Whales and Lunch! Ketchikan's Premier Marine Mammal Viewing Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Ketchikan, USA

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Scott_S ·

Jun 2026

Captain owner of boat is an army veteran. He cares about his customers and I have to mention his mother in law was so sweet. You can tell both love taking people out on these trips He went above a beyond to make sure we saw humpback whales. We had a blast. Highly recommend this for people who don't get sea sick

· Mark_P ·

Jun 2026

Judah really knows his stuff, wouldn’t hesitate to book again. Very nice boat with multiple view points

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Overview

What's Included

Lunch

You will have a choice from the following: A smoked salmon wrap, grilled chicken wrap, hummus based wrap, peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese sandwich. Meals come with a drink, chips, and cookieie
WiFi on board
Restroom on board
Private transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Whales and Lunch
509 Water St, Ketchikan, AK 99901, USA
We're at City Float between berths 3-4, alongside the boardwalk between Arctic Bar & Julies. Look for our aluminum 'Island Cat' with logo & website—we're usually on the top deck. At low tide, check the harbor from the boardwalk. We'll call ~15 min before your tour with directions!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Ketchikan (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 21 travelers

Supplied by

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

Jacqueline_S

Superior knowledge of the area you have to live to share! Great young couple own boat & business, years of life experience shared in small intimate setting. Up top, inside warmth or bow & aft, views from every area. Exploring the inner waters with a waterman family gives the uniqueness we loved. Every mt top, body of water, bird, island & inlet named & personal information only a local can provide. Seals, sea lions to mallards, cormarants & many beautiful bald eagles soaring & diving, quite the day, peaceful, uncrowded and serene. If you’ve never had a salmon wrap, the treat awaits, snacks, drinks & cookie fill out the menu. A true Must Do!

Reviews

4.9

based on 42 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Captain owner of boat is...

Scott_S, Jun 2026

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you Scott, the weather that day was definitely not optimal! Thank you for the review and hope if you ever come back the weather is nicer!

I’m conflicted

April_D, Jun 2026

I am conflicted on this review. We had an incredible experience with the whales for the last hour of the tour. It was memorable and likely the only reason this review isn’t worse. However, I worry this new company isn’t focused on safety and still very green when it comes to servicing paying customers. The weather was quite poor and looking back, I think the tour should have been canceled. My child and an older woman both became ill from the weather and choppy (likely not a strong enough word) water. My daughter got sick in the restroom and later they recommended she throw up over the side of the boat next time. Upon reflection, that would have been incredibly dangerous. A couple of times one of the workers had to ask the captain to slow down so people could safely walk down the stairs from the top deck - should that be the practice? I don’t know. At one point, I was concerned by how fast the captain was driving to get out of the bad water. I was concerned he was about to make a bad situation worse. Thankfully, all worked out. I’d have a hard time recommending though.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

First and foremost, we at Whales and Lunch have a top notch safe boat and operation. SE Alaska had unpredictable weather and the weather reports were wrong and the weather changed for an hour during the trip contrary to the weather reports. Until this trip we have never had someone get seasick on our vessel. Your daughter and one lady (who was seasick on the cruise ship prior to the trip) were the only people out of 19 who got sea sick. We quickly turned around and went to calmer waters where we happened to find a large group of humpback whales bubble feeding. Your daughter would have been more than safe puking over the rails which are 4.5ft tall around the entire boat. Secondly, questioning my deckhand communicating with me as a captains the customers needs and concerns of customers to make sure people could comfortably get down the stairs as they have not acquired sea legs yet should most definitely be the practice. We want customers to feel comfortable at all times. To address your last concern, about speed of the vessel through the chop the boat is designed to specifically do that and it actually makes the ride more comfortable. In conclusion, you are punishing a family owned new business with a 2 star review due to the unpredictable weather in SE Alaska which it is notorious for. We gave you and your daughter a personalized experience (she held a sea otter pelt for a good portion of the trip cause her hands were cold), your daughter quickly felt better once she puked and even ate her lunch, lastly you and your daughter received a once in a lifetime experience watching a large group of humpback whales bubble feeding which I even extended the tour to watch even longer. We appreciate your business and hope that you can focus on the customer service we provided, the amazing experience of whales that we were gifted with, and not focus on the weather.

Jada and Jess were...

Kellie_W, Jun 2026

Jada and Jess were wonderful. The weather tried it’s hardest to ruin the day but we ended up finding a pod of whales that put on a show for over an hour!

Don’t miss this tour!!!

Breanne_L, Jun 2026

My husband and I highly recommend this tour. We were able to view a number of humpback whales, orcas, harbor seals, and eagles. The boat itself was amazingly comfortable and very impressive. I had the salmon wrap and my husband had the ham and cheese sandwich, both of which were delicious! Juno and Jessica were awesome tour guides with a wealth of knowledge regarding the marine life in and around Ketchikan, Alaska. Moreover, they were both genuine people with a true love for their home/community. We will definitely be touring with them again in the near future!

