FUN Mountain Point snorkeling tour in Ketchikan with Snorkel Alaska

Hi there!

Well, there is exactly one snorkeling tour that you can do in Ketchikan, so that means that it’s the best snorkeling Ketchikan tour to do!

That just leaves the question… should you do it?!

If you’ve made it this far to want to know about snorkeling in Ketchikan, I will go for it and guess that you are the type that will probably NOT regret snorkeling in Alaska!

Before my first Alaska cruise, when I first read someone suggest SNORKELING as a recommended excursion in Ketchikan, I was like… ?!?!?!?!?!?!

There’s snorkeling in Alaska?!?!?! 😲😲😲

Yes, there is. In Ketchikan it’s the Mountain Point snorkeling adventure. There is also the Magic Island snorkeling adventure in Sitka. And not Alaska, but there is even snorkeling in Vancouver!

That soon turned to… 🤣🤣🤣🤣 as I seriously started considering it. 🤣🤣🤣

Was I really considering snorkeling in Alaska?!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Then, I booked the tour.

Then as soon as I did that, it turned into complete doubt. I get cold easily. Was I going to be cold??? 🥶🥶🥶

Did I make the wrong decision?!?!?!?! 😱😱😱😱😱😱

Note the reason I booked the tour was because basically ALL the reviews that mention the water temperature say that you will NOT be cold! But upon booking the snorkeling tour, apparently I immediately forgot all about that… and then I went back to reading all the reviews again. 🤣 And I was reassured again that I would not be cold. And well, I went snorkeling in Alaska in the middle of May and I was not cold swimming around in the water! Because… you wear a wetsuit! And yes, it is enough to keep your warm! The water temperature was 50 degrees.

 

Now here’s a bit about the tour to go snorkeling in Alaska at Ketchikan cruise port!

 

 

There are partner websites are included here. Also, I am an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission. I include below what to pack if you’re going snorkeling in Alaska!

 

 

Read the info: Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure!

Read the reviews.

 

⭐ Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) by 179 people out of 182 people who did this tour ⭐
⏳ How long is the tour? 3 hours
💪 How fit do you need to be: You should have a strong physical fitness level. Aside from swimming around for an hour, it’s a physical activity just to get into the wetsuit!
🏊 Do you need to be able to swim? You should be comfortable swimming in open water. This is for safety, and it will also take the enjoyment out of snorkeling if you are anxious the whole time because you can’t swim!
🤿 Do you need snorkeling experience? No, you can be a first time beginner snorkeler and do this snorkeling tour! Instruction will be provided. Wow, how great that you can be like… “My first time snorkeling was in Alaska!” 😁
🤿 What gear is included? Everything you need to go snorkeling in cold water! Most importantly, this includes a thick 7mm wetsuit. You also get standard snorkeling gear like a snorkel, mask, and fins. There are also prescription masks available.
🤿 Free diving: Weight belts are also provided if you want to go free diving.
🥺 Is there a weight limit? Because of the available wetsuit sizes, you need to be between 80 and 260 pounds.
📍 Meeting point for cruise ship passengers: Near the cruise ship docks in downtown Ketchikan. There is no Ward Cove pick-up.

 

Select your date to find out if it’s available: Check availability

 

 

 

 

🥶🥶🥶 What everyone wants to know: Will you be cold snorkeling in Alaska?!?!?!?!?! 🥶🥶🥶

The short answer is… NO!

 

 

Depending on when you go, the water temperature will likely be in the 50s F. At the warmest time in the summer, you might get water temperature in the mid-60s. At the coldest, you might get the 40s! 🥶🥶🥶

I read sooooooo many reviews before I booked the tour, and everyone who talked about the water said it was not cold. But of course, I still had my doubts. 🤣

Well, believe them! Here 👇 are people telling you… it’s NOT cold snorkeling in Alaska! That’s what the THICK wetsuits are for!

 

Here is what Mark said on tripadvisor after going snorkeling:

Don’t let the idea of cold water scare you away from the chance of a lifetime!

