Kenai Fjords Orca Quest Cruise
Seward, USA
Kenai Fjords Orca Quest Cruise
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Seward, USA
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
In early summer, orcas frequent the Kenai Fjords in search of food. This half-day whale-watching cruise—the only orca-focused cruise in Seward—takes you into Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. Rather than following a set route, your captain navigates to orca hot spots of the day. Hear the whale's haunting calls through a hydrophone, and learn about orcas and their behavior from the captain and crew.
- Half-day orca whale-watching cruise from Seward
- Journey into Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park during prime orca season
- Spot orcas in their natural habitat
- Learn about the whales from captain and crew members
- Use a hydrophone to hear how orcas communicate with one another
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 161 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Marilyn_C, Jun 2026
The boat is set-up more for meals rather than whale watching as it has tables and seats are assigned. I was very upset to pay something money and then be assigned a seat at a table in the middle of the boat. Trying to get space outside was very difficult.
Emily_B, Jun 2026
We had an amazing show by a humpback whale. However we really wanted to see Orcas and the trip description said they go out of way to find them and do not have planned route. When we arrived on board, we were handed a flyer which showed a pre planned route. Also we were told about use of hydrophones to find orcas, but nothing on that was discussed.
Robin_D, Jun 2026
Great whale sightings but the Orcas were hiding today. Nice seating, good views. Captain's voice was a little too soft and hard to hear but that didn't diminish the experience.
john_c, Jun 2026
This tour was advertised as an orca quest. The tour photographs showed orcas. There was essentially no effort taken to look for orcas on this trip. We were told just after boarding that we wouldn’t be seeing any orca. If we had known this fact in advance, we would not have booked it. Instead, we spent more time looking at bird poop along the cliffside, and the birds that left it. We did see a few whales, but there were no orca. And apparently the crew knew well in advance. There wouldn’t be any work. If you want a orca trip, then this is not your provider. This is more app called a wildlife viewing trip. Expect to see birds. Maybe a goat and probably some seals. There is a possibility of seeing a whale or two and that we did. But it was an epic failure for orcas. It shouldn’t be advertised that and we’re going to get a charge back on our credit card for spending $300 since there was no effort to see orcas.
Angelic_C, Jun 2026
Both young men were extremely kind, professional, & knowledgeable. They showed & told us so much about the marine life. Very interesting. Thank you
Brian_A, Jun 2026
Well, I’d give it zero stars if I could! The cruise is called “Kenai Fjords Orca Quest Cruise” with photos of Orcas as advertisement and described as: “Rather than following a set route, your experienced captain takes you to places where orcas have recently been sighted, making every day a unique cruising experience.” Yet when we pushed off the dock, the captain said that “even though this is called the Orca Quest, the Orcas don’t live here so don’t expect to see any, but we will see other wildlife.” We booked this particular cruise because it was advertised as an “Orca” cruise! Basically FALSE advertising! The captain took us on a set route, totally opposite of what we expected from the advertising. So if you wanna see Orcas, don’t book this one.
Jessica_T, Jun 2026
Amazing trip. Great crew. Clean boat. We saw lots of wildlife. The crew was great with kids and made sure they had a blast too.
Diane_A, Jun 2026
Staff was great. The captain went out of his way to find Orcas and a humpback whale. We also saw mountain goats, puffins, sea lions and a sea otter.
Michael_S, Jun 2026
Early June excursion, We saw both whales, Orca’s , Sealions, Sea otters and mountain goats on the cliffs.
We had a great trip as I would absolutely recommend it
Jeff_B, Jun 2026
This captain and crew were excellent. They treated us like family. The captain went as far as to have personal conversations with us explaining about the waters and areas we were in beyond the typical commentary you sometimes get. The crew never waited for someone to ask for help they always were there almost like they knew what was going to happen. Would definitely recommend this trip
Kristen_R, Jun 2026
Amazing crew brought us out into Resurrection Bay where we were able to see multiple pods of orcas, humpback whales, sea otters and bald eagles.
It was absolutely amazing.
JENNIFER_S, May 2026
Pack lots of layers & bring your binoculars. This trip is fenominal. The captain of this ship was extremely knowledgeable and loves his job!
Stacy_M, May 2026
Several people were getting sick. Staff was very helpful with this. We took medicine before and our family was fine. However, we don't typically get sick. Our family was very thankful for the concession. It was a rainy cold day, but didn't ruin the experience. We got to see Spire Cove, it's on the top 5 places I've seen. So beautiful! We didn't see whales, but it was still worth it.
Larissa_K, May 2026
Wonderful experience seeing the beautiful coastal scenery and wildlife of Seward, Alaska. The boat was comfortable and the crew was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. This is my second time on this tour, and while we didn’t see any Orca this time around, we saw plenty of other wildlife including sea otters, a bald eagle, sea lions, seals, puffins, mountain goats, and a humpback whale. I highly recommend!
