Snorkel Alaska

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At Snorkel Alaska, we aim to provide a comprehensive and accommodating experience with all of our adventures. Our resources are designed to keep you informed, prepared, and eager for the journey ahead. Whether you have questions about our tours, need information about payments, or want to learn more about us, we’ve gathered everything for you here. Dive in and explore!

FAQs

Curious about our snorkeling adventures? Find answers to our most frequently asked questions here, covering everything from tour details to safety protocols.

How To Pay

Making your payment is a breeze. Check out our hassle-free payment method and reserve a spot on one of our upcoming tours!

Blog

Stay updated with our latest adventures, get tips on snorkeling in Alaska, and read stories from our community with the Snorkel Alaska blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 7mm 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! It may be the highlight of your cruise.

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.

From the smallest barnacle to a massive Humpback Whale swimming by, 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 photos here were taken while snorkeling at Mountain Point.

Everything you need to snorkel safely and comfortably in our waters is included. We also provide roundtrip transportation from the downtown cruise ship docks. All guests are outfitted with full 7mm Harvey’s or SCUBAPRO wetsuits, hoods, boots, and gloves. We provide top-of-the-line Tusa & SCUBAPRO masks and Twin Jet fins. Prescription masks and optional weight belts 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.

Of course! You’re more than welcome to bring any or all of your own equipment, aside from your full-face mask. (They simply don’t seal well with a hood and the plastic lenses fog up profusely. Trust us — we’ve tried them many times.) But that’s a lot to pack for a cruise. While you certainly have the option of bringing your own gear, rest assured all of our gear is top-of-the-line and cleaned and sanitized after every tour.

We do highly recommend bringing along a camera or GoPro to capture this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yes, yes, yes! And we’re not the only ones saying it.

  • 7-time winner of the Princess Cruises Shore Excursion of the Year Award
  • 8 Snorkel Alaska tour guides have received the Princess Cruises Tour Guide of the Year Award
  • Winner of the 2009 Excellence in Tourism Award from the Ketchikan Visitor Bureau
  • Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Winner in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019
  • Trip Advisor Travelers Choice Award 2020

Our guests frequently remark that this was their favorite Shore Excursion of the cruise.

The Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure is 3 hours from start to finish. (For NCL guests and any ships docking at The Mill in Ward Cove, plan on 4 hours.) We guarantee you at least one hour in the water and up to an hour and 20 minutes depending on how quickly everyone gets into their wetsuits. Our shop is conveniently located 4 miles from town which is about a 10-minute bus ride. Mountain Point is another mile down the road. The rest of the time is spent changing, conducting safety briefings, and enjoying hot showers and cocoa after the tour. We also have a great selection of souvenir hats, T-shirts, and hoodies to choose from.

You should bring a towel, a swimsuit or shorts to wear under the wetsuit, and an extra pair of socks. The socks help the wetsuit slip on and off easier and also keep your feet a bit warmer. Remember to bring some cash or a credit card if you’d like to purchase a souvenir t-shirt, hat, or hoody. Also note that we do provide secure storage for all your belongings.

Participants must weigh between 80 and 260 pounds to ensure proper wetsuit fit. You should also be reasonably physically fit as the tour is rated most strenuous. (If you can’t find it difficult to walk one mile, then this tour may not be for you.) We snorkel from a rocky beach and current are almost always present, so the tour is not suitable for the elderly or guests with limited mobility. Our suggested age limit is 65 depending on your level of physical fitness.

Due to the strenuous nature of snorkeling in Alaska and in accordance with the guidelines established by The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Discover Snorkeling Program, we must deny participation for a variety of medical conditions. If you suffer from ANY form of heart condition past or present, minor or major, we are unfortunately unable to take you snorkeling. Heart conditions include but are not limited to murmurs, flutters, mitral-valve prolapse, angina, stints, pacemakers, defibrillators, bradycardia, tachycardia, congestive heart failure, valve replacement, bypass surgery, etc.  

We also must deny participation for major respiratory disorders like bronchitis, emphysema, COPD, exercise-induced asthma, etc. Lastly, if you have any past or present history of seizures or fainting, we are unable to take you snorkeling. Please accept our sincerest apologies if you have any of the above medical conditions. Your safety is always our number one priority.