Water temp was low-mid 40’s but with the 7mm hood, gloves, and wetsuit the only time I was ever chilled was undressing after the trip.

 

LOW-TO-MID 40s 🥶🥶🥶 AND NOT COLD IN THE WATER!!! 😲😲😲

 

Here is what Ashley said on tripadvisor:

With all the gear the water was not cold.

 

Here is what Ryan said on tripadvisor:

They helped find the best wildlife, and their gear sure did keep me warm, even in May.

 

👆 Arriving at the Mountain Point snorkeling spot after a short walk on a trail.

 

👆 Time to get into the cold water to go snorkeling in Alaska!!!

 

👆 You get changed into the cold water snorkeling gear that’s provided for you at the Snorkel Alaska HQ.

 

Here is what Linda said on tripadvisor:

The water was fairly choppy, but they made sure we had a fantastic time!

We got to see all sorts of marine life.

Absolutely wonderful!!!!

We were never cold, the wet suits kept us very warm!!!

Highly recommend this tour!!!

 

Here is what Jason said:

We’ve been on many excursions over the years and this by far was our absolute favorite!

Upon booking we were concerned about freezing in the water and being late for the cruise ship, neither of these were an issue.

Tour operators were extremely professional and knowledgeable.

The equipment was in great condition and functioned properly and we were not cold even though the water temp was 47 and it rained all day, we were never cold in the water.

Highly recommend!

 

Here is what Courtney said:

We saw lots of things under the water and never got cold.

 

Here is what Christian said:

Snorkel Alaska was a highlight of our Alaska cruise – because you’re not looking at what others have done, but what you are doing – it is an interactive excursion.

Doing is more fun than watching.

You may think snorkeling in Hawaii or the Caribbean must be better, with more coral and brighter fish (and I have been in both).

But Alaska is just as good, because of the experience of a full wet suit, there is plenty to see, and you have interesting (and well-qualified) guides that find and comment on various sea creatures.

The equipment (wetsuits and snorkel equipment) is top-notch.

The location is terrific with good visibility and much to see.

We were in the water for over an hour, and when we got back the tide had fallen three feet or so.

It will be cold. No, not in the water (it is so warm it actually feels good when the cool water seeps into the suit every so often) – only when you get back and take off the wetsuit in the cool Alaska breeze!

No, really, it’s quite comfortable.

Highly recommended for the adventurous.

 

I was very concerned about whether I was going to be cold while open water swimming in Alaska (that’s what you’re doing when you’re snorkeling!), and I read the reviews everywhere I could find them and searched for every mention of the water temperature!

As far as I read, they ALL said you will NOT be cold! I did not find a single complaint of someone saying they were cold while they were snorkeling!

And, I didn’t get cold either! Well, not until the very end when I was about to get out. Like, I was literally at the shoreline about to stand up. That probably had to do with the fact that I mostly stopped moving.

 

⭐ Read more reviews and book this snorkeling tour:
👉 Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure

 

Where do you meet for your Ketchikan snorkeling tour if you’re arriving by cruise ship?

The Ketchikan snorkeling tour company, Snorkel Alaska, is very experienced with serving cruise ship passengers, and as such, has a system to make it as easy as possible to meet you!

They will meet you at the main Ketchikan cruise ship docks in downtown Ketchikan!

All major cruise lines not named NCL will dock in downtown Ketchikan. (I’ll talk about NCL in a bit.)

So if you are on Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Disney, among others, then your snorkeling tour meeting point will be a 1 to 10 minute walk as soon as you walk off the cruise ship. Yes, it might be as little as a 1 minute walk from the moment you step off the cruise ship, depending on where your cruise ship is docked and where your meeting spot is!

You will receive specific meeting instructions when you book, so be sure to read that carefully. It will probably be near the “liquid sunshine gauge” which is right near the Ketchikan Visitor’s Bureau. (map)

No matter where you’re docked in downtown Ketchikan, you will walk no more than 10 minutes. Once at the meeting area, you will look for someone holding up a Snorkel Alaska sign. Have access to the contact phone number included in your booking email in case you have trouble locating them.

