The best way to see the Kenai Fjords National Park and view wildlife is on a boat tour, as much of its rugged terrain and glaciers are inaccessible in any other way. Eric, the captain of the boat we took with Renown Tours took us out for a day at sea, where we saw some truly amazing wildlife. We had just been riding with Bree in the Seward area.
Most of the boat tours take the good part of a day, so you want to be prepared just in case the seas get rough. I took motion sickness medication just in case, since I do spend most of my life on land. The tour took us through Resurrection Bay and to the Pacific. The waters can be rough, but we lucked out with relatively smooth seas.
We cruised to the massive Holgate Glacier. It calved twice while we sat in the waters nearby. Calving is when giant chunks of ice fall off of the edge of the glacier. This glacier moves pretty quickly each day, in glacier terms. It sounded like Fourth of July fireworks when part of it feel into the water.
I talked to Eric on the boat, as well as a national park ranger, who briefed us on the geology of the area. We saw humpback whales, orcas (killer whales), tons of puffin, stellar sea lions, eagles, black legged kitty weights and porpoises. The porpoises had a baby with them that Captain Eric said was only hours old. The other porpoises in the pod were helping lift the porpoise to the surface to help it learn to rise and take a breath. It was truly amazing as it was right beside our boat. The park ranger said that not a lot of people get to see this. It was something that he had never seen before.
The whales were right beside the boat too, blowing water and showing their tails once in a while. I would definitely recommend hopping on a boat while on the Kenai. It was nothing like I have ever seen before. Definitely once in a lifetime.
Learn more about Equitrekking on PBS and the Equitrekking episodes on DVD and learn about exceptional equestrian vacations that you and your non-riding companions can take in Alaska at EquitrekkingTravel.com.