Are Seas rough on whale watch boats in ISP

[Piper934]

You will love the independent whale watch.

Don't pin me 100% but this might be Colleen's. Talking with the lady in yellow jacket waiting to tender I thought that is who she said she was meeting. The one you can see how close you might get, we had 2 on ours get even closer. Either way give you an idea of size and see the water.

We did Ear Mountain Charters with Eric. Fantastic time and great encounters with the whales, I posted those pics over in the things to do in ISP thread. The water is not rough as you can see from the pictures. Also posted a pic of the cruise tour boat, for a tiny bit more you get personalized attention and a little more time out there, no brainer now that we experienced.

Enjoy your tour. You're going to have a blast.



Got a little foggy for a bit but created a unique experience, couldn't see far out but you could hear all the whales out there all around you. Clear enough to get that boat in the picture of the whale we were watching.



We've always been hesitant to book our own and go off beaten cruise line path. It was so worth it. Once again personalized attention.

[vbmom87]

Originally Posted by DragonOfTheSeas

It seems we can do the whale watch and still see the rest of ISP?

Absolutely. If you have a whale watch first thing, your vendor will meet you right by the dock and drive you to the small boat dock where you will board your ship. If you want, they will typically drive you back to the ship, or you can stay in town and walk around, have lunch etc. We found it interesting how the residents creatively recycle since it must be very costly to dispose of things. For example, on the front lawn of one house was an old kitchen range that they turned into a flower planter.

If your whale watch is later, you can either take a shuttle to town or walk. If you do not have mobility problems it is an easy walk.

There is the old cannery that has been remodeled and has a museum and shops that is located right where the tenders dock. (Note: when we talked to some fellow cruisers they were sorry they missed the museum. When we went into more detail, they said they had been there, but didn't realize it was a musuem ) There is also a nice stroll you can take along the water. Depending on the time of year, some people will go on a bear search. Some of the whale watch vendors offer a combination whale watch/bear search.

There are definitely things to do in ISP, but you must do your homework. I alway recommend taking an excursion here. Otherwise, you may just end up roaming around aimlessly, walking in a few shops and wondering why the heck your cruise ship stopped here. Some people totally miss the point that this is a true Alaska port town that is really an interesting place to stop.