Whittier has a rich history. For centuries, it was a passageway between Prince William Sound and Turnagain Arm. In 1941, the U.S. Army created an ice-free, deep-water port there. In 1942, a 2.6 mile tunnel was completed, linking it to the rest of the Alaskan Railway.
The Whittier community and Prince William sound have survived two catastrophes. First was the 9.2 earthquake in 1964 that rocked Alaska and triggered tsunamis. The other was the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters ever.
These days, Whittier mainly supports fishing and tourism. A 14-story building, built during the Cold War by the Army Corps of Engineers, houses about 90% of the small town's residents. Huge cruise ships travel to Whittier as a base for Alaskan vacationers. We chose it because it is a launch point for an excellent boat cruise to observe over 25 glaciers, as well as marine and other wildlife.
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| Humpback Whale |
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| Seals |
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