Meares Glacier and Wildlife Cruise from Valdez

About This Experience

Meares Glacier is the counterpoint to Columbia. Where Columbia is retreating fast enough that its face has pulled back behind a shoal of ice, Meares is one of the few glaciers in the region still advancing — and the boat can get close to its active face.

That distance costs time. The 7.5-hour cruise runs north out of Port Valdez, past the oil terminal and the waterfalls of the coastal wall, and up into Unakwik Inlet — deeper into Prince William Sound than the Columbia trip goes. The return docks in Valdez around five in the afternoon.

At the glacier the boat holds position and simply waits. Meares calves regularly, and the wait is the point: ice breaking off an advancing face, with the report reaching you a second after the fall. Lunch is served as the boat leaves the glacier behind.

On the way back the route passes a Steller sea lion haulout, where the animals pile onto the rocks. Along the rest of the trip the crew watch for sea otters, Dall's porpoise, humpback whales, orcas, puffins and bald eagles.

Between the two Stan Stephens cruises, this is the one to choose if an active calving face matters more to you than the extra ninety minutes ashore in Valdez.

Highlights

• Meares Glacier — one of the few advancing tidewater glaciers in the region
• The boat holds position at an active calving face
• Deep into Unakwik Inlet, further into the Sound than the Columbia route
• A Steller sea lion haulout on the return leg
• Humpbacks, orcas, otters, porpoise, puffins and eagles along the way
• Bagel snack, late lunch and a dinner roll included

What's Included

• ✓ 7.5-hour glacier and wildlife cruise
• ✓ Morning bagel snack, a late lunch and a dinner roll
• ✓ Coffee, tea, lemonade and water
• ✓ Onboard guide and a multilingual map

Not Included

• Gratuities
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Anything bought from the snack bar or gift shop

What to Bring

• Warm clothing and a windproof jacket — this is the longest time on the water of any cruise here
• Rain gear; the cruise runs rain or shine
• Long trousers and closed-toe shoes
• Binoculars, a camera and a charged phone
• Sunglasses and sunscreen for glare off the ice
• Cash for the snack bar or crew tips

Good to Know & Caveats

• This tour takes place rain or shine.
• The dock is reached by a ramp that can be steep depending on the tide; boarding assistance is available.
• Drones are not permitted.
• The boat returns to Valdez at around 5:00 pm — plan onward travel accordingly.
• Valdez is roughly 300 road miles from Anchorage, or a short scheduled flight.

Meeting Point

Stan Stephens Cruises' office in Valdez — park along North Harbor Drive and walk in front of the Best Western hotel to the small building on pilings above the tour dock.