Glacier Bay Humpback Whale Breaching Alaska Travel Magnet

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, located in southeast Alaska, is a breathtaking wilderness of towering glaciers, deep fjords, snow-capped peaks, and rich marine life. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is accessible mainly by boat or cruise ship, offering visitors a front-row seat to one of the most pristine and dramatic landscapes on Earth. The bay itself is constantly changing—massive tidewater glaciers calve into the icy waters, sending thunderous echoes across the fjords. The nutrient-rich environment created by this glacial melt supports a diverse ecosystem, making Glacier Bay not just a scenic wonder, but also a vibrant hub for wildlife. Among the most spectacular of Glacier Bay’s seasonal residents are the humpback whales. These gentle giants migrate thousands of miles from their breeding grounds in Hawaii or Mexico to Alaska's cooler waters during the summer months (typically May through September) to feed. Glacier Bay provides an ideal feeding ground, rich in krill and small fish. Visitors frequently see humpbacks breaching, tail-slapping, and even performing bubble-net feeding—a coordinated behaviour where they trap schools of fish in spirals of bubbles before lunging upward to swallow them. Watching a 40-tonne whale leap out of the water with snow-capped mountains in the background is an unforgettable highlight of any trip to Glacier Bay.