Photographing Wildlife from a Cruise Ship

While traveling through the Inside Passage on our Alaskan cruise, there were endless opportunities to experience the wildlife both in the water and along the shoreline. One of the unexpected advantages of the trip was how much wildlife could be seen directly from the ship itself.

Having access to our balcony gave us a great place to quietly watch the scenery pass by while keeping an eye out for animals. Our cruise ship also allowed access to the bow during parts of the journey, which turned out to be one of the best wildlife viewing locations onboard. Whenever the bow was open, a member of the crew would often help spot animals and make announcements over the loudspeaker so passengers could quickly look in the right direction.

One memorable example happened when the crew member pointed toward a rocky mountainside and said, “Look for the white dots on the mountain — those are mountain goats.” At first it was almost impossible to spot them with the naked eye. Having a good pair of binoculars proved incredibly helpful for locating wildlife in the distance before trying to photograph it. Here is a link to the Vortex Diamondback 8×42 binoculars we used for the trip.

Here is a photo showing what the scene looked like with the natural eye.

Next is a zoomed-in version where you can just begin to make out the small white dots scattered across the mountainside.

Look for the 3 white dots to the left of the patches of snow

Finally, with the reach of my Canon RF 200–800mm lens, I was able to capture detailed photos of the mountain goats high on the cliffs.

Mother and her kid

Eagles were another constant sight throughout the cruise. We saw bald eagles every single day, often perched along the shoreline or circling overhead. In one location, several eagles were gathered near the water fishing along the shore.

There were about 10 eagles fishing this area

Eagle standing watch of an iceberg in Glacier Bay

At another point during the trip, a crew member spotted a brown bear walking the shoreline nearly a mile away from the ship. Even at that distance, the long lens allowed me to capture a series of photos of the bear as it moved along the coast.

Sea otters were found everywhere. Here is a photo of a sea otter with her young otter on her stomach as they swam the waters.

The Arctic terns were nesting on the mountain cliffs after their long migration from the Antarctic Circle. They make a a round-trip journey of about 20,000 miles every year.

Finally, while transiting toward Glacier Bay, excitement spread across the ship when a pod of orcas was spotted surfacing in the distance. Watching them move gracefully through the cold Alaskan waters was an unforgettable experience and a perfect ending to an incredible wildlife journey through Alaska.