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Icy Strait: Premier Whale Watching with Guaranteed Sightings and Private Tour Option
Experience premier whale watching in Icy Strait with guaranteed sightings and the option for a private tour. Enjoy a 4-hour excursion with over 3.25 hours on the water, a custom-built catamaran, and a refund guarantee for no whale sightings.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Icy Strait - Icy Strait is a legendary body of water that connects the protected inside waters of Southeast Alaska to the open Pacific Ocean. The nutrient rich waters of Southeast Alaska make it one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. During the summer months, these abundant fjords become the ideal home and feeding ground for a large population of Humpback Whales. Humpbacks travel to the area every year after their winter breeding season in the warmer waters of Hawaii and Mexico. After navigating over 3000 miles, we often see the same individual humpbacks return to Icy Strait year after year.
Humpbacks aren’t the only wildlife in the area. Our trips often encounter Sea Lions, Seals, Porpoise, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Coastal Brown Bears along the shoreline, & our favorite – the awe inspiring Orca better known as the Killer Whale.
- Hoonah - On the day of your tour, we will meet you at your cruise ship port and then transport you through the town of Hoonah to the local harbor where our whale watching vessel is docked. Our brief van ride offers beautiful views of Port Frederick and the surrounding landscape. Occasionally, we’ll even see wildlife (including Eagles) on our ride to the vessel. After your time on the water, we will transport you back to your cruise ship docking area. The time spent in van between our vessel and your port is approximately 5 minutes.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board restrooms
Additional Information
We spend over 3.25 hours on the water! Our trip is designed to be one of the longest whale watching tours offered in Icy Strait. This extra time allows us to make multiple stops while not feeling rushed. We limit our vessel to 6 passengers max (whether private or mixed) to provide our guests with an uncrowded, relaxed, and intimate wildlife experience. On the day of your tour, we will pick you up from your cruise ship port – Icy Strait Point and return you via van. While on the water, you’ll be cruising in style aboard our custom built Twin Vee Catamaran with an enclosed heated cabin, restroom, indoor seating, outdoor seating, & 360 degree walk around viewing deck.
We guarantee whale sightings or you will receive a full refund.
By booking all 6 seats - you and your travel companions will be the only guests aboard the vessel; becoming a Private Tour (at no additional cost).
This excursion is 4 hours from pick up to drop off (includes meeting, transit, & loading time).
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(79 Ratings)
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Andrea_o
Aug 20, 2024
Adventure of a Lifetime! - We had an incredible time with Captain Seth on our Whale and Wildlife excursion! Seth is super knowledgeable about the marine life and was happy to share tons of interesting information. The boat was well set up and roomy enough for the 6 adults in our group. There were several pairs of marine grade binoculars available on board. We saw tons of wildlife, including otters, seals, a puffin (so cool!), humpback whales including a Mama and a calf, and we even spotted a brown bear on the beach! We were treated to a spectacular show on the water with whales blowing all around and lots of whale tail action. The ultimate reward was when the humpbacks breached right in front of us! Photos and videos cannot capture the experience! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family to see the incredible wildlife in Icy Strait and it exceeded our expectations! We were out on the water long after the large tour boats returned to shore. If you do nothing else on your Alaskan vacation DO THIS!!!
Review provided by Viator
Steve_t
Aug 19, 2024
Majestic Whales - Captain Seth is the best! We had a great time. He keeps the number of customers on each trip low = better viewing. We were close to a group of humpback whales (at the start and end of our excursion) … made our day!!! We also saw seals and otters. AND, we were on the water a long time!
Review provided by Viator
Ali
Aug 17, 2024
Amazing whale watching trip - Highly recommend this trip. There’s only 6 people on the boat so it’s perfect for moving around and getting nice pictures. Seth will ensure you see the most amazing wildlife. We had about 8/9 orcas around the boat for ages, it was a totally unforgettable experience. Would definitely do this trip again if we return to this part of the world.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_u
Aug 17, 2024
Best excursion of our Alaska trip! - We had an amazing morning with Captain Seth exploring Icy Strait Point. Not only did we see the Humpbacks feeding but we also saw Sea Otters, Puffins, Sea Lions and a couple of Brown Bears.
The boat is a wonderful way to get to see this incredible area and provides a very comfortable setup with the ability to be outside on deck or inside in the cabin and still see it all.
Our family of six, ages 7 - 76, all enjoyed this excursion so much and felt it was one of the best things we did on our Cruise through Alaska. If you can book this during your stop do it and don’t miss out!
Review provided by Viator
Dkwsbc
Aug 15, 2024
Experience of a lifetime - This was my favorite excursion during the cruise and seeing humpback whales bubble net feeding was the absolute highlight of my trip. Seth was a phenomenal captain with a sixth sense for finding whales. Highly recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
307caryh
Aug 14, 2024
Best Whale and Wildlife Endeavor - This excursion was excellent. Seth was very friendly and helpful. He answered all of our questions and had very good binoculars there for us to use. We were able to see the whales doing bubble net feeding which was so amazing. We also were able to see bears, jellyfish, seal, and a porpoise. I would definitely choose this experience again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Edward_m
Aug 14, 2024
Fantastic whale watching experience - Captain Seth did a fantastic time of helping us find whales and wildlife. Comfortable boat. Highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Susan_s
Aug 13, 2024
Seth was an excellent... - Seth was an excellent guide! We saw a pod of humpbacks do a bubble-net, probably 6 times. Amazing trip. Exceeded our expectations.
Review provided by Viator
Dkmg55
Aug 8, 2024
Icy Point Strait magical memories - What an amazing experience to have your own personal chartered boat in Icy Point Strait. It is worth every to have the opportunity to venture in any direction the wildlife might be. We weren't on the boat 10 minutes and saw various Bald Eagles. A few more minutes and there were two bears foraging on the shore line. Seth was able to bring the boat up close enough for a great vantage of these majestic creatures. We then continued to explore the ocean for humpback whales... and there were plenty! Numerous pods of these magical mammals surrounded us for about an hour. On our return of the voyage we passed sea otters and a group of sea lions lounging on a buoy! Captain Seth was a sheer delight to work with coordinating our trip. The images we captured will remain in our memories for a lifetime!💕
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tgears1
Jul 31, 2024
Best Whale Watching Ever!!!!! - The money we spent on our whale watching trip was one of the best purchases ever! Capt. Seth knows the waters and where to find the wildlife. We saw bears, sea otters, sea lions, and whales, whales, whale, and more whales. Capt. Seth knows his stuff, he is funny, and attentive. I give him 6 stars on a scale of 1-5. Icy Straight Point is the place to see whales on your Alaska cruise and Capt. Seth is the one to take you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor