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Will I see whales breach?

CruisingMom2010

By CruisingMom2010,
in Alaska

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Chipster2

Chipster2

Posted
Posted

From what we heard on our whale watching tour was that you have a much better chance of a breach in Hawaii than in Alaska.

 

While we did see a number if surfaces, all we saw was the blow hole and tail when they were heading back down.

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thyme2go

thyme2go

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Breathing is the most common thing you WILL see! LOL! But seriously, I've seen whales from the ship that display all kinds of behaviors...breaching is one of them. It's the luck of the draw on the day you are there, so there are no guarantee's. But I'd suggest that you keep your eye's open when you are cruising Steven's Passage as well as in general while in Alaskan waters and on the ship. I saw a spectacular breach right off the stern in Steven's Passage. People on the prominade deck that were walking the right way saw it, those going the other way missed it. Breaches don't last long so you can miss it even when you think you can't. It is so cool to be near these gentle giants in 'their' home waters. Enjoy your trip!

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caribill

caribill

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It's up to the whales if they want to breach or not.

 

In Juneau, I suggest you book your whale watching with Harv and Marv. Usually limited to six passengers, a much better experience than on a boat with over 100 passengers.

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PunkiC

PunkiC

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I have seen whales breach in Hawaii, Alaska and even in Seattle, but it's all the luck of the draw.

 

Once I was sitting in Horizon Court on the Coral, right at the front of the ship and saw a whale breach. I started shouting as soon as I saw the nose come up, to alert as many passengers as possible, but even at that, most of them only saw the tail sink beneath the water. We continued to see that whale blow, but it never again breached.

 

When we did our whale watching tour out of Lahaina, a whale breached right in front of the boat as we were leaving the harbor. The crew told us it wouldn't get any better than that, but they were wrong. During that tour we saw about 40 whales, or maybe some of the same whales many times. One mother decided to attach herself (with her calf following along) to our boat. Since the law requies the boats to maintain a distance from the whales in became a game of tag--the boat running away and the whales chasing the boat. It was pretty amazing.

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EYE-V

EYE-V

Posted
Posted
It's up to the whales if they want to breach or not.

 

In Juneau, I suggest you book your whale watching with Harv and Marv. Usually limited to six passengers, a much better experience than on a boat with over 100 passengers.

 

Totally agree Harv and Marv are awsome. One of the best trips ever.

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CruisingMom2010

CruisingMom2010

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Thank you so much! I researched the Harv and Marv tours, which sound amazing. Unfortunately we will be traveling with our 3 year old, and their websites claim they will only allow children under 13 if it is a private charter, or a group of 5-6 people.

 

It's only my husband and I with my daughter, and I don't want to pay for a private charter, that would probably be WAY more money than reasonable. We'll have to come back when DD is older. :)

 

So, I'll hope to spot a breach, but won't count on it. Thanks!

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vbmom87

vbmom87

Posted
Posted
Thank you so much! I researched the Harv and Marv tours, which sound amazing. Unfortunately we will be traveling with our 3 year old, and their websites claim they will only allow children under 13 if it is a private charter, or a group of 5-6 people.

 

It's only my husband and I with my daughter, and I don't want to pay for a private charter, that would probably be WAY more money than reasonable. We'll have to come back when DD is older. :)

 

So, I'll hope to spot a breach, but won't count on it. Thanks!

 

Not all vendors have the age restrictions that Harv and Marv do. Have you looked into Orca? They also get good reviews. They have child rates for children under 5.

 

http://www.orcaenterprises.com/

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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

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Totally agree Harv and Marv are awsome. One of the best trips ever.

Thanks to all of the wonderful reviews on CC we just booked with Harv and Marv tours for our Juneau time in May. Speaking to Callie on the telephone to firm up our reservation was like chatting with an old friend. I can't wait to see the whales in Alaska. We went on a snorkeling trip in Hawaii which also turned into a Whale sightseeing trip due to weather and it was unbelievable. :D

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WalleyeLJ

WalleyeLJ

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Thanks to all of the wonderful reviews on CC we just booked with Harv and Marv tours for our Juneau time in May. Speaking to Callie on the telephone to firm up our reservation was like chatting with an old friend. I can't wait to see the whales in Alaska. We went on a snorkeling trip in Hawaii which also turned into a Whale sightseeing trip due to weather and it was unbelievable. :D

 

Callie is terrific! We've been with Harv & Marv three times, and two of the three trips we've seen Humpbacks breach, and one of the three we saw Orcas. They said on average that they see breaches around 16% of the time. We also went into Kenai Fjords once and saw a Humpback breach there. Two trips ti Icy Straight Point (not to whale watch though), lots of whales, but no breaching. So, you never know - bu the more time you spend on the water and near whales, your odds only improve. Good luck!

L.J.

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Italy52

Italy52

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A couple of years on our whale watching excursions we have seen quite a few whales breach. In other years -- seldom.

Can't predict when and where or how often you will see it happen.

 

So true! No vendor can produce "the magic" if it just isn't there. We go with no expectations and are delighted if we "get a show."

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