Types of Whales You Will See While Whale Watching in Sitka
If you are interested in wildlife, sea creatures, and whale watching, Alaska is the perfect place for you to visit. Whether you’re hoping to get a glimpse of Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Stellar Sea Lions, Puffins, or different kinds of whales, a whale watching tour will help you achieve that.
There are many different kinds of whales you might see in Sitka. The most common kinds are the Humpback Whale, the Orca Whale, and the Grey Whale. You might also spot the Beluga Whale, the Blue Whale, the Bowhead, the Bottlenose, the Minke, and the Sperm Whale.
Let’s take a more detailed look at the different kinds of whales in Sitka, Alaska:
Humpback Whale
Humpback Whales are of the larger species of whales and can grow between 12 to 16 meters in length. These whales have a distinctive shape, with their dark and long pectoral fins, knobby heads, and large tails. Humpbacks are most popular with whale watchers because they often breach the water’s surface while they hunt.
Orca Whale
Orcas, or more commonly referred to “the killer whales,” are beautiful whales with distinctive black and white coloring found in every ocean in the world. Orcas are very intelligent, social animals and have distinctive hunting behaviors that they pass down for generations. An average Orca is between 6 and 8 meters long and weighs 6 tonnes.
Grey Whale
Grey Whales are grey in color, have smaller heads, can usually be seen with barnacles and white whale lice covering their bodies. Grey Whales take huge gulps of water along the bottom of the ocean and sieve plankton, krill, and other small food through the water. They usually go to Sitka in the summers because of the nutrient-rich waters.
Beluga Whale
Beluga Whales are much smaller than other whales, are pure white, have no dorsal fins, and have large, round heads. These whales can live up to 30 years and reach their full size of 5 meters at 10 years old. They eat common marine species like salmon, shrimp, cod, mussels, and more.
Blue Whale
Blue Whales have long and slender bodies, are usually blue or grey in color, and have lighter coloring on the undersides of their bodies. They can grow up to 30 meters in length and weigh 200 tonnes. You’ll usually see a blue whale on its own or in a small group. Blue Whales almost became extinct in the 19th century until hunting them was banned. They are still considered an endangered species.
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead Whales are named after their large triangular skulls. Their heads are shaped in the particular way they are because they use their heads to break through sea ice up to 7 inches thick so that they can come up to the surface to breathe. Bowhead Whales are some of the longest living animals on Earth and can live up to 200 years.
Bottlenose Whale
Bottlenose Whales are best known for their incredible diving abilities. They can dive to depths of over 2000 meters and remain underwater for 130 minutes. The whales have large foreheads, small beaks, and smaller dorsal fins. Their bodies are a medium grey color with lighter undersides.
Minke Whale
Minke Whales have the largest population of any whale species and are still hunted in Japan and Norway. They are somewhat medium in size, smaller than Humpback Whales but larger than Orcas. These whales can swim extremely fast, up to 20 miles per house, and are very quick to submerge underwater.
Sperm Whale
The Sperm Whale, also known as the Cachalot, is the largest toothed whale globally. A fully grown Sperm Whale can grow up to 16 meters in length, and its head makes up one-third of its full body length. The whales are dark blue or grey with lighter patches on their underside.
Sitka Whale Watch – Whale Watching, Sitka, AK
Sitka Whale Watch is the perfect place to find affordable whale watching tours. Whether it is your first time visiting Sitka or you’ve been here before, our whale watching tour can help you experience the Sitka wildlife in a whole new way.
Visit our website to book your tour now, or give us a call at +1 (907) 738-7311 for more information and get ready for some incredible whale watching in Alaska.
