IS THERE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?
Yes, Whittier is at the end of a one-way, shared tunnel. In fact it is the longest highway tunnel in north America at 2.5 miles. This is a one-way tunnel, shared with the railroad. The tunnel opens on the half hour coming into Whittier and goes out of Whittier on the hour. It is open for 15 minutes each way. I.e., into Whittier at 8:30-8:45… Out 9:00-9:15…
There is a $13 dollar toll for the tunnel.
There is no cell service once you get on the Portage Road until you go through the tunnel, so it is important to be on time. If you miss your designated tunnel, it is 45 minutes before the next tunnel and you may miss your departure or stand by time may be charged.
For more information:
See Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel schedule here- https://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml.
WHAT IS THE ROAD TO WHITTIER LIKE:
The Seward Highway between Anchorage and Whittier is a well traveled 2-4 lane highway. It is actually a National Scenic By Way, with Turnagain Arm on one side and Chugach Mountains on the other.
*DIRECTIONS: (from Anchorage) Take the Seward Highway south, and exit on to the Whittier Access/Portage Glacier Road (will be a left hand turn at milepost 78.1). This 10 mile road will take you to staging area (past Portage Lake) to enter the tunnel.
Once you exit the tunnel you have arrived in Whittier. Drive straight into town, do not make any turns -keeping the small boat harbor on your left- until you get to the (only) stop sign. At the stop sign make a sweeping left-hand turn and park in front of our Lazy Otter Cafe/shop. Once you check in we’ll let you know where to park for the day
SUMMER – expect construction and give your self at least 30 minutes extra drive time
WINTER – expect winter driving conditions. Recommended to have an all wheel drive vehicle.
TIPS, GRATUITIES, APPRECIATIONS:
Many folks have asked us about gratuity for the crew and some guidance of what is customary. We know and appreciate that tipping is very personal. The crew onboard consists of a Captain on the smaller boats and Captain and Deckhand on the larger boats. Any tips received are split evenly between them. In general, the recommended gratuity for a full day cruise is $10-20 per day, per person, and $5-10 per day, per person for a water taxi.
Tips are not expected, but they are appreciated!
BABY ITS COLD OUT THERE:
Any adventure on the water is going to be 10-20 degrees cooler than on shore. Our mantra in Alaska is “dress in layers.” Fleece is your friend and waterproof is fool proof. Even if it is not raining your waterproof coat acts as a wind breaker. Thing is the more comfortable you are, the more time you will spend outside enjoying the sights, sounds and fresh Alaska air.
Shoes are equally important. Closed toe, good sole and water resistant is what we recommend for sightseeing. For our March and April cruises – snow boots are in order -warm and waterproof.
Our watertaxi and sightseeing go rain or shine. Prince William Sound is a temperate rainforest, so you should expect rain – then your never disappointed. The precipitation in our area is what gives us all the glaciers and spectacular water falls.
The areas we travel in Prince William Sound are pretty protected so we rarely have to worry about rough seas. We are very cognizant of the weather. If there is bad weather, at the Captains discretion, we may cancel or reroute the tour. If we cancel the tour we will reschedule or refund.
CAN I INSTAGRAM AT THE GLACIER:
There is very little cell service once you depart from Whittier. We recommend you plan to “unplug” for few hours. Take the opportunity to set your phone down and really experience true wilderness I’m telling you there’s nothing like it. You may want to consider bringing cameras to capture the vivid colors of a deep blue glacier and the vibrate green-blue of the ocean, and fuzzy gray face of the sea otter. We do have outlets for recharging onboard. Once you get back to your hotel – then go social media crazy – in fact include us at:
HOW CAN WE ECO ADVENTURE?
Lazy Otter Charters has been awarded the Adventure Green Certification, which means we work to be as environmentally conscious as we can. With our waste, with our interactions with wildlife, and with our contributions to organizations that help protect Prince William Sound.
Please bring a refillable water bottle to help us reduce single use plastic – bonus the water in Whittier has won national awards, seriously Award-Winning Whittier Water!
Organizations we work with:
Prince William Sound Regional Citizen Advisory Council
Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation
Prince William Sound Science Center
Alaska Sea Life Center
Adventure Green Alaska
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?
Lunch is included on all sightseeing tours. The lunch includes: sandwich of choice (ham, turkey, roast beef or veggie) on ciabatta bread, fresh baked cookies, Alaska Chips, trail mix, and fruit. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and water available all day.
We can accommodate most special dietary needs if we are notified in advance.
IS THIS SEAT TAKEN?
We do not offer a children’s rate. We have so few seats to sell all seat fares are the same.
Children 3 and under are not charged, but must be accounted for in the total passenger count.
The sightseeing tours have a minimum of 4 on the High Velocity (comfortably accommodate up to 6 passengers) and 15 on the Voyager (comfortably accommodate up to 27 passengers). If you are a party of less than the minimum you can book the boat exclusive, or we may match you with other like-minded travelers.
Water taxi is based on a per mile rate, for up to 6 people, each way. If there are more than 6 people, then it is a per person rate. The High Velocity can accommodate up to 6 passenger and the Qayaq Chief up to 22 passengers/ 18 with kayaks.
As far as pets go – only register Service dogs are allowed onboard the sightseeing vessels. Advance notice is required.
Dogs are allowed on the water taxi, but must not be allowed on the seats. Advance notice is required
IF WE HAVEN’T ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION HERE, DON’T HESITATE TO CALL.
We are happy to chat to fill in details before or after you book.