Hoonah

Hoonah Whale-Watching Cruise

Badge of ExcellenceHoonah, USA
Whale Watch Adventure
  • 3 hours
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

See Alaskan wildlife on this whale-watching tour in Hoonah that takes you out onto the waters of Glacier Bay and Icy Strait, where humpback whales arrive each year to feed before heading south for the winter. The Hoonah whale season is roughly May to September. From the boat, you may also spot orcas, seals, and sea otters.
  • Whale-watching cruise in Hoonah
  • See humpback whales and other marine life in their natural environment
  • Watch from the viewing deck or heated cabin
  • Look for additional wildlife like bald eagles and blacktail deer
  • Choice of several departures throughout the day

What's Included

  • Round-trip shared transfer from Icy Strait Point
  • Local guide
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

  • Icy Strait Point
    108 Cannery Rd, Hoonah, AK 99829, USA

    Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub at the Port - DO NOT USE THE 108 CANNERY ROAD ADDRESS ON GOOGLE TO FIND THE PICK UP POINT. IT IS NOT CORRECT IN GOOGLE AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT!! We meet guests at the Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub. the Excursions Hub is a short 5 minute walk from where the ships dock or tender in to.

Pickup details

PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR TOUR IS SCHEDULED TO DEPART, OUT OF COURTESY TO OTHERS WE LEAVE ON TIME. If your ship is docked at the Adventure Dock, proceed ashore to the Icy Strait Point Adventure Center. Once inside the Adventure Center walk through the building and exit through door number"2". (This is clearly marked above the door.) Once outside, follow the signs along the gravel path to the Excursion Hub (451ft). The total walking time from the ship is 10 minutes, please allow extra time if you are not a fast walker. We ask that you check in 15 minutes early and we leave on time. If your ship is docked at the Wilderness Dock, walk up the dock and to the right. Ride the Green Transporter Gondola(4 minute ride) to the Adventure Landing. Exit the Gondola and go left, follow the signs to the Excursion Hub (451ft). Please check in with the Hoonah Travel Adventure Representative when you arrive at the Hub! If you are arriving via AK Seaplanes or AK Marine Highway please call us before your trip to make other arrangements.

What To Expect

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Departure times are dependent upon arrival and departure of your cruise ship
  • No smoking allowed
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:Is this tour available from Sitka?

A:No. This tour departs from Hoonah and is not available to travelers visiting Sitka

Feb 2023

Traveler Photos

See more
Featured review
Kathleen_D
Our tour guides were excellent. We had a great experience. Highly recommend this tour for anyone considering it.

