Old Timer, a male first photographed in 1972, was spotted in July 2024 near Alaska, enduring in the Pacific Ocean while some other humpbacks have struggled in a changing environment.
The humpback whale Old Timer, was spotted by Dr. Adam Pack on July 29, 2024, in Frederick Sound in Southeast Alaska aboard the M/V Northern Song with Alaska Sea Adventures on the annual Focus on Whales yacht cruise.
Adam Pack/NOAA Research Permit 26953 aboard the M/V Northern Song had eight guests, along side Captain Harley Ethelbah spotting and helping to document whales for his research to take back to the The Whale & Dolphin Institute.
Bulletin Board on the M/V Northern Song
A humpback whale’s tail is as unique as a fingerprint. The lobes, or flukes, at the end of the tail have scalloped edges that vary from whale to whale; the undersides feature distinct black-and-white patterns that mark a whale for life. You can see a photograph aboard the M/V Northern Song that showcases many of the different unique patterns.
When Adam A. Pack, a marine mammal researcher at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, was photographing whales in Alaska’s Frederick Sound in July, he photographed the whale and then submitted the photograph to Happy Whale to verify its identification.
Happy Whale is a unique artificial intelligence tool to capture whale patterns where they travel to, and who last spotted them.
Artificial intelligence-powered photo-matching algorithms help automatically identify the whales in submitted photos, aiding scientists in the field or others who need to look up previous sightings of a given animal.
“Happywhale has revolutionized our field and has made large-scale collaborations possible,” Dr. Pack said.
Dr. Pack was elated that evening to find out that his old friend “Old Timer” was alive as he was first spotted in 1972.
Old Timer is a male of at least 53 years, making him “the oldest known humpback whale in the world,” said Dr. Pack, who is also the co-founder and president of The Whale & Dolphin Institute.
Old Timer History
Dr. Pack had worried about Old Timer: The last time he had seen the whale, in 2015, was in the middle of a record-breaking, years long heat wave. Scores of seabirds and marine mammals, including humpback whales, died.
But after nine years, he saw with his eyes that Old Timer was still alive!
“It was heartwarming because I realized it wasn’t just the old whales who were perishing,” Dr. Pack said. “Some of them were resilient.”
Historically, tracking the whereabouts of the whales has been done the hard way: by scientists using their own eyes to compare new fluke photos with old ones. But future studies of Old Timer and other humpbacks of all ages are set to be accelerated with artificial intelligence. And Dr. Pack hopes it will help him learn how, and why, some whales can withstand harsh conditions.
Multiple humpback populations dwell in the North Pacific. Old Timer is part of a population that spends winters breeding in the waters around Hawaii and summers in southeastern Alaska, filling up on fish and tiny shrimp like animals known as krill or herring. These humpbacks have been the subject of an ongoing scientific study, which began in 1976 when a marine mammal researcher, Louis Herman, began photographing the whales and their distinctive flukes.
Dr. Herman conducted annual surveys, amassing an enormous collection of tail pictures that allowed scientists to keep tabs on individual whales over the course of their lifetimes. These fluke photos, which now number more than 30,000, have provided new insight into the lives of whales, from their migration patterns to their social behaviors.
“It’s one of the longest ongoing scientific studies of humpback whales in the world,” said Dr. Pack, one of Dr. Herman’s former students and colleagues and now leader of the whale project.
Dr. Adam Pack Documenting Whales on the “Focus on Whales” Cruise 2024
Earlier this year, Mr. Cheeseman, Dr. Pack and dozens of other researchers used Happywhale’s image recognition tool to estimate humpback whale abundance in the North Pacific from 2002 through 2021. Initially, the population boomed, climbing to about 33,500 whales in 2012.
But then it dropped sharply. This population decline coincided with the severe marine heat wave when Dr. Pack last spotted Old Timer. It lasted from 2014 to 2016 and slashed the supply of fish and krill. “There’s a lot more we want to learn about the event, but it is quite clear: warmer waters mean food is less available overall, and what is available is more dispersed and deeper,” Mr. Cheeseman said in an email.
The Hawaii humpback population was especially hard hit, falling 34 percent from 2013 to 2021. Although there had been some sightings of Old Timer reported after 2015, Dr. Pack was excited to finally set eyes on the whale himself. That excitement soon gave way to curiosity: Why had Old Timer survived when so many others had perished?