Once you’ve arrived in Ketchikan, you can use google maps to navigate you through walking directions to your meeting spot.

If you just really like to know things ahead of time, you can know which berth your cruise ship will dock at by looking at the 2026 Ketchikan cruise port schedule, although this is subject to change.

Also have a look at the Ketchikan cruise port map with where cruise ships dock.

When I did the snorkeling tour, it was easy to meet the Snorkel Alaska tour guide. Just follow the instructions you’re given! Note carefully of the meeting time. It will probably be 15 minutes before the official tour start time.

 

If you are on a Norwegian cruise ship, you will arrive at Ward Cove. This is a 20 to 30 minute free shuttle ride from downtown Ketchikan.

Snorkel Alaska does not offer a tour pick-up at Ward Cove. This means that if you arrive on an NCL cruise ship, you need to get to downtown on your own, in which case you should leave plenty of time to get there. (There can be a long line for the Ward Cove shuttle.)

Likewise, you also won’t be getting a Ward Cove drop-off, so be sure to factor the time it will take to get from downtown back to the cruise ship at Ward Cove on your own.

Otherwise, if you still have a few hours left, the tour will drop you off in downtown Ketchikan at the end of your tour, so you can do all the downtown Ketchikan things on your own! Or, you can ask to be dropped off at Saxman Totem Park, as that is on the way back to the cruise ship. (That’s what I did!) See more about totem poles in Ketchikan.

 

 

What to wear and bring on your Ketchikan snorkeling tour

• swimsuit
• extra socks (wool socks!)
• beach towel (cruise ship pool towel)
• waterproof phone case (and a wrist float to go with it)

 

🩱 You can wear anything you want under the wetsuit to go snorkeling in Alaska. Wearing a swimsuit can be the easiest/best. Some clothing material can make it more difficult to put on the wetsuit which is why a tight fitting swimsuit can be best. You can wear undergarments if you prefer. Expect that anything you wear will get wet, as water seeps into the wetsuit when you’re in the water. Wear your swimsuit to the tour to save time. When putting on the wetsuit at the Snorkel Alaska shop, all women will be in one area, and all men will be in another. There is a bathroom if you need more privacy.

Does it sound crazy to need to pack a swimsuit for an Alaska cruise? (Well, I guess you are going snorkeling in Alaska. 🤣) But actually, people do even get in the OUTSIDE hot tub during Alaska cruises… even when it’s cold! And there are also cruise ships with indoor pools and hot tubs, so then taking a swimsuit to Alaska is not that crazy.

🧦 Also, wear wool socks. This helps to take the wetsuit on and off. It will also help your toes from getting cold. You want to bring an extra pair of socks, and not just wear the ones you’re wearing with your shoes, because water seeps into the wetsuit which means the socks you wear while snorkeling will get wet. Merino wool socks are good for Alaska in general! They are moisture-wicking so they are ideal socks if you’ll be walking or hiking a lot too!

⚓ You also need to bring your own towel. You can bring a cruise ship pool towel. So you don’t need to pack an extra towel from home just to go snorkeling in Alaska. Or at least, you can take towels off the cruise ship on Princess cruise ships. I guess you should confirm how it is on other cruise lines.

📷 Waterproof your phone so you can take pictures of your underwater findings! You can find cheapo waterproof phone cases on amazon, and I recommend that you also buy a camera wrist float that you can wear around your wrist to go with the phone case so your phone won’t be lost in the deep waters of Alaska if you drop it! Plus, you will be wearing thick gloves so you might find it hard to keep holding on to your phone anyway! (Bought through amazon, I have JOTO waterproof phone cases and Nordic Flash camera wrist floats.)

Practice taking pictures underwater before you go (even if it’s in a bathtub or sink) so you know how to use it! Touch screen won’t work underwater, so you’ll press one of the buttons on the side of your phone to snap the pic.