Reviews

5.0
212 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 212 reviews
Scenic pleasure trip
Jocelyn_M, May 2024
Set in small town, family run business. Our captain was very knowledgeable. Taken out on smallish vessel, ( about 15 people) not too much space to get outside. Relatively expensive compared to some other trips. Used radio to find other sightings of whales from boats, had good results.
Loved experience ❤️
Genni_L, Apr 2024
Great experience! With the directions given, it was very easy to find the pick up point. Paul is extremely knowledgeable with all things Hoonah and the bay. Saw multiple whales and absolutely loved the tour! ❤️
Tails, fins, and barbs
Jon_L, Apr 2024
Excellent tour! We saw many whales and got majestic pictures. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and provided very colorful political commentary. Don’t hesitate! These are the best tours in Hoonah.
Great tour guide, lots of whale sightings!
Fletcher_R, Sep 2023
Saw many humpback whales from afar but one humpback breached extremely close to the boat and allowed us to really appreciate how massive these magnificent animals are. Our guide was super knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information and stories. He spoke so fast and often that my son could barely find an opportunity to speak to me because I kept shushing him because I wanted to hear what the guide was saying (it was that interesting). It was also nice to have some time in Hoonah after the tour was over. The breaded and fried halibut at Fisherman's Daughter restaurant was incredible.
great trip
Cheryl_G, Sep 2023
A wonderful trip with lots of fun facts and sitings of whales. I had my mom,husband and 2 17 year old children
Great whale viewings
Gary_L, Sep 2023
Great viewings of many whales with a personable and knowledgeable crew. Highly recommend when in Hoonah, Alaska.
Right whales and Orcas
Suzanne_G, Sep 2023
Small group, Captain Denise and deckhand Jonathan shared their knowledge with us…. We saw 4 orcas and multiple right whales. Promptly met and picked up by ?Jamiee in Icy Strait. She narrated along the drive.
Great tour
Wiley_H, Sep 2023
A great tour. We were picked up in the cruise line's fake town of Icy strait point and taken to the actual town of Hoonah, where we boarded our boat. The day was foggy, which limited viewing as we couldnt motor too fast, but we saw a bunch of whales, various other creatures. We just missed a pod of orca. The captain was entertaining and a good guide. We were back on time.
Crew very knowledgeable,...
Chris_T, Sep 2023
Crew very knowledgeable, captain Paul. Great. Boat very nice not to big and crowded. Saw lots of whales
Don't miss this one!
Debra_A, Sep 2023
What an experience. Great crew and captain. Captain went above and beyond to make sure the trip was a great experience! I'd go again today!! Saw whales, sea lions, sea otters, porpus and great information about the town and surrounding area!
Great Experience!
Janice_D, Sep 2023
It was a fantastic day seeing the humpback whales (mid-July). The boat ride is about 45 minutes to the site, but it was worth it. Our captain was wonderful and told stories of her people, which was very special. We saw so many whales, your head was on a swivel. Along the way, we passed by sea lions hanging out. I would highly recommend this company and make sure you tip well!
Amazing! Can’t see enough great things
Justin_M, Aug 2023
Great excursion. It felt very personalized. We were able to get super close and see many whales. The captain went out of her way to make sure everyone got a great experience.
Refreshing but not as expected
Tamar_K, Aug 2023
We saw the back of some whales and may be one tail, but no jumping whale. The operator was punctual, however , better pacing of the explenation would have helped.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
We are glad you had a “refreshing” time. Yes the whales are sometimes more active than others. That of course is completely out of our control. At least we put you on whales. If we could make them jump for you, we would. Unlike other operations, we always show up on time, we always leave on time, we have clean comfortable transport vehicles, and we do our best to ensure our guests have a good experience…. we guarantee whales. Not many other companies can do that. So a little disheartened with 3 Stars. But hey, some are harder to please others we get that. Have a great day!
Unforgettable whale watching experience
Freda_M, Aug 2023
Paul was an incredible tour guide. His vast experience and knowledge was absolutely amazing. We loved every second! It was just so beautiful we saw so many whales and sea lions and it was unforgettable. Highly recommend this tour and this guide in particular.
So many whales, sea...
Camila_F, Aug 2023
So many whales, sea otters and seals! Beautiful trip. The staff was so nice and respectful. Id recommend it as it is also a smaller boar than others and allows better visibility
Incredible experience! ...
Heather_G, Aug 2023
Incredible experience! Saw orcas and humpback whales. We were able to see them bubble feed and breach. Doesn’t get much better. Highly recommend this excursion.
A once in a lifetime experience!
Lucinda_S, Aug 2023
We were not disappointed in this trip! It ended up being one of our highlights of our two weeks visit to Alaska. We were assigned Captain Paul Comolli and along with his excellent staff, they brought life in Alaska to a relatable level and kept us fully entertained. Captain Comolli made sure we got our best views of whales and then made sure we saw Sea Otters and Sea Lions up close as well. Transportation was perfect to get to the boat and after the tour we had the opportunity to explore Hoonah. I cannot say enough good things about this tour and highly recommend booking.
Major disappointment
Sandra_A, Aug 2023
It was cancelled due to boat problem. Since this was the only excursion I paid for, I was totally bummed. Did not even see a whale on our cruise. Honestly, a company like this with no back up boats? Unconscionable.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
We are very sorry we had to cancel your tour. But good lord, no one is more heart broken about it than we are. We are a very small company with a very short season. We have two whale watch boats. Mechanical things break. One of our outboards blew a piston. We are still down and trying like heck to get back up and running. You missed a simple tour, we have employees out of work and are still struggling to get parts for repair which are impossible to source in todays environment.
Great whale watching experience.
Babs, Jul 2023
Capt. Paul was very informative and had a great eye for spotting the whales. We saw many humpback and had a great adventure.
Great experience
Kathleen_D, Jul 2023
Our tour guides were excellent. We had a great experience. Highly recommend this tour for anyone considering it.
...
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From $191.25

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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