Juneau, Alaska - Alaska’s Cruise Passengers Give Back through Voluntour Opportunities with Alaskan Non-Profits and a Local Tour Operator.

Gastineau Guiding Company’s innovative eco-tour program, Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure, enables cruise line guests to engage their surroundings by observing and recording specific data for scientific purposes. "Gastineau Guiding operates this tour to give area travelers a more in-depth look at Alaska's unique marine and glacier environments all the while providing them with a fun and engaging tour experience," says Bob Janes, owner of Gastineau Guiding Co.

Gastineau Guiding created the Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure in partnership with the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, the USFS Tongass National Forest, and the Alaska Marine Conservation Alliance. The direction provided by these organizations equips participants to collect and catalog wildlife and plant observations while "in the field," in essence becoming marine scientists/climatologists for a day.

Gastineau Guiding's tour serves as an impetus for cruise companies like Holland America Line to promote corporate responsibility by offering environmentally friendly tour options. Holland developed a new program called Cruise With PurposeTM, inspired by the creation of the Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure, the program's inaugural tour. "By combining a tour experience with a hands-on research opportunity, guests are experiencing the destination in a different, rewarding way," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales, and guest programs at HAL.

Designed primarily for cruise passengers, the Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure takes guests on an exploration vessel out of Auke Bay to identify humpback whales and other marine mammals. Guests look for individual whales by their tail "fingerprints" and notate the number of whales and their behaviors. Participants also trawl for plankton, collect water samples, and record ocean temperature readings. Since plankton are such a significant indicator in predicting the health of the oceans, this data will help to better understand and manage Alaska’s precious wild resources. All collected data and samples are contributed to the body of research maintained by Alaska Sea Grant's Marine Advisory Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. 2009 plankton data was entered into the National Plankton Monitoring Network and all the humpback whale IDs were sent into the NOAA Juneau Humpback Whale Catalog. Updates from the 2009 season can be seen on their website at www.StepIntoAlaska.com.

The cost of the Whales & Glaciers: Citizen Science Adventure is $179.00 per person. The tour operates in Juneau, Alaska, seven days per week, May through September. It is currently offered on the following cruise lines: Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises.

To learn more about the tour visit Gastineau Guiding Company’s website at website, or contact Jeremy Gieser, director of tours and marketing, at 907-586-8231 for more info.