Now, Dr. Pack is hoping to dive deeper himself, with the help of Happywhale. He plans to investigate how humpbacks survived the lean years and whether there are any discernible patterns. Could Old Timer’s age have been an advantage?
“It is possible that Old Timer’s been around enough to be adaptable when certain food resources are limited,” Dr. Pack said.
The idea remains speculative, and it is not yet clear whether Old Timer was the exception or the rule. “How many whales like Old Timer were resilient to this devastation of marine resources?” he said.
Overall, it was a fabulous Alaskan cruise, spotting over 200 whales in 8 days, witnessing countless amounts of bubble-feeding, and seeing Old Timer!
Bubble-net Feeding
This article should be credited to Emily Anthes is a science reporter for the New York Times, writing primarily about animal health and science. Additional information was reported by local Alaskan Captain Harley Ethelbah with Alaska Sea Adventures, who has been cruising the Inside Passage for over 40 years.
Dr. Adam Pack & Captain Harley Ethelbah
There are two annual Focus on Whales cruises aboard the M/V Northern Song in July. They are heavily focused on the Inside Passage and whales, but there are many other incredible sites to experience, including glaciers, bears, hot springs, and incredible cuisine. Learn how to hop aboard a whale cruise with whale and dolphin scientist Dr. Adam Pack and experience his incredible work at Alaska Sea Adventures!
This is the ultimate adventure for whale and dolphin enthusiasts.
What is the difference between a large Holland America cruise to Glacier Bay in Alaska versus a small 8-10 passenger yacht cruise through Southeast Alaska, and which one is right for you?
Here, we dive into why take an Alaskan cruise, what makes each unique, and how much an Alaskan cruise costs so you can choose what experience you’re looking for!
Large Alaskan Cruise Ships
The larger Alaskan cruise ships, like Holland America, are approximately 780 feet long and carry 1,500-2,000 people per cruise.
The larger ships offer many amenities, including multiple dining options, theaters, casinos, onboard shopping, spas, pools, and fitness centers. These cruise ships feel like a city with a bustling, energetic atmosphere and live entertainment with many activities and options onboard and a view from your deck.
How much does an Alaskan cruise cost?
These large cruise ships can be more economical due to the large number of people aboard, and they can be an excellent option for budget-conscious travelers. The prices can start at $1,000 to $5,000+ per person for 7 to 10 days.
Your shore excursions are booked separately, so an additional cost depends on your interests and what you want to experience in the ports. Some activities include whale watching, fishing for a halibut, town tours, or shopping. These ships give you a more traditional cruise experience focused on the boat’s features and the onboard activities versus adventure.
These large Alaskan cruise ships, like Holland America, will stop in major ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, or Skagway for your day excursions. These towns often have five large ships daily in port; therefore can get entirely inundated with travelers. The number of travelers can sometimes exceed the actual number of residents. In 2020, the population in Ketchikan, Alaska, was 13,948.
Where does a large cruise ship depart and return to?
These ships can leave from Vancouver, BC, Canada, Seattle, Washington, or Seward, Alaska, and cruise to Southeast Alaska.
What is the cuisine like on an Alaskan cruise ship?
These larger ships tend to have multiple dining options, including local cuisines, upscale fine dining restaurants, casual, more buffet-style restaurants, or international options such as Italian, Asian, or French-flavored dishes. There are several ethnicities and experiences to choose from.
Let’s compare a smaller Alaskan cruise to see what makes the most sense for you!
Smaller Alaskan Yacht Cruise
A smaller wooden boat or yacht cruise may carry 6-20 passengers, and the approximate length is 85 -120 feet.
Since yacht cruises naturally have fewer passengers, this leads to less congestion in public areas and when heading ashore for excursions. These smaller Alaskan cruises may not stop at the large ports. They are focused on finding more unique rugged highlights or the locals favorite stops throughout the Inside Passage.
How much does an Alaskan yacht cruise cost?
The smaller boats or yacht cruises are generally more expensive due to the smaller number of passengers, the higher level of service with crew, and the more intimate adventures in the region. These Alaskan yacht cruises can range from $6,000 to $12,000 per person for 8 days, or if you wanted the entire boat, this could average $60,000 – $70,000 for 8 days for 6-12 passengers. This is a fabulous way to gather your friends and family and plan your cruise based on your Alaskan bucket list and what you want to see.
