Resurrection Bay Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Resurrection Bay. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Cruise

• Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half-Day Wildlife Cruise

• Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Tour from Seward

• Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

• Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Northwestern Cruise

Technically, Resurrection Bay is free to visit—you can see it from Seward’s waterfront. However, you probably want to explore it more thoroughly, and that requires a boat. Most visitors take a wildlife cruise around the bay and the Kenai Fjords, looking for whales, seals, and more; these start at around US$110 per person.

Yes, Resurrection Bay is definitely worth visiting. It's one of America's few fjords, and not only will you get gorgeous landscapes to set your eyes on, but the wildlife is incredible, too. Bust out those binoculars, and you might spot multiple types of whales, eagles, sea lions and seals, mountain goats, sea otters, and puffins.

Per one customer who booked the Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half-Day Wildlife Cruise, "If you're even thinking about taking a Kenai Fjords boat tour, stop thinking and just book it. Our experience was beyond incredible. We were lucky enough to witness a super pod of over 50 orcas—something truly rare to see this late in the year, and absolutely unforgettable. But it didn't stop there. We also spotted harbor seals lounging on the rocks, bald eagles soaring overhead, playful sea otters, and even mountain goats high up on the cliffs. It felt like nature put on a private show just for us."

Considered a gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, Resurrection Bay measures approximately 35 miles (56 kilometers) from north to south. The long, deep fjord is located on the southeastern coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Boat tours are a popular way to discover its dramatic scenery.

Resurrection Bay was named by Russian merchant and trader Alexander Baranov in April 1792. According to the story, Baranov was on an exploratory mission and had to take shelter in the bay due to a dramatic storm. The storm ended on Easter Sunday when Baranov gave it its memorable name.

Just about. Exit Glacier—one of the world’s most visited glaciers, located in Kenai Fjords National Park—is viewable from Exit Glacier Road just outside of Seward. If you want a closer look, it’s a 10-15-minute drive out of town to the glacier. Boat tours offer another way to see the scenery.

The best time to see whales in Seward—which is located near the northern edge of Resurrection Bay—is from May to September. Some gray whales arrive earlier in April, but coming in peak season is your best chance of seeing orcas and humpback whales on a whale-watching tour.

The wild and rugged scenery of Resurrection Bay—and the adjacent Kenai Fjords National Park—speaks to the region’s glacier-carved history. Resurrection Bay (considered the longest fjord in the region), was likely created by the collective massing of the Harding and Sargent icefields, according to the National Park Service.

As the story goes, Resurrection Bay was named by Russian merchant Alexander Baranov in 1792. However, the bay and surrounding terrain were inhabited long before that by the Sugpiaq people, who are one of eight Alaska native peoples. They have lived in the region for more than 7,500 years.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting Resurrection Bay. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Seward:

• Kenai Fjords National Park

• Bear Glacier

• Alaska Railroad

• Exit Glacier

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Seward.