The Stephens Passage is a narrow waterway that separates the islands of the Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska from the rest of the state. A straight line through Southeast Alaska in a landscape with relatively few straight lines, Stephens Passage is like the best shortcut in the world. It’s about 170 kilometers long and connects the Alaskan mainland to Douglas Island and the island of Admiralty in the west.
In the summer, Stephens Passage and Frederick Sound are frequented by over a hundred humpback whales that come to feast on the plentiful krill and herring. Migrating humpback whales typically spend around six months fattening up in Southeast Alaska before making the long journey back to Hawaii to breed and have their calves. Their breath can be heard from nearly a kilometer away, going in a whoosh.
