Sounds crazy doesn't it? The snorkeling in Alaska is amazing. Alaska's intertidal zone provides a rich assortment of plants and animals to view. We provide full quarter inch wetsuits with a hood, boots and gloves to keep you warm while in the water. Wetsuits keep you warm by filling with a thin layer of water which heats up to body temperature in just a few minutes time. Don't miss this once in a lifetime experience!
HOW COLD IS THE WATER?
The average summer water temperature is 55 degrees fahrenheit on the surface. Surface temperatures fluctuate between a low of 45 degrees in the spring and a high of 65 degrees in mid-summer.
WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?
From the smallest barnacle to the giant Sunflower Star, you'll see a wide variety of colorful creatures. Our website offers just a small glimpse of Alaska's intertidal marine life. All of the photo's were taken while snorkeling at Mountain Point.
Sunflower Star
Spiny Pink Star
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Everything you need to snorkel safely in Alaska is included. We provide roundtrip transportation from your ship. All guests are outfitted with 1/4" Harvey's or Scubapro wetsuits. We provide top of the line Tusa & Scubapro masks and Twin Jet fins. Prescription masks and optional weightbelts for freediving are also available. You will receive complete instruction, in water supervision and a one hour guided marine life tour conducted by our experienced guides. Beginners are always welcome! Hot beverages and water are also included.
WHY USE WETSUITS NOT DRYSUITS?
A wetsuit is truly the best way to Snorkel in Alaska for a number of reasons. A wetsuit protects a diver by trapping a thin layer of water inside the suit. This water is then heated by the divers body to body temperature. Our guests are amazed how comfortable they are during the tour. Drysuits keep water out and to remain warm the diver must wear suitable undergarments to keep warm. Generally this is a thick fleece jumpsuit. A drysuit combined with the jumpsuit is much bulkier and less streamlined than a wetsuit. This requires greater effort to move through the water than when wearing a wetsuit. Also if a drysuit develops a leak you no longer stay warm and will have to exit the water. Leaks can be caused by poor fit, improperly maintained seals or more commonly from sitting or kneeling on the rocks, barnacles or other sharp features so common to Alaskan waters.
The last reason we like to snorkel in a wetsuit is for the ability to freedive. Freediving or breath hold diving is a great way to get closer to our marine life by holding your breath and swimming underwater. This can be accomplished with the addition of a weightbelt and a sense of adventure. Drysuits are not suitable for freediving so you are stuck on the surface of the water. If you were to freedive in a drysuit the air inside the suit compresses and the suit then sucks on to your body. This can cause painful welts on your skin unless air is added to the suit with SCUBA gear. Many of our guests enjoy the thrill of joining one of our guides for a freedive down the wall at Mountain Point. It's quite exhilarating to dive down 10, 20 or even 30 feet and beyond on a single breath of air. The bottom of the wall is at about 100 feet! You'll feel like an astronaut suspended over the depths hovering weightless. Our staff are all accomplished freedivers and are eager to provide you with pointers and helpful tips. Try freediving in a drysuit and you'll agree that wetsuits are the way to go.
DO YOU OFFER SCUBA DIVING?
Diving here is fairly strenuous due to the additional equipment required for cold water, access to deep water and potential for strong currents. To dive safely in Alaska we require that you have Advanced Diver certification and previous cold water experience. Please refer to our SCUBA page for more information about SCUBA diving tours.
