Alaska’s Hidden Stop

Icy Strait Point was a mystery to us, even after watching several videos before the trip. The island offers whale watching, zip lines, gondola rides, a historic cannery, and more. Yet most of the videos focused heavily on the gondola, zip lines, and cannery without showing much else. We figured there might not be many activities our whole family could do together. Because of that, this became the port where my mom and I decided to try Icy Strait Point whale watching, an experience we had skipped on our first cruise.

Boarding the Keet

We had some concern about taking the little ones on the boat to go whale watching. Because of that, Dawn stayed behind with them while I went with my mom. Benson might have managed, but at three and a half years old he wouldn’t have understood or appreciated the experience. Molina would have been a handful, likely trying to climb on something or even reach for the water. Leaving them with my dad wasn’t realistic either, given his physical limitations.

We disembarked early from Radiance of the Seas and boarded the Keet at 8:30 in the morning. As we walked past another tour boat, the Huna Raven, I had a gut feeling I might have preferred to be on that one. Still, we found our seats inside the Keet and headed out. This was no slow pontoon boat, it was fast and sturdy, and it had space to move inside if you felt cold.

First Whale Sightings

As we left port and reached deeper waters, the captain slowed the boat and we spotted whales in the distance. Unfortunately, the Huna Raven pressed forward and soon had a closer view. I watched their passengers enjoying the show while I only managed distant shots of tails and spouts. Inside, I felt frustrated and disappointed, especially when I thought about the cost of the excursion. At that point, it felt no different than the whales I had already seen from the deck of Radiance.

Then everything changed. The captain suddenly called for everyone to sit down, opened the throttle, and steered us toward new waters. We entered Port Frederick and Neka Bay, where the day transformed into a once-in-a-lifetime Icy Strait Point whale watching experience.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Encounter

Our boat slowed to a standstill. Humpback whales surfaced much closer than we had seen earlier. They came together in a group, mouths wide open, feeding on krill and small fish. Seagulls gathered above the water, circling and diving at the very spots where the whales were about to rise.

Ironically, the boat I had envied earlier now watched from afar, while our group had the closest view. It was humbling to realize how lucky we were.

I debated taking video but worried about shaky quality and storage space. Instead, I kept shooting bursts with my digital camera. To my relief, the shots were incredible, and I captured moments I will never forget. Only after I felt satisfied did I switch to video.

Exploring Icy Strait Point

We returned to Radiance of the Seas and met Dawn and the kids for lunch at Windjammer before heading back out to explore the port. Together we tried the gondola, riding up and over to the other side of the island. Continuing farther would have cost another $50 per adult, and with a stroller, we weren’t sure how well the trails would work. Spending $200 or more to find out the stroller wouldn’t make it felt like too big a gamble, so we returned to the starting point and watched others glide down the mountain on the world’s largest zip line. Both Dawn and I wished we could have tried it.

The historic cannery offered a mix of museum and retail shops. It was an interesting way to preserve history while also using the space for visitors. Honestly, without the gondola and zip line, I doubt ships would stop here, and the cannery might have been lost to time.

An Unexpected Close Encounter

Later, back aboard Radiance, we tried to settle the kids for a nap. While standing out on our deck, I heard the loud and distinct sound of a whale’s blow. Looking down, I spotted a humpback surfacing close to the ship. Ironically, it was the closest I came to one the entire trip.

It was a fitting reminder that Icy Strait Point whale watching can surprise you both on and off the excursion boats.

For more travel inspiration and tips about exploring Alaska, visit travelalaska.com or alaska.org. To dive deeper into what Icy Strait Point offers, check out their official site for up-to-date details and excursions.

Stay tuned as we share more from our adventure at sea! To read about day four of my Alaska adventure, visit Day 4: 2025 Family Cruise to Alaska or Day 6: 2025 Family Cruise to Alaska. Also explore the whole story at 2025 Second Alaska Cruise.