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Sitka Premier Whale Watching and Wildlife Tour

Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sitka, USA
High interest
Booked 2 times today.
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Hollie_P ·
Sept 2025
This whale watching tour in Sitka, Alaska was absolutely unforgettable! Parker was outstanding—warm, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about marine life. He made sure everyone was comfortable and engaged. We saw humpbacks breaching against the stunning backdrop of Sitka’s rugged coastline. The boat was well-equipped, and the entire experience felt both thrilling and serene. A must-do if you're visiting Sitka!
· Debbie_M ·
Sept 2025
It was good. Nice, small group. Nice boat. Great captain. I highly recommend. He met us right at the visitor center and we walked down a ramp to the boat.

Overview

Get closer to nature during an intimate, small-group adventure around Sitka Sound, home to majestic whales, brown bears, eagles, and sea otters. Create lasting memories of seeing these animals in their natural habitats while learning more about them from experts. Whether you’re calling at Sitka during your cruise or staying in town, this activity is an ideal introduction to the area for wildlife enthusiasts.
  • Cover lots of ground in a short space of time
  • See multiple wildlife species with experts who know where to look
  • Relax and enjoy the views while somebody else does the driving
  • A maximum of 13 travelers for a more personalized experience

What's Included

  • Snacks
    Water and Snacks
  • Onboard spacious bathroom
  • Designated pickup and drop off arrangements
  • Spacious deck space to view and photograph wildlife from
  • Experienced and licensed USCG captains!
  • Ground transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Harrigan Centennial Hall
    Visitors Dock at Crescent Harbor, 330 Harbor Dr, Sitka, AK 99835, USA

    Please meet behind the Harrigan Centennial Hall near the backdoor of the building. We will send you your pickup instructions days prior to your tour. If you are docked at the Sitka Cruise Terminal, please ensure you board a shuttle to downtown Sitka.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

1

Sitka Sound

2 hours Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • No land pickup available. We will meet you at 330 Harbor Drive (where the shuttle buses drop you off on the backside of the building.)
  • No stress guaranteed for return time to the ship.
  • This tour is weather dependent, if the captain deems the weather too bad you will be issued a full refund or a different tour
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 13 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Merrill_S
We had a great whale watching tour!!! Mike is a very friendly & fun guy! This is an awesome way to get up close to nature!!! It is a small boat & there were just 4 passengers! Mike gave us great information about everything that we were looking for & that we saw!!! We saw many humpbacks , sea otters & stellar sea lions…and , a beautiful bald eagle! I would book this tour again in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!

Reviews

4.9
based on 119 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Best excursion ever

Kimberly_S, May 2026
Greatest part of the trip. JAC is so nice and knowledgeable. Saw all the wildlife advertised. Would do it again

Response from Host, May 2026

Jac is pretty great! We are lucky to have her!

Great Trip!

Gregg_B, May 2026
Outstanding tour! Both the captain and mate were knowledgeable, professional and interacted well with all passengers. Spotted multiple whales, as well as ALOT of sea otters and seals.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much Gregg!

So many whales!

Deanna_A, Apr 2026
Very knowledge tour guide with a sense of humor. He knew just where to find the sea lions. We were able to see otters and he found a ton of grey whales and taught us all about their behaviors vs the behaviors of humpback. All of the wildlife aside, the scenery was lovely. If I had any critiques it would be for the Viator platform itself. The platform gave some conflicting information about the nature of the tour and pick up instructions. Luckily the tour company texted us directly in regards to the meeting point. All in all it was a great experience but I recommend booking with Parker Wildlife Tour directly to avoid any confusion. This wasn't the first time I had a confusing time with Viator.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks Deanna for the great review!

A tale of whale tails!!!!

Kevin_E, Mar 2026
We were hoping to see a whale instead we saw dozens of them. This is a “must do” experience. My grand-kids loved it

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks Kevin! What a day!

Fantastic experience

Padraig_m, Sept 2025
Parker provided us with the highlights of our week long cruise in the fantastic 2 hours we spent with him on his boat. He gave us a very informative and personal experience with just one other couple on our trip. We were fortunate enough to see brown bears numerous Whales ,sea lions and otters. We would highly recommend Parker and his company.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks so much for the wonderful review! Cant wait to see you next time!

This was such an awesome...

Kelli_M, Sept 2025
This was such an awesome day. Our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly. He went out of his way to help us see bears, whales, and eagles. We had a blast!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks Kelli!!

Fantastic time, saw a...

Armando_A, Sept 2025
Fantastic time, saw a good amount of wildlife, salmon, brown bears within 25 ft, humpbacks right off the boat thank you guys for the great time!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks so much for the review!

Forever Memories

Olga_V, Sept 2025
Parker was friendly and communication with the company was great! We were comfortable and felt safe at all times. We saw all kinds of alaska wildlife! The beautifully black fin of the orca against the dar green waters and treelined mountains is a picture in my mind that I hope I never forget!

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thank you so much Olga! Unforgettable trip!

Great day!!!!!!!!

Merrill_S, Sept 2025
We had a great whale watching tour!!! Mike is a very friendly & fun guy! This is an awesome way to get up close to nature!!! It is a small boat & there were just 4 passengers! Mike gave us great information about everything that we were looking for & that we saw!!! We saw many humpbacks , sea otters & stellar sea lions…and , a beautiful bald eagle! I would book this tour again in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks Merrill, we hope to see you again!