Lisa_G, May 2026
Dress warm. Layers are best. Definitely bring a scarf for your face. It was 60 out when we went, but that wind once you get going 😳.
Keith_A, May 2026
With all the tech and supporting vessels throughout the planned travel area of these tour ships, they should have a better than 70% chance of knowing if Killer whale (KWh) or whale (Wh) sightings will occur on any given trip. Instead most of the time what you get is a choreographed trip of Oo's and Ah's of non-target species to fill the time. All knowing WHs and Ws are nowhere to be found. To me that's being dishonest.
Lezlie_M, May 2026
While you can never guarantee whale sightings, our captain went above and beyond to get us a quick glimpse of a humpback though he refused to resurface after some 10 - 15 minutes. She was very knowledgeable and provided interesting facts of the area. The crew was friendly and to include free water and coffee is rather unusual but nice.
Kim_D, May 2026
Wonderful staff at check in. Knowledgeable and accommodating captain & crew! Saw harbor seals, mountain goats, eagles, otters and a whale as well as breathtaking scenery!
Chris_R, Jun 2025
That they did not cancel and give a refund when other Seward companies cancelled and gave refunds. The poor weather was not major marine's fault. Their fault was in not canceling the trip..
Paige_J, Jun 2025
We had such a great experience! All of the staff on board were so nice and helpful! We saw so much wildlife, but even if we didn't, the views were absolutely incredible on the boat! The views would have been worth the experience alone.
Macey_H, Jun 2025
We had a wonderful time onboard the Orca Quest. There was complementary coffee and tea which was a great plus for how cold it was. We were about to see about 4 orcas and even ID one of them and the pod. On top of that we saw sea otters, bald eagles (and their babies), as well as seals and many dolls porpoise dolphins. Of course lots of birds and puffins as well. I really enjoyed the hydrophone when we could listen to the orcas communicating. Overall a great experience and we learned a lot!
Jeanne_P, May 2025
This was an amazing experience! We saw dozens of orcas, a humpback whale, mountain sheep, puffins, harbor seals, stellar sea lions, and more. The scenery was stunningly beautiful. Captain Tammy and the whole crew were excellent. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The narration was perfect! This ship goes out into open waters, out from the relative calm of Resurrection Bay (you see a lot in Resurrection Bay, as well), to get to the spots where orcas are known to hang out, so be prepared for waves/movement of the boat. We stood outside on deck in the fresh air most of the time and had no problems, but they sell Bonine/Dramamine on board if you tend to get seasick. Bar onboard sells drinks/snacks for reasonable prices ($2 for soda, $3 for hot cocoa, etc.). Dress warmly in layers (warm hat and gloves, too). Bring binoculars. Highly recommend!!
elizabeth_k, May 2025
This boat cruise was amazing!! We got to see orcas/otters/bald eagle/ puffins. The ride was pretty chilly so if you plan to go out on the deck I do recommend a coat and a hat maybe even a face covering to make the wind not so bad. Our three teenagers loved the ride and enjoyed the hot cocoa from inside the boat. The captain was very informative about all of the animals and the crew members were very pleasant and happy to take family photos of us when we asked. We were amazed at how clear the sky’s were and how beautiful all the mountains and scenery was. This trip was definitely one for the books!!
Izabela_H, May 2025
This is a must do if you’re in the Seward area. The catamaran was spacious and very comfortable and the crew was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. While exploring the Kensington Fjords National Park you’re surrounded by exquisite landscapes and amazing wildlife. Resurrection Bay is just breathtaking. It does get pretty rough on the open water so do yourself a big favor and take something for motion sickness before you leave the dock.
Mariah_S, May 2025
We saw so much wildlife!! Orcas, humpback whales, puffins, etc.
What a beautiful experience. Definitely worth it :)
Gabriela_E, May 2025
So scenic and wonderfully unique :) so thankful for the opportunity to see such beautiful scenery! The staff was also very friendly and the train very clean :D
Anju_M, May 2025
It was good but, I was hoping to see more whales and other animals. I did not like the boat was travelling in high speed.
Steven_F, Jan 2025
We loved this tour. We saw so many orcas and had a great time. My husband did get a little seasick. So don’t forget to take your Dramamine before you get on the boat.
Rick_S, Jul 2024
Wonderful time! Boat was clean all the staff were friendly and very knowledgeable. We saw lots of orcas and even some bald eagles and stellar seals.
Tara_S, Jun 2024
This was amazing and we got to see 2 pods of Orcas with their babies, seals, Otters, Bald Eagles it was really amazing but bring a coat.
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Attractions in Seward, USA
- Iditarod National Historic Trail Tours & Tickets
- Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Tours & Tickets
- Bear Glacier Tours & Tickets
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- Kenai Fjords National Park Tours & Tickets
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