#1) True Sea Star A Fascinating Marine Invertebrate Introduction The true sea star, often simply called a “starfish,” is a remarkable marine animal found in oceans around the world. Despite its common name, the true sea star is not a fish but an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars. Noted for their…
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Explore & Learn with the Snorkel Alaska Blog
Top 5 Shore Excursions in Alaska
Snorkel Alaska founder Fred Drake has lived in Alaska since 1999. Prior to that he spent 7 years working on board Norwegian Cruise Line with 3 summers cruising Alaska. As part of the Shore Excursions Team he was afforded the opportunity to partake in all the best Shore Excursions. NCL Pioneered the Mountain Point Snorkeling…
Top 5 Reasons to Go Snorkeling with Snorkel Alaska in Ketchikan
Discover the Wonders Beneath Alaska’s Crystal-Clear Waters Alaska may conjure images of icy glaciers and rugged, snow-capped mountains, but beneath the surface of its pristine coastal waters lies a world as vibrant and surprising as any tropical reef. In Ketchikan, the “Salmon Capital of the World,” adventure seekers can experience this hidden world firsthand with…
Snorkeling? In This Weather?
An unlikely adventure into the waters of Ketchikan, Alaska. Introduction While standing on the cruise ship docks with my Snorkel Alaska sign waiting to greet my guests I am often met with the phrase, “Snorkeling???, in this weather!!! And my reply is always the same. “ABSOLUTELY! It’s warmer in the water!” And then I go…
From Pool Games to Ocean Adventures: The Journey of Fred Drake, Master of the Deep
Fred Drake’s love for the water began when he was about 4 years old. Growing up in Connecticut, summer days were spent at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, CT. That is where he learned to swim and right from the start, he was a fish. The pool had a swim team, but Fred…
What to Expect on Your First Snorkeling Adventure in Alaska
The Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure is an all-inclusive Shore Excursion located in Ketchikan, Alaska. We provide everything you need to snorkel safely and comfortably in our waters. From roundtrip transportation in the comfort of our high-top Ford Transit Van to our heated dressing rooms and state of the art wetsuits we insure you will not…
Cruising Alaska: Insider Tips from Industry Veteran Fred Drake
Team Snorkel Alaska had the honor of hosting YouTubers ParoDeeJay back in June of 2024. Jay and his wife Dee have some 75,000 followers on YouTube and have posted close to 2000 videos! They are frequent cruisers to all sorts of destinations around the world and they have cruised on many different cruise lines. Their…
PODCAST: Chilling with Marine Life – Cold Water Snorkeling in Alaska
In this episode, Reet interviews Fred Drake, founder of Snorkel Alaska, about the unique experience of snorkeling in a cold water environment like Ketchikan, compared to the tropical locations that we often associate with snorkeling.
Team Snorkel Alaska Touched Down in the Maldives March of 2023
From Alaska all the way to the Maldives with a stop over in Germany to break up the flights. The Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is an amazing all inclusive, adults only resort situated on Kooddoo Island in the Southern Maldives. We were greeted with warm hospitality, amazing food and drink and an over water bungalow…
Freediving is a Fun Way to Explore More of Underwater Alaska!
Snorkel Alaska offers optional weightbelts for those who are looking for an extra adventure while snorkeling at Mountain Point. Our wetsuits are extremely buoyant so they make you float like a cork. It is literally like wearing a full body lifejacket. Thanks to all that positive buoyancy we can take people who can’t even swim! …