It was good. Nice, small...

Debbie_M, Sept 2025
It was good. Nice, small group. Nice boat. Great captain. I highly recommend. He met us right at the visitor center and we walked down a ramp to the boat.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks Debbie!! We hope to see you again!

Sitka wildlife!

Hollie_P, Sept 2025
This whale watching tour in Sitka, Alaska was absolutely unforgettable! Parker was outstanding—warm, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about marine life. He made sure everyone was comfortable and engaged. We saw humpbacks breaching against the stunning backdrop of Sitka’s rugged coastline. The boat was well-equipped, and the entire experience felt both thrilling and serene. A must-do if you're visiting Sitka!

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks Hollie! We look forward to you joining us again!

Whales and more

Gretchen_A, Sept 2025
I thought we would just see whales but we saw jumping salmon, a bear, sea otters and whales. Awesome day!

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks so much! We hope to see you again!

Unforgettable Whale Watching Experience!

Gina_L, Sept 2025
One of the best experiences of my life. Seeing the whales up close was simply breathtaking. The tour was very well organized, the crew was friendly and professional, and the naturalist guide made it even more interesting. I 100% recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Alaska.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks Gina! We hope to see you again!

Mike was the BEST tour guide for this amazing adventure

Laura_W, Sept 2025
Mike was an amazing tour guide. This adventure was breathtaking. I cannot imagine a better experience. Thank you Mike for your expertise. I highly recommend asking for Mike to bring you this amazing tour. SO many whales!! Baby and parent eagles, bears, sea otters, and salmon jumping.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Hey Laura, thanks so much! We hope to see you again!

Awesome whale experience

Wendy_W, Sept 2025
Small comfortable boat with a knowledgeable captain. The boat was clean and he took us to many places to get as close to whales and other wildlife as possible.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks Wendy!

Love Sitka and had a great tour.

John_D, Sept 2025
Sitka does a great job handling tourists. There are many independent tour operators. There were many tours available our day of arrival. We were very happy with the tour we pre booked. Close to many whales.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Thanks John for the fantastic review!

Beautiful Sitka Tour

Barbara_B, Sept 2025
Beautiful sunny day and excitement waiting to see wildlife. Parker our guide was excellent! Saw brown bear, whales & sea otters.

Fantastic!!!

Damon_L, Sept 2025
One word: FANTASTIC!!!! We got to see multiple humpback whales that crested with their tails. We saw a black bear and sea lion. The views were incredible. The captain was friendly and did everything he could do to get us wildlife. We highly recommend!

Sitka Wildlife Adventure

John_G, Sept 2025
Excellent! Found otters, whales and a bear feeding on salmon. Really enjoyed the commentary, and we had plenty of time to watch the wildlife.

Amazing

Shannon_H, Sept 2025
Amazing experience! You will see a lot of wild life and the tour guide Parker is very knowledgeable. Water and snacks included.

There were only 4 total...

Timothy_H, Sept 2025
There were only 4 total passengers. We brought binoculars. It helped to see more details. Very knowledgeable and relaxed guide.

Take a small tour not a big boat.

Robert_B, Sept 2025
Worth every penny. Small group so much better than the larger boats. Mike the guide was concerned about weather and our fun. We saw Salmon. Bears. Sea Otters. And WHALES!!!!!

Captain was great...

Miriam_B, Aug 2025
Captain was great He knew how to find whales, sea lions, and otters. Small boat with only 6 of us. Wonderful experience. Two of us were older and had some mobility issues. He helped us get off and on board

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks so much!

Great wildlife experience

Mavis_G, Aug 2025
Guide Parker was very nice and the Boat was clean and comfortable. We found some up close experiences with Bears, sea lions and whales. Would highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks Mavis! I appreciate it!

Sitka whale watching tour

Richard_L, Aug 2025
Parker was friendly. Boat was clean. Weather was great. We saw sea otters, bears, lots of humpback whales

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks Richard!!

Whales Whales and more Whales

Christina_U, Aug 2025
One of the best experiences. There was no disappointment in seeing whales and all other sea life, Mike was extremely knowledgeable in the history of Sitka, would recommend this trip 1000 times over

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks so much!! Captain Mike does know a ton about this area!!

Parker - great guide!

KAILYN_F, Aug 2025
Parker was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Being a Sitka native was a really wonderful treat.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks Kailyn!!

Fantastic trip to see the wild life with beautiful views.

Lisa_G, Aug 2025
We had a great experience and got to see whales, sea lions, bears and sea otters! We also saw lots of jumping salmon which was awesome. The guide was super informative and gave my daughter ginger chews when she got a little sea sick.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks Lisa! Hope the ginger chews worked!

My wife and I thoroughly...

Brooks_H, Aug 2025
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our day out on the water in Sitka. Captain Mike was very informative and we had the privilege of seeing a brown bear swimming for salmon, a soaring bald eagle, sea otters, breaching humpback whales and sea lions lounging on a nearby buoy. This was a great excursion from start to finish and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Sitka.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

What a trip! Thanks Brooks!

Guide was very...

Mary_K, Aug 2025
Guide was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately, the waters did not allow us to go the area where whales frequent. We did see one humpback and a brown bear eating salmon.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks a lot Mary!

From $190.00

per person

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

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 107 days in advance.

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