# Alert Bay

- Kind: port
- Data version: 2026-10-14
- Reference month: 2026-10
- Checked: 2026-07-22
- Page: https://cruise-pitta.com/en/port/alert-bay

For reference only. Bookings, prices and schedules are not guaranteed. Check current details with the official provider.

## Overview

Photo: Brian Burger from Victoria, Canada · [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alert_Bay_(26435220773).jpg)

Checked: none (unverified)

- Region: [View Alaska on the map](https://cruise-pitta.com/explore?r=alaska)
- Description: A settlement of a few hundred people on an island, where rows of wooden houses and a pier follow the coastline. Indigenous cultural preservation is at the heart of the community, which also faces the migration route of orcas and humpback whales.
- Port name: Alert Bay
- English name: Alert Bay
- Country: Canada
- Latitude / longitude: 50.59, -126.93

A small fishing village on Cormorant Island northeast of Vancouver Island and a cultural hub for the Namgis people of the Kwakwaka'wakw. It is known for one of the world's notable collections of totem poles.

Checked: 2026-07-22

## Port highlights

- Population: A small island settlement of about 500 people
- Climate: A mild oceanic climate. Summers are cool, and snowfall is limited even in winter. Rainfall is especially high from autumn through winter.
- Language: English (the Kwak'wala language is also being preserved and taught)
- Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD); because the population is small, it is advisable to have cash available.
- Best time to visit: June to September. July to August is the best time to see orcas, when they are seen most often.

### Local food

Cedar-plank grilled salmon, local Dungeness crab, and traditional Indigenous sweets made with berries.

### Sights

- U'mista Cultural Centre (repatriated potlatch collection)
- Totem pole said to be among the world's tallest
- Historic Alert Bay Cannery site and pier
- Orca whale watching in Johnstone Strait
- Ecological Park (Galloping Goose wetland forest)

Checked: 2026-07-22

## Monthly average high / low temperatures

| Month | Average high (°C / °F) | Average low (°C / °F) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 6 °C / 44 °F | 2 °C / 35 °F |
| Feb | 7 °C / 45 °F | 2 °C / 35 °F |
| Mar | 9 °C / 47 °F | 2 °C / 35 °F |
| Apr | 11 °C / 52 °F | 4 °C / 38 °F |
| May | 14 °C / 57 °F | 6 °C / 43 °F |
| Jun | 16 °C / 61 °F | 9 °C / 48 °F |
| Jul | 18 °C / 64 °F | 11 °C / 51 °F |
| Aug | 18 °C / 65 °F | 11 °C / 51 °F |
| Sep | 16 °C / 61 °F | 9 °C / 48 °F |
| Oct | 12 °C / 53 °F | 6 °C / 42 °F |
| Nov | 8 °C / 47 °F | 3 °C / 38 °F |
| Dec | 6 °C / 43 °F | 2 °C / 35 °F |

Calculated from NOAA GHCN-Daily station observations · Period: 1991–2020 · Station: PORT HARDY A · about 32.6 km from port · Approximate (distant station) · Last checked: 2026-10-04

Checked: 2026-10-04

## Local prices for travelers

- Compared with Tokyo, Japan (median of items): 186 (Tokyo = 100) (Estimated)
- Category: Much more expensive than Tokyo

Compared with Tokyo, coffee costs about the same; water, meals, beer and a Big Mac are somewhat more expensive.

| Item | Amount | Currency | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Water 355 ml | CA$3.00 | CAD | Checked: none (unverified) |
| Coffee | CA$5.00 | CAD | Checked: none (unverified) |
| Inexpensive meal | CA$18.00 | CAD | Checked: none (unverified) |
| Local beer | CA$8.00 | CAD | Checked: none (unverified) |
| Big Mac | CA$8.17 | CAD | Checked: none (unverified) |

- Survey month: 2026-10

Prices from nearby Victoria (about 352 km away). Actual prices here may be higher, as this is a remote island or location. · Amounts in the recorded local currency. No currency conversion applied. · Last checked: Oct 2026 · Prices in remote areas and islands may be higher. · Sources: Shop and menu prices · [The Economist, Big Mac Index](https://github.com/TheEconomist/big-mac-data) ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))

Checked: none (unverified)

## Getting there from Japan

- Nearest airport: YZT
- Description: Unknown
- Airport to port (approx.): Unknown
- Ease of access: C — Two or more connections (Estimated)

About 33 km from airport to port (straight-line distance) (Estimated)

Calculated from OurAirports coordinates

Access from Japan: A = direct flight / B = one connection / C = two or more connections (indicative)

Checked: 2026-07-22

English text in preparation.

## Itineraries calling here

### [11-Night Alaska Cruise from Vancouver](https://cruise-pitta.com/route/explora-iii-11n-vancouver)

- Region: Alaska
- Itinerary: May–Sep 2027
- Departure months: 2027-05, 2027-06, 2027-07, 2027-08, 2027-09
- Ship: EXPLORA III
- Cruise line: Explora Journeys
- Duration: 11 nights
- Departure / arrival: Vancouver → Vancouver
- Port: Vancouver › Alert Bay › Prince Rupert › +6 › Vancouver
- Cruise type: Round trip / 10
- Amount: From $7,760.00 · Price on the US site (USD, tax inclusion unknown; JPY is an estimate)
- Fare level: Highest

Checked: 2026-07-22

## Links

### External sites and sources

- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alert_Bay_(26435220773).jpg)
- [The Economist, Big Mac Index](https://github.com/TheEconomist/big-mac-data)

### Related Cruise Pitta pages

- [View Alaska on the map](https://cruise-pitta.com/explore?r=alaska)
- [11-Night Alaska Cruise from Vancouver](https://cruise-pitta.com/route/explora-iii-11n-vancouver)

## Checked

Checked: 2026-07-22

## Sources

- Unverified (no source recorded for this information)