truly went above and beyond for me and everyone else onboard, finding bait balls (and therefore salmon) left and right and walking us all through exactly what to do. The result was that I managed to reel in a large (let the photo suffice) silver on my first try. I'm still speechless. The vessel is great--extremely comfortable and well-equipped. Ben and Satchel were utterly competent, affable, kind, funny, and had endless patience with me and the other people onboard, including an obnoxious kid who lost his bait about a thousand times and snarled his line with everyone else's at least twice. Satchel also went above and beyond after we got back to Whittier, walking us through getting our catch cleaned and packed for the trip home. For more serious fishermen, you WILL go away happy. For clueless but appreciative newbies like me, you'll go away amazed and very likely with fish as well. Highly recommended, with gratitude.

This was my 13 year old son's and my first fishing trip to Alaska, and I wanted to make sure it was…read moretruly memorable, for all the right reasons. The challenge was, having never been to Alaska, how do you sift through all the reviews, advice, and outfitters, especially knowing this might be a once in a lifetime experience? After reading the glowing reviews and speaking with Adam, I decided to go with FishHound Expeditions, and I'm so glad I did. It's rare that a trip like this not only meets expectations but far exceeds them. From the beginning, Adam was incredibly organized, offering great suggestions for lodging and following through on every detail. Our guide for the three days--two days drifting and one unforgettable day flying by helicopter to a remote river, was Orion, and he was phenomenal. Knowledgeable, kind, patient, and passionate, he connected immediately with my son and became his fly fishing coach for the trip. That allowed me to simply sit back and enjoy the moment, no nagging about knots, no worrying about technique, just the pure joy of being on the water, surrounded by the beauty of Alaska. It was everything I hoped for and more. Memories I'll cherish forever? Absolutely. Thank you, FishHound team, for making this father son trip unforgettable.

Worst trip I have ever been on in Alaska. Poor fishing, very poor equipment , tents have holes all…read moreover, poles broken etc. Stayed in camp for over 14 hours per day. Fishing was poor because of rain but meals, tents and attitude was the worst. Never again.

Thanks to their help, my group had an unforgettable adventure to Blackstone glacier! They were…read moreincredibly helpful and instructive. Could not have asked for a better experince ​

If you are in Whittier you must see this museum; detailing the history of how this place came to…read morebe. It's not a long museum as it's technically one room. But the memorabilia, photos, and diagrams is certainly worth the visit.

Where is all the blue ice? I don't see no trail! Well... I did see a couple of glaciers up top…read moreunder white snow, so I saw sprinkling of blue ice. This is the Tony Knowles Coastal trail of Portage. You start at Moose Flats, or Visitor's center, and walk/jog/bike/skate/meander 5 miles to the opposite end. I started at Moose Flats and it was a good time viewing natural and unnatural areas of interest. Scouted out camp spots, watched kayakers in a lake, and enjoyed walking over bridges during the jaunt. It was good, not great. So much so, that instead of walking all the way back I hitched to get the car and pick up walking companion. Then we jetted over to Byron's Glacier for a proper, albeit shorter, hike. Would come again if camping in area, but would pass for future hiking funsies due to lack of interest.

This is a flat 5-mile trail that links together the many sights and sounds of one of my favorite…read moreareas in Alaska: Portage. Despite being located a little over an hour from Anchorage, this area gets obscene amounts of snow and rain. As a consequence of all that H2O falling from the sky, the mountains in here are heavily glaciated, even though they are not very tall by Alaska standards. (tallest in the area is around 6,000 ft, with many in the 3,000-4,000 ft range) Because this trail is so flat, it's very commonly cycled. Bring your bike and make a half-day of it, or bring only your boots for a much fuller day. There are places to view Salmon here, but I can never seem get the timing right. Stuff to see in this area from/next to the trail: Explorer Peak (and Explorer Glacier): https://www.yelp.com/biz/explorer-peak-portage Byron Glacier Trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/byron-glacier-trailhead-anchorage Portage Glacier visitor center: https://www.yelp.com/biz/portage-glacier-and-begich-bloggs-visitor-center-girdwood

It's impossible to visit Whittier and not take a moment to enjoy the amazing view at the small boat…read moreharbor. It is the most perfect little marina you could ever want to see. If you're lucky you may even see seals frolicking in the water. There's a boardwalk that wraps around the whole waterfront and benches all around so you can sit and enjoy the mountains, sea, sky, waterfalls, and occasionally the idiots who struggle to get their boats in and out of the water. It's quite entertaining. There's outhouses and a small pavilion with picnic tables at the far end of the harbor. There's 3 boat ramps, which in nice weather are CONTINUOUSLY busy with boats lined up. There is a harbor master on site, but if for some reason the booth is empty, you can pay via credit card (and yes, there's video cameras to make sure you pay.) There's also vending machines for ice and bait that accept credit cards. Parking for cars is free, but RV's and boat trailers have to park across the street and pay a small daily fee (seasonal spots also available.)

There are more than just small boats! A great collection of fishing boats and people along an…read moreincredible backdrop of glaciers and mountians

It's a winner!…read more Alaska has so much spectacular scenery. It's everywhere you look, and this trail takes the prize for most stunning. Seriously. It looks, feels, and smells really nice. The only downside is that it's popular, so don't expect a quiet, solitary time. There are lots of people on this path, but at least it will keep the bears and moose away! ha

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! One of my favorite "easy hikes." The city of Girdwood is…read moreenchanting. I'm in my very own version of Beauty and the Beast whenever I'm adventuring in the area. I was grateful to have been able to experience this trail in its entirety, prior to an accidental death, and the ultimate closing of the hand tram. You can start this hike at the Alyeska Hotel (more popular) or at Crow Creek Mine (less popular). From Crow Creek Mine to the gorge it's about 1 mile. With the hand tram closed, theres no safe way to cross the gorge. From the Alyeska Hotel to the gorge, it's about 2 miles. I'd recommend starting from the hotel for a longer hike. That side also has many natural staircases, unique bridges/water sights, basically, the best photo opps. When in season, this trail offers lots of berry, mushroom, and other foraging opportunities. Highly recommend.

This is a walk or drive through animal park with some permanent residents and a rotating group of…read morerecuses in somewhat natural habitats. Dome enclosures have elevated walkways for viewing. No petting. These are wild animals not pets.

This is a nice place to come if you're visiting from out of state or if you have kids that don't…read moremind a little bit of a drive to get to. Locals do get a discount with id. It's nice to see a wide range of animals. This place is incredibly scenic and somewhere I encourage people to visit. If you can't or don't want to walk outside you can also drive the loop to see the animals but you miss a lot doing this. There's a couple downsides though. It's not cheap to get in, even if you're a local. You also pay per person, not per car. It's also a bit of walk outside so you should bring the right shoes that can handle small rocks and mud. The playground is also gone right now with a chunk of construction going on in a few places. The construction near the mudflats to view belugas should really be roped off instead of having it open with large drops that someone could fall and injure themselves. It's also pricy if you buy food here. A cup of noodles here will run you a few dollars.