Wildlife Viewing, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Ketchikan, USA
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
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Overview
Explore the bays and islands of Alaska on a whale- and wildlife-watching excursion off the coast of Ketchikan. Locally owned and family-run, this company prides itself on knowing the best up-to-date whale watching locations in the area. This ensures the greatest chances of spotting whales on your outing (though sightings are not always guaranteed), as well as other wildlife like bald eagles, harbor seals, and a wide variety of seabirds.
- Embark on a whale and wildlife viewing boat trip
- Enjoy snacks and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the tour
- Stay comfortable regardless of the weather with indoor and outdoor seating
- Hear live narration about Ketchikan’s rich history, culture, and wildlife
What's Included
- SnacksIncluded in your trip are a variety of chips and pastries, coffee, tea, bottled water, flavored sparkling water.
- We have Binoculars and blankets for you if needed.
- Be sure to bring weather appropriate clothing! Layering is best.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ketchikan Visitors Bureau131 Front St, Ketchikan, AK 99901, USA
Check in 30 mins before your tour at Booth #16, Berth 2 Visitors Center (131 Front St). Ward Cove ship arrivals: plan to be on a shuttle to downtown Ketchikan 1 hour early to ensure timely check-in.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your afternoon on the water begins at your selected start time, right at the centrally located Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. After checking in, hop aboard your boat—a smaller, less-crowded vessel than many other whale-watching tours—and choose between indoor and outdoor seating areas.
Next, set sail into the Tongass Narrows. This family-owned tour company has deep knowledge of the region’s geography and ecology; thanks to your captain and crew’s expertise, you’ll head directly to the spots where you’re most likely to see whales.
Keep your eyes peeled for migratory humpbacks, orcas, and other whale species. You may also spot harbor seals, eagles, and other local wildlife, thanks in part to the provided binoculars. As you go, stay cozy with on-board hot drinks, snacks, and blankets.
Finally, return to shore. Your tour ends just a couple hours after beginning, giving you plenty of time to continue your local sightseeing.
Next, set sail into the Tongass Narrows. This family-owned tour company has deep knowledge of the region’s geography and ecology; thanks to your captain and crew’s expertise, you’ll head directly to the spots where you’re most likely to see whales.
Keep your eyes peeled for migratory humpbacks, orcas, and other whale species. You may also spot harbor seals, eagles, and other local wildlife, thanks in part to the provided binoculars. As you go, stay cozy with on-board hot drinks, snacks, and blankets.
Finally, return to shore. Your tour ends just a couple hours after beginning, giving you plenty of time to continue your local sightseeing.
1
131 Front St
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Thomas Basin
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Ketchikan (Pass By)
Tongass National Forest (Pass By)
3
Metlakatla
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 66 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
gina_d
This was truly an incredible experience. Saw multiple whales bubble feeding. The captain and his crew were very knowledgeable.
The boat hat had coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, water and snacks. They also had binoculars and blankets for those who wanted to use them.
Theo, one of the deckhands was so kind and eager to help with any needs we had.
The only thing I didn’t like is that they let the guests smoke if they wanted to.
All in all it was a beautiful peaceful afternoon
Reviews
4.8
based on 987 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Raquel_B, Aug 2026
It was a very pleasant experience and educational as captain Jesse narrated a few things. Got to see a whale, eagles and seals. Loved it!
Bryan_S, Aug 2026
we saw multiple humpback whales, bald eagles, and seals… This trip was exactly what we were looking for
Dan_S, Aug 2026
You're not guaranteed to get a.I've been close view of whales. The eagle and sea lion viewing was awesome.
Michelle_P, Aug 2026
Great price , nice Cruise, we saw the whales! Crew was really knowledgeable, beautiful weather and great wild life scenery
Sheila_P, Aug 2026
If you are wanting a boat ride, that would be good. We spent a long time following 1 whale.and seen his tail 3 times at a long distance away. They used so much time that they canceled the eagle feeding which we were really wanting to see. The tour had a lot of small kids on it which most every time I tried to take a pic they ran in front of my camera. The crew catered to that group of 12 and because of their port time we didn’t get to see the eagles. We were so underwhelmed. 😒
Natasha_T, Aug 2026
We had such a great morning with Captain Jesse and Theo. They were both super lovely and knowledgeable, they made the trip very fun. We got to see whales, eagles and seals we loved the excursion and had plenty of time to walk around ketchikan afterwards so the best of both worlds.
Instructions were easy and the whole experience seamless. Would definitely recommend
Randy_K, Aug 2026
If you want to see eagles up close they throw fish out and eagles come close to boat. Most of the time just a boat ride. Finally near the end of the trip we saw orcas but all you could really see was top find and a little bit of their backs. It was ok but for the price I wouldn’t do it again
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Yeah seeing Orcas is just SoSo. Ha ha funny right.
Binu_J, Jul 2026
The overall communication and arrangements were good. Was easy to checkin and find our guide/ captain. Overall the boat trip was meh. We had landed on a cruise and ended up in this boat for 3 hours. Saw an eagle and little babies in a nest. That was about it. No whales were seen. For a boat ride that charged $180 per person the snacks were cheap and experience was average. The next day of our cruise we did a private sea plane ride in Sitka. Now that was breathtaking and spectacular. The team was kind but the experience was just average.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
As we do appreciate reviews,
We also appreciate the opportunity to comment on them. On your tour you did see more than Eagle. You got to see Seals and Salmon jumping. As for whales, sometimes we do strike out and it is unfortunate that your tour time for the day did not find whales. We do advertise our tour as a sightseeing, wildlife viewing and whale watching quest. We still have a very high percentage on finding whales. Out of the 188 tours this summer we’ve only missed whales on 8 tours.
