Whale Observatory
Whale Observatory sits at 36 feet elevation along Alaska's Marine Highway, with land dropping 31 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. Narrows Peak is visible to the west-northwest at 2.5 miles, rising to 2,602 feet, while Horn Mountain lies east-northeast at 6.3 miles, reaching 2,802 feet. Petersburg is close by, 1.1 miles to the west-southwest, and Wrangell is farther off at 31.7 miles southeast. Daylight varies widely through the year: on the June solstice, sunrise comes at 03:59 and sunset at 21:49, while the December solstice brings a much shorter day, with sunrise at 08:28 and sunset at 15:13. Equinox daylight falls in between, with sunrise near 06:54 and sunset near 19:06 in March, and sunrise at 06:38 and sunset at 18:53 in September. This lookout falls along the route between Wolf Point, the previous stop, and Battery Point, the next one.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
- Narrows Peak2,602 ftwest-northwest · 2.5 mi
- Horn Mountain2,802 fteast-northeast · 6.3 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:54 | 19:06 | 18:15 |
| June solstice | 03:59 | 21:49 | 20:43 |
| September equinox | 06:38 | 18:53 | 18:03 |
| December solstice | 08:28 | 15:13 | 13:48 |
Local time (America/Sitka). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Petersburg1.1 mi west-southwest
- Wrangell31.7 mi southeast
Take the scenic way to Whale Observatory.
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How high is Whale Observatory?
Whale Observatory sits at about 36 feet (11 m).
What can you see from Whale Observatory?
From Whale Observatory: Narrows Peak (WNW, 2.5 mi); Horn Mountain (ENE, 6.3 mi).
What is the nearest town to Whale Observatory?
Petersburg, 1.1 miles WSW of Whale Observatory.
What is the next lookout after Whale Observatory?
Battery point is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Whale Observatory.
Drive to Whale Observatory with Byway
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