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Juneau Whale Watching in Sept?


lstrong

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Some whales stay near Juneau year-round so definitely not "too late." I would go with one of the more reputable companies that know the area well. It might be slightly harder to find whales that late in the season vs. earlier but they will definitely be there.

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I'm on the last cruise of the season on HAL and am booked for a nature hike and whale-watching trip through the cruise line. A whale sighting is guaranteed by the operator or we will receive $100 cash, so I figure nothing to lose!

 

Sounds like the same excursion I took in Juneau, May 2013. If I am correct, your boat holds 22 with folding windows to open when whales are spotted. There will be lots of boats looking for them and with radio communications, the boats head for the latest sightings.

 

The nature hike to Mendenhall Glacier is excellent with lots of information on glacier activity and the reforestation process. The excursion concludes with some breathtaking photo opportunities at the Glacier.

 

FWIW the snack was healthy and filling.

 

Bring rain gear since Alaska is in a rain forest and rain is measured in feet rather than the normal inches.

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Sounds like the same excursion I took in Juneau, May 2013. If I am correct, your boat holds 22 with folding windows to open when whales are spotted. There will be lots of boats looking for them and with radio communications, the boats head for the latest sightings.

 

The nature hike to Mendenhall Glacier is excellent with lots of information on glacier activity and the reforestation process. The excursion concludes with some breathtaking photo opportunities at the Glacier.

 

FWIW the snack was healthy and filling.

 

Bring rain gear since Alaska is in a rain forest and rain is measured in feet rather than the normal inches.

 

Thanks!! Yes the trip is small, capped at 20. I invested in a great Columbia rain jacket so I'm ready!!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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Thanks!! Yes the trip is small, capped at 20. I invested in a great Columbia rain jacket so I'm ready!!!

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Here is some of the plant life you will see on your nature hike near Mendenhall Glacier:

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/?page_id=1105

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I'm on the last cruise of the season on HAL and am booked for a nature hike and whale-watching trip through the cruise line. A whale sighting is guaranteed by the operator or we will receive $100 cash, so I figure nothing to lose!

 

We did the whale watch with HAL (Westerdam) the 1st week of Sept last year. Allen Marine was great at finding them. We saw lots of humpbacks, minke and orcas :) Have a wonderful cruise!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We were in Juneau last week and saw numerous whales on our excursion with Harv and Marv's. We booked a 6-person boat so everyone would be able to see from inside, but it was a beautiful day so we sat outside. Captain Steve was a wonderful guide and as excited as we were to have "Spot" surface 10 feet away.

626853908_juneau151.jpg.b529483b700c3848b45f077c99974e0e.jpg

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Did whale watching in Juneau last Friday (Sept 13) in the morning.

 

It was an amazing experience as we saw orcas in one location (within 15 minutes of starting the tour) and many humpbacks in two different locations. People on the afternoon tour did not see orcas, from those I spoke with.

 

This was on an Allen Marine ship-booked excursion, by the way.

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We just did whale watching last week with Gastineau Guiding and probably saw several humpbacks. I have dozens of pictures from the trip. We did the photo safari by land and sea and it was excellent. There were six people on our boat but it could have held 14. Besides the whale watching, we did a short nature hike at the Mendenhall Glacier. We even saw a bear!

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