Endnotes
“Cruise Ship Invasion” was thoroughly fact-checked by Hakai Magazine staff. Below is a brief list of some of our main sources.
Puget Sound
Wastewater figures from the Environmental Protection Agency, multiplied by seven for a seven-day cruise.
Hot tub comparison based on figures above and volume information for an eight-person tub from Swim University.
Juan de Fuca Strait
Impact of vessel noise on whales’ ability to hunt from Marine Environmental Research.
Vancouver Island
We calculated CO2 emissions for a seven-day cruise with 3,600 passengers using the model from this paper in Energies.
The comparison to gasoline-powered cars is from the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Stephens Passage
We estimated scrubber waste based on the open-loop system described in Offshore Energy and a scrubber flow rate of 350 m3/hour, cited by the EPA, the Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association, and Stand.earth.
Icy Strait Point
Tourism information for Hoonah was compiled from CruiseMapper, the US Forest Service, KTOO Public Media, and an interview with Wanda Culp.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Air quality and cruise ship data from the US National Park Service.
Underwater noise effects on marine mammals, including humpback whales from Frontiers in Marine Science.
Juneau
Perspectives on tourism from interviews with Karla Hart and Heidi Pearson as well as a 2022 Juneau Tourism Survey.
Information on humpback whale response to whale watching from Frontiers in Marine Science.
Ketchikan
Cruise tourism and spending figures from Cruise Lines International Association.
Other information from interview with Mary L. Stephenson.
Campbell River
Data on port facility from Campbell River Mirror and the Globe and Mail.
Victoria
Details of the US Passenger Vessel Services Act from US Customs and Border Protection.
Economic impacts of the cruise industry from Stand.earth.
Information about Victoria waste from the Capital Regional District, and new landfill fee from Victoria News.
Additional perspectives from interview with Marg Gardiner.
Seattle
Figures on cruise passenger arrivals and spending from the 2019 Port of Seattle Cruise Ship Industry report.
Air travel statistic from the 2019 Port of Seattle Alaska Cruise Passenger Survey.
Calculation for greenhouse gas emissions from Seattle Cruise Control.
Information on cruise ship disease outbreaks from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Boston Hospitality Review.
Image credits
Video of cruise ship in Juneau by BlackBoxGuild/Pond5
Route map data by ArcGIS
Video of cruise ship in Seattle by BlackBoxGuild/Shutterstock
Seattle visitors graph by Mark Garrison
Photo of hot tubs on a cruise ship by Jose More/VWPics/Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of killer whales by Brandon Cole Marine Photography/Alamy Stock Photo
Video of cruise ship exhaust by Kaulfuss Media/Shutterstock
Photo of Hecate Strait by Design Pics Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of scrubber discharge on water by Sandy Hasbrouck
Graph of scrubber discharge by WWF-Canada. *Use of graph does not mean the organization endorses this story.
Photo of cruise ship with wilderness in background by Darryl Brooks/Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of Icy Strait Point by Steve Heap/Shutterstock
Video of Wanda Culp interview by Connor Meyer, edited by Meigan Henry
Video of cruise ship in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve by Rekindle Photo and Video/Shutterstock
Audio of humpback in Glacier Bay courtesy of Christine Gabriele
Photo of ships docked in Juneau by Steve Heap/Shutterstock
Time-lapse video of passengers disembarking in Ketchikan by Felix Wong
Video of cruise ship passing Campbell River by Bennett Whitnell
Photo of garbage dump by Roman Mikhailiuk/Shutterstock
Photo of Hartland Landfill in Victoria by Kevin Oke/Alamy Stock Photo
Video of Seattle skyline by PSA Imaging/Shutterstock