Icy Strait
Icy Strait is a legendary body of water that connects the protected inside waters of Southeast Alaska to the open Pacific Ocean. The nutrient rich waters of Southeast Alaska make it one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. During the summer months, these abundant fjords become the ideal home and feeding ground for a large population of Humpback Whales. Humpbacks travel to the area every year after their winter breeding season in the warmer waters of Hawaii and Mexico. After navigating over 3000 miles, we often see the same individual humpbacks return to Icy Strait year after year.
Humpbacks aren’t the only wildlife in the area. Our trips often encounter Sea Lions, Seals, Porpoise, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Coastal Brown Bears along the shoreline, & our favorite – the awe inspiring Orca better known as the Killer Whale.
Captain Seth
Captain Seth has an extensive history running whale watching tours, tidewater glacier tours, & offshore fishing charters. He holds a 100 Ton USCG Master Captain’s License.
Seth first arrived in Alaska in 2012 while finishing his degree in Environmental Engineering. He quickly fell in love with Southeast Alaska and, after graduating college, spent several years captaining vessels in the area. Apart from nearly a decade of whale watching experience, Seth’s Alaskan resumé includes sport fishing for salmon and halibut, commercial crab fishing, and captaining long range boat charters into Tracy Arm Ford’s Terror Wilderness where he would navigate guests through the floating ice up to the face of the tidewater glaciers.
In 2019, Seth was given the unique opportunity to live and work on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Research Vessel. Seth spent about a year and a half offshore conducting various types of research for NOAA centered around Marine Mammals and Fisheries.
In 2020, with NOAA ships forced back to port and the absence of tourism in Alaska due to the pandemic, Seth ventured down to the Florida Keys. During that time, Seth began running charters along the Florida Everglades where he was able to continue his love of showing guests the local environment and marine wildlife. Also while in the Keys, Seth was fortunate enough to work with some of the best offshore fishing outfits in the world, running charters out of Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon.
Now with tourism back up and running Seth has returned to his forever home of Southeast Alaska doing what he loves and sharing his favorite body of water, Icy Strait, with you.