Fishing -- About 30 charter fishing boats operate out of Whittier, the closest saltwater fishing to Anchorage, mostly targeting halibut but also getting salmon at certain times. The Whittier Harbormaster can give you a list of operators (tel. 907/472-2327, extension 110 or 115). Bread-n-Butter Charters (tel. 888/472-2396 or 907/472-2396; www.breadnbuttercharters.com) has been around for many years. They charge $245 per person for a day of halibut fishing and have an office on the waterfront. Honey Charters has a similar service.
You can also rent your own boat for fishing, camping, or even sleeping onboard, from Whittier Boat & Tackle Rentals (tel. 866/667-2628 or 907/632-1188; www.whittierboatrentals.com). The company carries quality equipment, including boats suitable for an extended trip. Full-day rentals range from $300 to $725.
Sea Kayaking -- Whittier is a popular starting point for kayak trips to beautiful and protected western Prince William Sound. Day trips for beginners paddle along the shore near Whittier, often visiting a bird rookery, or take a boat 5 miles from the harbor to Shotgun Cove and paddle back. Longer multiday trips go by boat to even more interesting waters where you can visit glaciated fjords and paddle narrow passages. Several businesses compete in Whittier. Alaska Sea-Kayakers (tel. 877/472-2534 or 907/472-2534; www.alaskaseakayakers.com) offers 3- and 5-hour day trips, for $79 to $175; paddles at Blackstone Glacier that begin and end with a charter boat ride, for $300; and extended trips. Guides are well trained and they occasionally offer weekend instructional clinics (check the website for times). Offices are at each end of Whittier Harbor. They rent to experienced paddlers, too. Prince William Sound Kayak Center (tel. 877/472-2452 or 907/472-2452; www.pwskayakcenter.com) offers guided half-day trips starting at $75 as well as full days and other options, and rents kayaks. They've been in business since 1981.
Most self-guided kayakers charter a boat to drop them off among the islands beyond the long, deep fjord in which Whittier is located. Honey Charters, listed above under "Small Boat Tours," offers a drop-off service. There are six Forest Service cabins in this idyllic area, which must be reserved 6 months ahead. Flat sites suitable for a tent are not plentiful on these rocky shores, which dropped in the 1964 earthquake, so do some research with the Forest Service or Alaska Public Lands Information Center in Anchorage before you go (the tent platforms at Surprise Cove State Marine Park make an excellent remote base camp).
