Requesting opinions for Best Whale Watching Tour for our Trip

[luvtwotrvl]

We are researching the Amsterdam's itinerary for summer 2012. We are interested in July due to our work schedule.

For whale watching, which city/operator would you recommend? I am concerned about wave action on smaller vessels as well.

I also posted this on the Alaskan board too.

The cities are
Ketchikan
Juneau
Icy Strait Point
Anchorage
Homer
Kodiak
Sitka


Thanks,
David

[Cruzman]

Orca Enterprises in Juneau! You will not be disappointed!

[Willsot]

The Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest excursion out of Sitka last September was the best whale-watching we have ever experienced. We also saw plenty of whales out of Juneau but Sitka was best that cruise.

[Jemima]

We've done the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest in Sitka twice and it was wonderful both times. We've also done the whale watch in Juneau and had plenty of whale sightings both times. These are HAL shore excursions, but I don't think you'll find better ones independently. Both the Sitka and Juneau ones are done by Allen Marine, there is a naturalist onboard, the boats are comfortable, roomy and have great viewing, binoculars are provided. The Sitka one picks you up from the tendered ship for the am excursion.

[topspot]

We went with Harv and Marv in Juneau. Most of their boats hold 6. It was awesome. We were surrounded by whales, and they put a special equipment (sonar??) into the water and we could hear the whales communicating with one another.

[fleckle]

If your priority is whale watching, the best ports for seeing humpbacks are Juneau and Icy Strait Point.
Sitka is good for more varied types of wildlife, although you get some variety at Juneau and Icy Strait Point too.

If you book your tour through the ship, they use large boats that are more stable riding than the small six-pack boats, but they are usually crowded, giving the feeling of being in a herd. Passengers are often packed together shoulder-to-shoulder at the railing on them when wildlife is spotted, necessitating taking turns to get to the railing to take photos.

In Sitka we have done the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest, booked through the cruise ship, and also a private wildlife tour on the Esther G. with Captain Davey. Although both were enjoyable, the trip with Captain Davey was far superior.

The small boats are uncrowded, provide a more personalized experience and good view on all sides for everyone without needing to take turns. But they do not ride as smoothly as the larger boats, if that is a concern.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have taken a few non HAL excursions in Alaksa for Whale Watching and have to admit I was highly dissappointed. Thought their boats were bad and thought their transportation to get there even worse. To be honest I highly receommend Allen Marine Tours which is the tour operator for most all the cruise lines. The boat while large we have always had amazing viewing for the whlaes. If the weather is not great I have taken some great photos and video from inside the boat thru the windows which are always crystal clear clean and must have some type of reflective coating because the flash never shows and photos come out perfect. I think one of the best places is out of Juneau but we have enjoyed the Whale and Otter in Sitka as well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I do like the smaller boats - but now that my knees have gotten really bad -- I need to be on the larger, more stable boats.

Thus I recommend taking the ship's tour which use larger boats.

We have loved all our whale watching tours in Sitka, Juneau and Icy Straight Point -- have them 2 and 3 times.

We just did Amsterdam's 14 day Alaskan cruise this year -- you will love it!!

[Big Dawg CC]

Floyd's in Icy Straits was excellent. See http://www.visithoonah.com/fishes/ They picked us up just outside the security gate to the port and took us back. It is a small, extremely clean boat and only holds 6 passengers. We could see a dozen humpback whales at any give time and a group of 5 or 6 came within 5 feet. We also saw some seals, eagles and otters. He communicates with fishermen in the area so he knows where the whales are that day before heading out.

[toodycat]

Try Harv n Marv in Juneau. We saw lots of whales and the guide was fantastic. The trip was a once in a lifetime type of experience and cost about the same as going through the ship's excursion. http://www.harvandmarvs.com

[sdcruiser]

Floyd's in Icy Straits was excellent. See http://www.visithoonah.com/fishes/ They picked us up just outside the security gate to the port and took us back. It is a small, extremely clean boat and only holds 6 passengers. We could see a dozen humpback whales at any give time and a group of 5 or 6 came within 5 feet. We also saw some seals, eagles and otters. He communicates with fishermen in the area so he knows where the whales are that day before heading out.

It was an EXCELLENT tour. We just got back two weeks ago and got within 5-10 feet of a pod of 7 or 8 whales, some breaching four and five times. It was one of our favorite excursions of all time and Floyd's company called F.I.S.H.E.S. was on time, provided excellent transportation to and from the cruise port to the harbor, light snacks and coffee and hot chocolate on board his vessel. My family of three, including my teenage son, still talk about it today. Floyd also got us near a group of seals on the way back to the harbor.

SDCruiser

[CowPrincess]

The Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest excursion out of Sitka last September was the best whale-watching we have ever experienced. We also saw plenty of whales out of Juneau but Sitka was best that cruise.

We too had an amazing whale watch experience in Sitka last Sept, but according to our naturalist the # of humpbacks was way higher than normal, due to some sort of perfect humpback feeding environment that doesn't normally exist (temperatures, currents, tides, etc). There were SO many humpbacks around, I found it a little unnerving. Thrilling, yes, but also unnerving.

Haven't made it to ISP yet., but have been pleased with Juneau-based whale watches.

[vbmom87]

I was on the August 5 HAL Amsterdam Alaska cruise this year. I would go with Icy Strait. This is one port without a lot to do. I ran into many fellow cruisers who were disappointed in their day in Icy Strait. You definitely want an excursion planned here, and if whale watching is your interest, go with Icy Strait. You can easily fill your day in Juneau with other activities. As far as Sitka, we only saw one whale there. I would definitely not choose Sitka for a whale watching excursion. Although you may hit a good day, as mentioned, the boat tours in Sitka are more likely to see sea otters, puffins, birds, etc. In my pre-cruise research I learned that Sitka would be iffy for whales. If whales had been my priority and I had only planned a whale watch there, I would have been very disappointed.

For whale watching in Icy Strait I also highly recommend F.I.S.H.E.S. We liked the small boat, but as mentioned above, if you have mobility issues, I would go with a larger boat. Other private whale watching operators that have been recommended on CC are Teckk and Misty Bay Lodge in Icy Strait. Whomever you go with, make sure they have a hydrophone. If the whales happen to be bubblenet feeding, having a hydrophone is very important. Just before the whales come up to bubblenet feed, they will chatter. Their chattering will be picked up by the hydrophone. This is your cue to start looking for the circle of bubbles out on the water. This will be where the whales will come up to feed. Awesome!!!

[alliecat1961]

We booked with Orca in Juneau for a trip on 8/24. We went on the early trip at 9:00 am and were very happy with the number and types of whales we saw. We saw so many whales that morning -- both Orca and Hump-back whales. These whales were very active in the water and Captain Larry knew exactly where they were. Great trip that I would taken again. One of the highlights of my 13 day Alaskan trip.

[sportsmum]

Another vote for Harv and Marv in Juneau!

Used AKwhalewatching our first time and it wasn't so hot. Slow boat to nowhere!! Harv and Marv our second time and it was awesome! In the little boat we could head out to where the sightings were quicker than the others. The sonar was really cool and he found us whales bubble feeding. The whole experience is still a highlight after many, many holidays since.