If you visit again we would love to get you out at a discount to try again.
Erin_J, Jul 2026
What a wonderful experience! The boat and the crew were amazing. First class! We saw hump back whales and so many eagles. The crew made us feel welcome with excellent information, beverages, and snacks. Highly recommend!
Gayle_C, Jul 2026
The captain and crew were amazing! They worked so hard to help us see eagles, seals, and a humpback whale bubble feeding! We thought we were not going to see any whales. Drove all over trying to get a glimpse. Then suddenly very close to port, Phenyx popped up out of the ocean!!
Paige_V, Jul 2026
Such a fun time! We were able to see a humpback and some eagles! The guides were knowledgeable and the weather was perfect. They provided hot chocolate as well which was perfect after some sea spray!
Brennan_L, Jul 2026
Good tour with a great crew and caption. We did get to see a humpback whale and wildlife. We enjoyed seeing the area.
deb_g, Jul 2026
Ww saw whales bubble feeding, seals, sunning & swimming & eagles flying down for a mid-morning snack.
Maureen_V, Jul 2026
The whale watching exceeded my expectations. We saw whales, eagles and sea lions. We were all excited as was the crew.. I would highly recommend it.
brenda_s, Jul 2026
An amazing experience! We were thrilled to observe multiple whales, including one very active, breaching juvenile. What a day!
Traci_H, Jul 2026
Excellent tour! Captain Jesse, Mark, and Theo were excellent crew/guides. Lots of knowledge about the wildlife we got to see. Would highly recommend this excursion. We saw whales, eagles, largely took us to see a huge eagle’s nest, and harbor seals. So much fun!
Bonnie_M, Jul 2026
Comfortable, clean boat
Helpful crew, determined to give a good wildlife viewing experience!
Convenient to cruise docking
Amy_B, Jul 2026
Captain Jesse, Michelle and Hadley were great! We saw multiple humpback whales, seals, and eagles. No Bear or Black tailed deer but we were seeing wildlife almost the entire time. One of the whales breached and did a tail slap. Michelle can Captain Jesse kept us informed when and where to look. It was a great trip and unforgettable experience!!
Reema_A, Jul 2026
This team is excellent! they take really good care of you! and the whale watching experience was phenomenal. Please visit them at the booth in the visitor centre and get tickets directly from them!
They pay extra attention to customer needs. We had an amazing time!!
Angela_F, Jul 2026
This was a great tour. We saw 2 humpback whales and watched one of them for most of the tour. It was great! We also saw lots of eagles and seals. The guides were very informative!
Drew_D, Jul 2026
What an amazing outing with Captain Morgan and Mariah. They were knowledgeable and informative - provided a great outing to see whales and eagle. Amazing!
Kathleen_F, Jul 2026
Amazing crew. Great sites to see eagles and humpback whales and orcas …………….::.::::.::::::::………………….
Leyla_C, Jul 2026
The crew amazing and accommodating to my grandmother and her wheelchair. We had a beautiful experience on board.
Stephenie_J, Jul 2026
We THOROUGHLY enjoyed this excursion! The Captain was fabulous and staff very informative. We saw many humpbacks, delighted with eagles, and reveled in the fun of seeing seals. It was BIG BIG FUN!!
Naishadh_B, Jul 2026
Brilliant experience! The crew were very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. Had a great experience viewing the wildlife - whales, eagles and seals… highly recommended!!
Richard_A, Jul 2026
Crew friendly. Boat has inside tables and chairs to sit . Small snacks , coffee, hot chocolate. Only saw whales from long distance ( only spouts ) . Saw more whales from balcony room on ship . Stop to see Bald Eagles was fun . 2-1/2 boat ride,
Adam_W, Jul 2026
Great experience!! Crew really knows the area. We were able to follow two pods of Orcas for about 45 minutes with multiple breaches and they even started playing.
Tons of seals and eagles swooping down right in front of us. Incredible!
Barabara_L, Jul 2026
It was a lot of fun. Tour leaders were excellent They pointed out all the wild life. Seeing the eagles was amazing
Kacey_L, Jul 2026
We had the best time on this experience! The boat is large and comfortable, there is a bathroom on board, as well as snacks, hot chocolate, coffee and water. Plenty of indoor and outdoor space for viewing and keeping warm. My kids loved that there were nice binoculars they could use. We got to see two humpback whales for a nice amount of time, eagles up close including their nest, and a lot of seals, starfish, and jellyfish. We even saw some black tailed deer on the shoreline. Captain and crew were great and very knowledgeable. 10/10 recommend!
Shirl_S, Jul 2026
Friendly staff. They provide binoculars and blankets to ensure you have a great experience while trying to spot whales.
The top deck caps at 12 ppl, so if you want to sit at the top, make sure you are first in line. They also allow for front of the boat viewing which I extremely enjoyed. The team spotted whales, eagles, deers and seals. Fun experience.
From $178.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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