Typically, these costs include the excursions, as they are the focus of the adventures aboard the boat!
The smaller yacht cruises focus on a more immersive and adventurous experience. They may take you out on side trips, kayaking, or a tender boat into the local areas’ hidden gems.
In Southeast Alaska, US Forest Service Permits are required in these remote areas. Cruise ships cannot put people on the beaches without permits or travel in certain regions. The limited number of permits helps to manage the number of boats and preserve the rugged naturalness that makes Alaska so special. The passenger doesn’t typically pay anything additional for the licenses, but each yacht charter may charge differently. It isn’t like a day excursion fee. So, it can be important when choosing a cruise to ensure your yacht charter has many licenses for the areas you may want to explore in Southeast Alaska or Glacier Bay.
Smaller cruises can also visit more unique destinations that larger ships cannot access due to the size of their boat. That inlet or bay just may not be deep enough. Petersburg, Alaska, is a community of Norwegian folks made up of commercial fishing, and this is one of those ports the large boats can not get into due to the size of the Wrangell Narrows. They can’t get through there due to the depths and narrow passage.
These smaller yacht charters will visit more rural ports and destinations like Petersburg, Kake, Baranof Warm Springs, Le Conte Glacier, or Five Finger Lighthouse, which are areas that the larger ships can’t get into. These small villages and local highlights make Alaska rich in culture and adventure!
Some of the activities you might experience aboard a yacht charter are:
- Whale watching for humpback whales or killer whales
- Spotting wildlife such as bears, porpoises, sea otters, seals, deer, or moose
- Visit a sea lion rookery
- Bald eagles and many other birds
- Soak in a hot spring
- Fishing for halibut, salmon, shrimp, or crab
- Lighthouses
- Hiking to waterfalls or beach-combing
Le Conte Glacier is the southernmost tidewater glacier in the Northern Hemisphere and not a destination for large ships. Le Conte Glacier is located 25 miles from Petersburg and is a favorite due to all the caving ice.
Travelers get an up-close view of the large icebergs in Le Conte Bay
Soaking in Baranof Warm Springs
Hidden Falls, also known as the bear hatchery. Hidden Falls Hatchery is one of the largest salmon hatcheries in the Baranof Island region in Southeast Alaska. It‘s renowned for its substantial contribution to the local fishing industry, releasing millions of salmon fry annually. We call it the bear hatchery, as the bears show up to feed on the salmon. These are some well-fed brown bears!
Hidden Falls Hatchery
This off-the-beaten-path, hidden local gems are the experiences you can expect to adventure into on a smaller, locally captained yacht cruise.
So, if you have an adventurous spirit, this is an incredible way to experience Southeast Alaska and truly a lifetime trip!
Where does a private yacht charter start?
They typically start in Southeast Alaska in Juneau, Petersburg, or Ketchikan. This gives you more time in the local area to explore versus traveling long distances on the boat at a time and just viewing the scenery.
What is the cuisine like on an Alaskan yacht cruise?
A yacht cruise is a smaller, more intimate dining experience, so typically, everyone eats together in a family style. This can be a great way to chat with the Captain or local crew and learn more about the region, their local experiences, and the history firsthand.
As you know, Alaska has an incredible abundance of seafood, so you may experience wild Alaskan salmon, freshly caught halibut, King or Dungeness crab, rockfish, clams, or even glacier ice in your cocktails! The onboard chef will typically accommodate food requests such as gluten-free or vegetarian.
Fresh Alaskan Halibut – Alaska Sea Adventures
Conclusion
Ultimately, your best choice depends on your budget, personal preference for how you want to experience Alaska and priorities. If you are looking for a more traditional cruise experience with a wide range of amenities and onboard activities, with the boat more of the experience, a large cruise ship may be a good option. You will see many of these large boats cruising into Glacier Bay and can sit back and enjoy the scenery and have the entertainment of a big ship!
If you are looking for a more intimate and adventurous Alaskan experience, you can tailor to your Alaskan bucket list, getting up close to the face of the glaciers, wanting to experience all the wildlife such as whales, sea otters, and bald eagles, cruising through the fjord’s, some fishing, and no schedule so you can linger on that pod of whales breaching and exploring the rugged outdoors, then a small boat cruise would be the choice for you!
