Realistic Expectations of Whale Watching

I realize no one can predict whales & what might be seen on any given day but I want to purchase this excursion with realistic expectations. We will be in Juneau around the 20th of May. what can we expect on a whale watching excursion? Is it most common to see two or three or is it common to see 20 or 30. we went whale watching on the East Coast and were horribly disappointed to only see the back maybe two whales after several hours on the water. Should we go in with the mindset that this might be the same experience? As I said, I know it's impossible to predict what might happen on any given day but I also know that several people on this website have gone whale watching and I want to know what your experiences are.

I realize no one can predict whales & what might be seen on any given day but I want to purchase this excursion with realistic expectations. We will be in Juneau around the 20th of May. what can we expect on a whale watching excursion? Is it most common to see two or three or is it common to see 20 or 30. we went whale watching on the East Coast and were horribly disappointed to only see the back maybe two whales after several hours on the water. Should we go in with the mindset that this might be the same experience? As I said, I know it's impossible to predict what might happen on any given day but I also know that several people on this website have gone whale watching and I want to know what your experiences are.

You'll see some whales. The number can be anything. Even in the height of whale season in Alaska you might only see two or three. Whales follow the food.

What you had on your previous tour- is USUAL. You can only- "expect" to see blows, backs and tails. It's a LOT more whale "waiting" then "watching". :)

One point you aren't realizing is that humpbacks are NOT "pod" animals, they are solitary, with the "group" number- for a year being just a mother and calf and during migration an unrelated escort. Otherwise- one whale is the most common to see.

It is RARE to see large numbers. You are outside the time frame of bubble net feeding- a chance, special invite group feeding activity that only can last a few days. I've seen this behavior with up to 15 humpbacks, frequently fewer. You also are there before the full migration is complete.

I'm pretty sure, I'm the most experienced whale watcher here, It's usually 15 to 20 trips/year, out of Alaska, Hawaii and Gloucester every year. It is PURE chance what you will see and a gift, unique with NO predictability. There are numerous posts of the claims- the tour vendor is so "great", they "knew" where to go etc- that had nothing to do with the tour except transportation. :) It would be like watching you for a couple hours on a random day. Most of your experience is "usual" and not too exciting. :)

Unless you think you'd be ok with a repeat of what you already have had on a whale watch tour, this may not be a good choice for you. But I will say- the more you go out, the more you see. I greatly enjoy those "dull" trips (most of mine), (that others describe). I'm delighted to have that small window of opportunity look into the marine animal's life. I've been on countless trips with people having very unrealistic expectations and great disappointment, some angry, again this year.

You're way ahead of the game considering, what YOU want out of your Alaska visit, BEFORE you get there. :) It's going to require some more thought on your part, I'm sure you'll come up with the right choice.

The very first whale watching tour my wife and I took, we saw a LOT of whales, including a breach by an orca.

The most recent one we took was as BQ described: a lot of whale waiting, with numerous "blows" and some fins.

It's a crap shoot.

I realize no one can predict whales & what might be seen on any given day but I want to purchase this excursion with realistic expectations. We will be in Juneau around the 20th of May. what can we expect on a whale watching excursion? Is it most common to see two or three or is it common to see 20 or 30. we went whale watching on the East Coast and were horribly disappointed to only see the back maybe two whales after several hours on the water. Should we go in with the mindset that this might be the same experience? As I said, I know it's impossible to predict what might happen on any given day but I also know that several people on this website have gone whale watching and I want to know what your experiences are.

I have been on many whale-watching excursions out of Juneau in May. The new baby humpbacks whales are really active during their first time in Alaska (photo below). I have always seen and followed at least five whales. The most I have seen in one excursion is 12. Perhaps lucky but my successful sightings stand at 100% so far. The interesting side is that I have seen the most whales in May while it was raining.

Most excursion operators have a $100 refund guarantee that you will see humpback whales. The excursion boat captains are in radio contact with other whale-watching boats and share whale spotting locations. There are a few whales in the Juneau area (Auke Bay) that are year-round residents.

Since whales do not feed while on their winter migration, their return in April-June finds them very hungry with lots of deep-dive feeding and the resulting great tail shots for photographers.

Baby humpback whale:

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty/wildlife/humpback-whales/

Enjoy your planning.

Our whale watching experience with back-to-back 2 hour trips on May 19, 2016 in Juneau:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50228411&postcount=10

I realize no one can predict whales & what might be seen on any given day but I want to purchase this excursion with realistic expectations. We will be in Juneau around the 20th of May. what can we expect on a whale watching excursion? Is it most common to see two or three or is it common to see 20 or 30. we went whale watching on the East Coast and were horribly disappointed to only see the back maybe two whales after several hours on the water. Should we go in with the mindset that this might be the same experience? As I said, I know it's impossible to predict what might happen on any given day but I also know that several people on this website have gone whale watching and I want to know what your experiences are.

We did whale watching for about 2.5 hours and saw about half a dozen whales. Only saw the tails and back. They don't jump out of the water like in the Pacific Life commercial.

We were there in August 2015. We saw several humpbacks on our whale watching cruise, saw humpbacks and orcas in Kenai Fjords, saw several humpbacks from the cruise ship itself and saw one whale from above when we were on a helicopter tour.

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What you had on your previous tour- is USUAL. You can only- "expect" to see blows, backs and tails. It's a LOT more whale "waiting" then "watching". :)

 

One point you aren't realizing is that humpbacks are NOT "pod" animals, they are solitary, with the "group" number- for a year being just a mother and calf and during migration an unrelated escort. Otherwise- one whale is the most common to see.

 

It is RARE to see large numbers. You are outside the time frame of bubble net feeding- a chance, special invite group feeding activity that only can last a few days. I've seen this behavior with up to 15 humpbacks, frequently fewer. You also are there before the full migration is complete.

 

I'm pretty sure, I'm the most experienced whale watcher here, It's usually 15 to 20 trips/year, out of Alaska, Hawaii and Gloucester every year. It is PURE chance what you will see and a gift, unique with NO predictability. There are numerous posts of the claims- the tour vendor is so "great", they "knew" where to go etc- that had nothing to do with the tour except transportation. :) It would be like watching you for a couple hours on a random day. Most of your experience is "usual" and not too exciting. :)

 

Unless you think you'd be ok with a repeat of what you already have had on a whale watch tour, this may not be a good choice for you. But I will say- the more you go out, the more you see. I greatly enjoy those "dull" trips (most of mine), (that others describe). I'm delighted to have that small window of opportunity look into the marine animal's life. I've been on countless trips with people having very unrealistic expectations and great disappointment, some angry, again this year.

 

You're way ahead of the game considering, what YOU want out of your Alaska visit, BEFORE you get there. :) It's going to require some more thought on your part, I'm sure you'll come up with the right choice.

Thanks for this response. This is why we are not going on a whale watch tour - this year. My son will be 8 & I don't think that he would be ok with blow & backs. (Maybe next time...)