Icy Strait Excursion: Premium Whale Watching and Wildlife Sightings in Alaska
4.9
7 Ratings
Alaska

One of the highly sought-after coastal excursions during an Alaskan cruise is our top-notch whale watching experience at Icy Strait. Not only does this tour present opportunities to see whales, but it also offers potential sightings of bears, deer, and coastal waterfowl.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Alaska - Our Whale watching adventure starts with your transport picking you up just outside the Icy Strait Point gates. We travel along Shaman Point to our charter boat. During the drive it is not uncommon to see some of the local Alaskan wildlife from Brown Bears, blacktail deer, puffins, swans, coastal ducks, geese and bald eagles.

Once onboard our small charter the water offers other delights from orca, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, and seals in addition to the feeding humpbacks.

  • Hoonah - The nutrient rich waters of Glacier Bay attract humpback whales to Hoonah/Icy Strait in large numbers to feed on the nutrient rich waters. They arrive every summer starting in May and head back south again in September for the winter.

Humpback whales are large baleen whales that can reach over 50 feet in length and weigh as much as 30-50 tons. Humpbacks are amazingly active and typical whale sightings will include diving, blows, and flukes (tails).

Observing humpbacks practice bubble-net feeding is a real treat and a truly thrilling experience.

The charter boat is built for speed and comfort, and perfectly suited for travel along Alaska’s waterways. Guests will stay warm and dry with viewing decks and heated cabins as they experience the wonder and beauty of our whale watching trip. We will return to the docks and transport you back to Icy Strait Point with plenty of time to board your ship or explore downtown Hoonah.

What's Included
  • Bottled water and a light snack
  • Roundtrip transportation from Icy Strait Point gates
  • Snacks
  • Restrooms onboard boat
  • Bottled water and a light snack are included.
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information
  • At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Location
Alaska
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(7 Ratings)
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Lisam685
Jun 27, 2023
An Abundance of Whales! - We booked the "Whale Watching and Seafood Feast" excursion through NCL and it was wonderful! We boarded an enclosed boat that seats about 55 and headed out to see the whales. We weren't disappointed! There were SO many, it was impossible to count, but we saw them do all the things that make for a great whale-watching experience. It was impossible (at least for me) to take pictures because the sea was not calm and when whales breach, it makes a big wake. I didn't mind, because any attempts to take pictures meant missing some of the action. We also had a "seafood feast" back in Hoonah that was delicious! Remember to dress for the weather!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James_w
May 26, 2023
Great excursion - Nice boat, we were able to stay inside and the windows lifted up. Saw 6-8 whales, a huge group of sea otters and at least 6 sea lions.
Review provided by Viator
Glenns935
Sep 21, 2022
Very clean and comfortable way to see marine life! - I think the average whale watching tour would have been a good value and worth your time. We were lucky enough to get a much above average tour that we will never forget. The boat was new, spacious, and comfortable. Sea sickness on the 20-30 minute boat ride to where the whales were was never an issue even for my sensitive wife. I was not thrilled with the 7 am start time but was told that is unusual for this tour. Our guide Ashley (nick name bubbles tells how great she was) said they always see at least one or two whales per trip. We saw probably 15 at once! Quite a bit of the time there was 4-6 whales together 25 feet off the bow. After an hour of this amazement we finally went to see some sea lions on the navigation bouy who of course were super cute. We ended our trip with a surprise sighting of some Orcas! This tour will probably be the highlight of our vacation and a top memory of all vacations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Illinoissammie
Aug 3, 2022
Excellent Whale Watching Experience - Both the captain and the guide were wonderful! Captain knew where to find the whales and the guide was both knowledgeable and entertaining as she pointed out these magnificent whales. Best excursion ever!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Parrothead1970
Aug 13, 2021
Best whale watching we have ever had! - Don’t miss this. Had a phenomenal time and great whale watching. Closest we have ever been to those magnificent humpbacks. Traveling with SilverSea in the SilverMuse and loved the excursion. Hope you get to experience it too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_v
May 20, 2022
The tour was good. We... - The tour was good. We were able to see several whales however it was from quite a distance. Sea lions and sea otters we were able to see from much closer. The boat was good and the crew knowledge of the wildlife and local area.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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