Alaska Sea Adventures – M/V Northern Song and a Float Plane Ride
Alaska Sea Adventures is an all-inclusive, 8-10-passenger yacht cruise. We take you through the ice, closer to glaciers, and travel across waters where others can’t go due to the challenges of the sea, with our 85-foot custom expedition yacht. This motor vessel is built for Alaska with a steel hull for bumping up against the ice and NIAD stabilizers for a comfortable cruise!
During our 50 years, we have accumulated over 800 US Forest Service permits, taking you to remote areas where other charters can’t go.
Our 6-pole halibut permit allows you to catch that Alaskan “butt” (halibut)!
Yelloweyed Rockfish
Captain Harley, a local commercial fisherman, leads Alaska Sea Adventures. So, your yacht cruise will be immersed in the region’s locally sourced ingredients.
Cuisine and local seafood are Harley’s passions, so this is an internal part of your experience. Each evening, Harley shares his 40 years of fishing expertise during dinner, explaining the catch of the day and how the commercial fishing industry has evolved.
Golden Crab Feast, Seafood Risotto, and Shakshuka for Breakfast
You might even catch a glimpse of commercial fishing boats in action or haul a crab pot yourself!
Ultimately, the best choice for you depends on your personal preference of how you want to experience Alaska and your priorities. If you are looking for a more traditional cruise experience with a wide range of amenities and onboard activities, with the boat more of the experience, a large cruise ship may be a good option.
Suppose a more adventurous exploration focusing on exploring the magical details of the Inside Passage, getting up close to the face of the glaciers, and viewing the bears feeding in the streams is what you’re looking for.
In that case, a small yacht cruise is truly incredible. Not being on a schedule is pretty luxurious, so you can have the freedom to snap 100 pictures of that pod of whales breaching and exploring the fjords; then, a small boat cruise may be the right choice for you and your family!
Alaska Sea Adventures – M/V Northern Song and a Humpback Whale
An Alaskan yacht cruise is more than just a trip; it’s an immersive experience into one of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes. Download our curated bucket list guide to inspire your Alaskan adventure!
A Whale Tail Comes Full Circle By Guide Jim Nahmens
The sounds of whale breaths surrounded us, deep exhalations echoing off the thick forest behind them. Our kayak paddles cut the calm, sunlit waters of Frederick Sound. We paused to take it all in. All around us, a dozen or so humpback whales were feeding. A whale surfaced, sending a misty plume into the air, then turned in our direction. I told Jodi, “Let’s stay here and enjoy this.” Every time it surfaced, it got closer. I was sure it would dive deep soon, but it kept coming. I wasn’t concerned, but I was paying attention.
From our point of view, this whale seemed curious about our presence and intent on checking us out. And it did check us out. It kept moving closer and closer with each breath, finally diving only a few feet from our tiny kayak. Wow, that was a very close encounter.
V Chop & Guide Jim Nahmens 2002
As it dove, I noticed the tip of its 15-foot fluke was missing, and there was a V-shaped slice missing from the trailing edge, likely due to a run-in with a boat propeller. We nicknamed this whale V Chop, a simple way to remember a name from the unusual shape of the fluke. That was in 2002. V Chop was seen frequently in the following years, and it was easy to identify her with that unique fluke. Every time, I thought about the beautiful day in the kayak and the thrilling encounter.
While guiding guests in 2021 on the M/V Northern Song’s skiff in the same area, I had the ultimate whale déjà vu. We spotted three humpbacks about 200 yards away, but they seemed intent on keeping the distance between us. We sat quietly and observed the whales. Then they turned in our direction. As the whales moved closer and closer, anticipation mounted, and the option of moving the skiff was, well, no longer an option.
One whale dove just 20 yards in front of us, another even closer to our right, and the last just a few feet from the skiff on the left. In a split-second reveal, I recognized the previous fluke as that of my old friend, V Chop, whom I hadn’t seen in many years. The encounters were phenomenal mirrors of each other. It’s remarkable that the same whale did the same thing in the same area nearly 20 years apart. Another thrilling run-in with V Chop.
I saw V Chop again this year just a few weeks ago, but there was no close call this time. Nevertheless, V Chop had a surprise. This year she was with a calf!
Seeing calves these days is crucial. The marine heatwave that started in 2013 and ended in 2016 caused significant disruption to the food available for humpbacks with disastrous results. We lost about 20% of the North Pacific population, and roughly 7,000 whales disappeared in the following years. For several years, only a few calves were seen in Southeast Alaska; since then, calf production has been very uneven. So, seeing many calves on my trip this year made us very happy. And it’s always great to run into old friends like V Chop.
Highlights of Focus on Whales Cruise with Guide Jim Nahmens 2024
Jim Nahmens has guided our Focus on Whales Cruises since 2001 and has a 32-year legacy of sharing his knowledge and experience with guests. Jim is President of the Board of the Alaska Whale Foundation, giving back to an organization that conducts humpback whale research in the same region as our Southeast Alaska expeditions through the Inside Passage.
Focus on the Whales Cruises happen every July with Alaska Sea Adventures. These cruises have a heavy focus on whales, but also include glaciers, bears, hot springs, wildlife, and amazing cuisine!
This is Dr. Adam Pack from the “Focus on the Whales” cruises and Professor and Chair (Psychology)
Departments of Psychology and Biology University of Hawai’i at Hilo.
Focus on Whales cruises are always a summer favorite. One of my highlights this past summer were working closely with my incredible group to document individually identified humpback whales from our mini-catalog and find out the life histories of these whales.
2023 represented my 15th Alaskan yacht cruise leading Focus on Whales in Southeast Alaska.
It’s always exciting for me to return from Hawai’i, where I live and teach at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, to the same waters my mentor Dr. Lou Herman and his students surveyed for humpback whales on their feeding grounds from 1980-1986.
During my first summer in Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait in 2007, I was amazed that many of the same whales Dr. Herman first photographed in those early years were still around!
In the years that followed those early pioneering efforts, it became clear that most humpback whales in Southeast Alaska spent their winters in the warm breeding grounds of Hawai’i.
Over the years, with our Focus on Whales groups, I have traced the migratory destinations of individual whales across the 2500-mile journey between Hawai’i and Alaska.
Our archival catalog of North Pacific humpback whales now numbers well over 25,000 observations of more than 7,000 individuals dating back to 1976! From this archive, Naturalist Jim Nahman and I developed a mini catalog of some of our most well-sighted and most beloved humpbacks.
Focus on the Whales Guides Dr. Adam Pack & Jim Nahmens
This summer, our group identified 12 of the 42 mini-catalog whales. For every sighting, we looked up the long-term history of the whale using the innovative and revolutionary automated online matching program “Happy Whale.”
Our discoveries included a whale we call “Dog face,” who has been sighted numerous times in Frederick Sound hunting schools of herring cooperatively with other whales using a loud feeding call and a bubble net, and who we have also seen in Hawai’i competing with other males for mating access to a single female in what we term a competitive group.
To witness a whale competing in one context and cooperating in another across thousands of miles is amazing. According to Happy Whale, Dog face, first sighted on August 27, 1996, in Alaska, has been sighted 54 times total in Alaska and nine times in Hawaii.
“Dog face” also named “Equilibrium” and “Mahalo” in Happy Whale sighted on July 24, 2023, the first of the mini-catalog whales our 2023 group sighted.
Dog face photographed March 7, 2019 in Maui, Hawai’i competing aggressively with other males for a female.
June 26, 2023, we documented a whale we call “V cut,” a name we attributed to the distinctive notch out of its right tail fluke edge. It is known in Happy Whale as “Finger and Epilmeletic.”
We observed V cut participating in a cooperative feeding group of humpback whales off the Big Creek shoreline in Frederick Sound. When we uploaded V cut’s fluke image into Happy Whale, it revealed that V cut had been sighted 79 times in Alaska but only once in Hawai’i.
Thinking this a bit odd, when I returned to my University of Hawaii at Hilo Marine Mammal Laboratory, I combed through hundreds of photographs of humpback whales we are in the process of uploading to Happy Whale, and lo and behold found V cut way back in 1991 in Hawaii.
These recognizable whales are just a few of the many from our catalog that our Focus of Whales cruises photographed in 2023 and helped match and trace between Alaska and Hawai’i.
V cut photographed by Jana Johnson on June 26, 2023 hunting herring cooperatively along the Big Creek shoreline in Frederick Sound Alaska.
“V cut” photographed in Hawaii on March 23, 1991 was a mother to a newborn calf in a competitive group.
They warmed our hearts, filled our minds with wonder, and became the subject of numerous discussions over many amazing meals as we celebrated these long-lived majestic mammals aboard the MV Northern Song.
Explore Focus on the Whales Cruises
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