Great day on the water

Mark_P, Jun 2026

Judah really knows his stuff, wouldn’t hesitate to book again. Very nice boat with multiple view points

Do it!

Shanna_R, Jun 2026

We had a great time. Juda went out of his way to find whales and other animals for us to see. He was easy to chat with and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Highlight of my trip!

Brittany_P, Jun 2026

The "Whales and Lunch" excursion in Ketchikan was easily my favorite part of my cruise! The captain genuinely cares about making sure everyone has a great experience and works hard to find wildlife. His boat is smaller and much faster than the larger tour boats, which allowed us to get to sightings quickly and get a closer look. We saw seals, sea lions, bald eagles, humpback whales, and even orcas!! Seeing all that wildlife in one trip was incredible. You can tell the captain loves what he does, and that enthusiasm makes the trip even better. If you're on the fence about booking this excursion, do it. It was an epic experience and the highlight of my cruise.

Awesome trip.

crazyforroxy, Jun 2026

Great Experience we saw multiple Orca and a black bear. We even got to see the Killer Whales feed on a seal. We highly recommend. This was a great experience.

Great Experience

Scott_R, May 2026

Judah was an amazing host with a brand new boat that is very comfortable and has awesome views of points on top. The indoor heated area was worth the money alone. lunch was great from a local deli and We got to see 3 whales and an array of wildlife in the area. Judah is a small business owner so I felt great spending the money to support him and his family!!

BEST DAY of our entire lives…without a doubt (and by far)!

Meagan_K, May 2026

We did a tour with Whales and Lunch near the end of May 2026. Initial Overview: This was our 3rd trip to Ketchikan. If you are spending money on one thing in Ketchikan, it should (WITHOUT A DOUBT) be on this tour. Things you may see on your tour: Orca/killer whales, humpback whales, bald eagles, sea lions, otters, bears, deer, mink, and more. You'll be out of the water longer than any other boat tour (especially those offered through a cruise ship). Plus, you get to see gorgeous parts of Ketchikan from the water and an authentic, local lunch! The boat and its operators are great and work to make this one of the best days of your life. Even if we didn't see a single animal (unlikely), we still would love being out on the water with Whales & Lunch. It was just THAT great of an experience. Now, my pictures aren't great because I'm more of an observer than a picture taker. Whales and Lunch social media does a great job covering what you will see. Go follow them on your favorite social media platforms to learn even more! Boat: The boat is a 2022 model and looks and feels brand new. We've done many boat tours around the world, and this is one of the nicest boats we have been on. The interior has comfortable seats, huge windows, and is a place to escape the cold, wind, and rain, if needed (but don't miss out getting OUT in the weather)! The outside has a front viewing area, back viewing area, AND top viewing deck! It feels like it is the fastest tour boat we have been on in Alaska, but it feels as stable as something like a pontoon! Great boat. Lunch: If you like salmon, go with the salmon wrap. Absolutely delicious. The lunch is something you would pay +/-$20.00 per person, on shore. We took the +/-1 hour before our tour to walk/photograph an empty Creek Street, so we did not have time to enjoy one of Ketchikan's local spots. However, the onboard (LOCAL) lunch made us feel like we did not miss that authentic taste of Ketchikan that we love so much! Captain/Owners: We had the privilege of meeting Judah and Chevy during our tour. They are a lovely young couple. We got to know them, their story, and what they are doing in partnering with the local community in what they do. From what it takes to run the ship, to lunch, to the souvenirs, everything is done and sourced locally. Touring with Whales and Lunch allows you to fully support the wonderful and beautiful town and people of Ketchikan. We left feeling like friends. Small Business Owner Thoughts: Tip these folks! Tipping OVER 20% is totally acceptable for THIS level of an experience. We also bought 2 shirts to commemorate our experience. That is how much we adored this tour. Whales & Lunch is putting all of their love into your adventure and you are going to FEEL that. Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate their time and efforts. Support local! Experience Wrap Up: This was our 3rd visit to Ketchikan. We've done Creek Street activities, museums, both of the main totem parks, those mega popular boating tours, etc. I'm not sure we'll ever go back to anything other than Whales and Lunch on our future trips to Ketchikan. Their tour is BY FAR the best Ketchikan experience you can have. Period. Go book this tour and go have one of THE BEST days of your ENTIRE life!

Morning Humpback Whales with Judah

Matt_V, May 2026

We went yesterday morning. What a great tour! 5 stars!!!!! We saw at least 7 Humpback Whales, Seals and Porpoises. Judah is a great guide. He even dropped a hydrophone into the water and we were able to listen to the whales talk. The boat is so comfortable, smooth riding and the engines are so quite you can barely hear them running. We had the Salmon wraps for lunch and they were delicious😁. Judah is very knowledgeable about the area and all the wildlife. We highly recommend this tour!!!