By car it is a 600 km drive from Whittier to Valdez, by ferry it is only 145 km.

 

Both routes take about 6.5 hours  but the added value of the ferry is that you can sit back and enjoy the fantastic panorama of snow covered mountains, waterfalls, glaciers and the zillions of islands. 

There is a fair chance you will see wildlife like sea otters, orcas and whales.

 

After leaving Whittier the boat first passes through the Passage Canal and than enters the majestic Prince William Sound. From a distance you will catch a glimpse of  the edge of the Columbia Glacier.

 

Near Valdez you will notice the many oil storage tanks and maybe the fuelling of one of that giant tankers that transport the fuel to energy hungry USA.

Little or nothing remains visible from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

 

The ferry route from Whittier to Valdez is part of the  Alaska Marine Highway System.

 

We took the ferry in June 2007 and very much enjoyed the scenery.