If you are docking in downtown Ketchikan, you can book a tour time that is a minimum of 30 minutes after your ship’s published arrival time. The cruise ships are very punctual, so a 7:00 am arrival time means the gangways are set and you can disembark promptly at 7:00 am. Therefore, a 7:30 am tour time is perfectly doable. All tours meet and depart from the Ketchikan Liquid Sunshine Gauge located adjacent to the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau at Berth 2. There are 4 cruise ship docks in Ketchikan, all just a short walk to the Rain Gauge. Note that if your cruise ship does happen to be running late, we will wait for you.

If you are arriving on NCL or at The Mill at Ward Cove, you should allow a minimum of 1 hour to take the free shuttle bus to town. If your ship docks at 7:00 am, then an 8:00 am departure or later would be ideal.

We can 100% guarantee that you will not miss your ship! Our company owner, Fred Drake, has worked on cruise ships for 7 years and understands the importance of getting back to the ship on time. All of our tours are scheduled to give you plenty of time to snorkel, see the port of Ketchikan, and get back to your ship well before the posted sail away time.

Snorkel Alaska guarantees that you will get back to your ship on time, provided that all of the following requirements apply:

  • Your tour is scheduled to end no less than 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure time of your cruise ship. It is your responsibility to confirm your ship’s departure time prior to booking, in addition to re-confirming the ship’s itinerary on the day of the tour.
  • The delay in returning to the ship was due to no fault or action of your own.

In the event that you are not returned back to your cruise ship before it departs, Snorkel Alaska will cover up to USD $500 per person towards transportation and/or accommodation necessary for your travel to the next port of call. Receipts are required for reimbursement.

SCUBA diving here is extremely strenuous due to the additional equipment required for cold water, access to deep water, and the potential for strong currents. To dive safely in Alaska, you should have an Advanced Diver Certification, 100 logged dives, and extensive cold water diving experience. Snorkel Alaska does not offer SCUBA diving for these reasons.

How to Pay

Use Our Booking Software to Reserve Your Adventure 

Start your unforgettable Alaskan underwater journey with just a few clicks. Use our straightforward online system to pick your desired date from our interactive calendar. We book our adventures through FareHarbor, which offers secure payment options including credit, debit, and Google Pay.

For $179.99/person, enjoy our all-inclusive Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure. Need to change plans? No worries! We offer full refunds with a 24-hour notice. For a more private experience, contact us to ask about our private tours.

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Reviews

What Others Are Saying About Our Tours 

“Book now! You’ll love snorkeling in Alaska”

Great experience. The guides are wonderful. It’s amazing to see these bright purple and red starfish, urchins, and sea cucumbers. You will not be cold. The wet suits keep you nice and warm. I’m not the greatest of swimmers, but it was easy to swim around. The group size is small, so book early, and don’t miss out on a unique experience.

5 Stars

“Snorkel Alaska? Yes you can!!!”

Loved this so much! The owner/guide is amazing. He and the other guide made sure we all had a safe and great experience.

5 Stars

“Did someone say to snorkel in Alaska?”

It was a super cool trip! Even in Alaska….you can snorkel! We even had a surprise visit by an eagle! Excellent site seeing and an unforgettable time! Thank you for the amazing memories!

5 Stars

“Highlight of our Alaskan cruise”

Both Fred and Kurt went out of the way to make us comfortable in the Alaskan waters. The wet suit gear was spot on with the fitting and quality and that helped a ton with the experience. Lots of tips by our guides including both shallow and deeper sea snorkeling. Saw a to of sea anemones, star fish, smaller fish in the sea!

5 Stars

“Alaska, why not go snorkeling!”

The owner is super friendly and knows all of the underwater creatures by heart. He explained everything and showed us underwater life as he found it. You are VERY warm the entire time and it’s a great story to tell people afterwards!

5 Stars

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Snorkeling Adventure Now! 

Ready for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure? With Snorkel Alaska, experience the vibrant marine life, pristine waters, and the awe of nature up close. Join our expert diving guides and create unforgettable memories in the beautiful Alaskan ocean. 

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