Wildlife Viewing, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Ketchikan, USA

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· richbeats ·

Jun 2026

Amazing trip today from Ketchican (3rd June 2026) - we found a pod of Orcas and watched them for an hour or so. Then off to a small island where Bald Eagles were nesting. Then on the way back to port we all saw a Black Bear on the shore. A trip that will live long in our memories. Great crew also !

· KGail_J ·

May 2026

This was an extraordinary experience. Truly was a little skeptical about seeing any whales as it’s early in the season but…the captain found the whales and it was a show. The whales almost knew we were there to see them…super show by them. Way beyond expectations. Then there was the majestic eagle and the playful seals and sea lions. Crew was friendly and informative. Great excursion!!!

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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

Snacks

Included 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 Bureau
131 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.

131 Front St

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Thomas Basin

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ketchikan (Pass By)

Tongass National Forest (Pass By)

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

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

Jane_L

What a great experience! Our captain -Morgan definitely has whale eyes! She spotted every area where we saw whales! The crew - Sam & Jacob were fantastic! Both very personable and very informative about the area as well as the wildlife. Do not miss this trip with Eagle One! They’re the best!

Reviews

4.8

based on 936 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Great time!!

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!!

Whales didn’t cooperate, or we couldn’t find them

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,

Great experience!! Crew...

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!

Whale watching

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

Must do!

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!

Fun experience

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.

11/10 - best experience of my trip

Christian_L, Jul 2026

Absolutely exceptional. The crew immediately put us at ease and were amazing guides. We saw Orcas, humpbacks, bald eagles, seals and salmon. This experience surpassed my expectations by a metric mile.

bucket list worthy, special shout out to Mark, Jessie, & Oli with Eagle One Enterprises.

Dennis_J, Jul 2026

Wow, besides eagles, we hung out with a pod of orcas for a good 45 minutes. We saw last year's new born and had one dive under our boat less than 20 feet from where I was viewing.

Whales and Eagles

Raymond_M, Jun 2026

Excellent excursion with a very knowledgeable staff! Saw a ton of wildlife and learned a bit about their lives in the waters of Ketchikan! Definitely recommend!

Fun experience

juliealdrich05, Jun 2026

Enjoyable whale watching. Despite a driving rain storm our captain found a whale feeding. We followed that whale for over an hour.

I should've read more of...

Lindsey_B, Jun 2026

I should've read more of the reviews. I was not happy about baiting eagles--it's federally illegal in the US but I guess this was native land and 'ok'. You don't even NEED to do that to see so many of them around. I felt like we barely ferried outside of the harbor area and spent too much time looking at the eagles and seals and not enough time looking for whales, of which we didn't see any. Which would be fine if it felt like more of an effort was made to see any. It was a comfortable vessel with lots of snacks and drinks and the guides were friendly but for the value of what we paid it didn't feel like a 5 star experience.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

About the eagles, it isn’t illegal to feed them. The whales were not cooperating on your tour. We had them in the morning but they moved on. Some days we find them within the first 20/30 minutes, other days it may take most the tour.

Best family adventure

Kelly_E, Jun 2026

Absolutely the best adventure. The crew was amazing and we saw a whale family, eagles and sea lions. Every moment was top notch - and we’ve been to Alaska a few times. We had our adult children and three grandchildren (1-3 years old). A must do!

A great day in Ketchikan!

Misty_W, Jun 2026

We had a wonderful time on this excursion! We saw whales, sea lions, and bald eagles. The crew was really helpful in pointing out animals and giving additional details. There were snacks and beverages available, which we also enjoyed.

Awesome whale watching!

Melinda_M, Jun 2026

They were very nice and full of knowledge. I asked many questions and they had the answers. I highly recommend!

Whale and more!

Alice_H, Jun 2026

A bucket list item of mine was to see a humpback whale. My husband and I went with the Captain, Hadley and Theo. The Captain knew where the whales had been seen lately. We found one. We saw the water spout and we saw the tail multiple times. Unfortunately we didn’t see a breech or a bubble net feeding. We stayed with the whale for a while. A sea lion swam up to the boat! Once we left that area, he took us to see Bald Eagles and their nest. The captain threw some fish onto the rocks so we could get a closer look when they came down to get the fish. After that, he took us to a small island where a bunch of seals were hanging out. I went hoping to see a whale and got the whale and extra animals as well. Theo stayed with the group on the top of the boat. He was very nice and knowledgeable. It was a great trip!!

Thanks Morgan & Theo

Amanda_S, Jun 2026

Even on a rainy gloomy day we had an amazing time on the water looking at wildlife. Morgan & Theo were attentive, warm beverages and blankets were provided to help manage the cold and we had the most amazing sightings of bald eagles

Absolutely amazing experience! 5 Stars just doesn’t seem like enough!!

Dan_P, Jun 2026

We saw whales multiple times, this crew really knows what they’re doing! It was my wife’s birthday and I had my fingers crossed that it would be a special experience for her, it did NOT disappoint! We also saw seals, one right up to the boat! Eagles everywhere! It was truly amazing, my wife and I were BOTH like little kids in awe! We did a seaplane, a helicopter, and up close to the Hubbard Glacier, all were amazing, but this was the HIGHLIGHT of our Alaska experiences! Thank you so much to our Captain and crew who really made this a super special day that we will never forget!

Gorgeous Sentinel Island Lighthouse & Whale Watching

Catherine_P, Jun 2026

The captain of the ship (Stephen) and his crew were great! They worked really hard to find whales and spent plenty of time at each wildlife spot for pictures! The bus ride out there was a solid hour but the boat ride back was much quicker and let us out at a marina closer to Juneau. The lighthouse was a quick stop up a steep hill and offered an amazing view! It was a great experience overall that included a simple snack and soda. Bathrooms on board the ship are a definite plus! It’s a long excursion and would do it again. Special thanks to the young lady crew member that took whale photos with her zoom lens and sent the QR code to everyone on board to access the day’s pictures for free. The coach driver also was enjoyable to listen to along the ride up and let us out to see Mendenhall Glacier and take pictures along the way.

Saw some Orcas up close

Derek_A, Jun 2026

Friendly crew took us on a good trip. Unfortunately we didn't see any humpbacks but we saw a pod of about 9-12 Orcas, and several bald eagles. I recommend this excursion.

An anniversary trip of a lifetime

David_C, Jun 2026

As an over-analyzing type person I did my research and read all the reviews that I could find before committing to an excursion in Ketchikan. Of all the choices available for our time there we chose this one. In a few words, it was outstanding and worth the cost. Capt. Jesse and his crew didn’t disappoint and made every effort to make it memorable. Fortunately, the weather and the wildlife provided an amazing experience for us. Our personal favorite experience was seeing the eagles up close and so close you could hear the wind beneath their wings. Capt. it was a pleasure spending time both in conversation and in your quest to make it memorable for us. This Georgia boy will be back to visit you again in the not too distant future. Best wishes for a great season of providing memorable moments for others.

Comfortable—not overcrowded— wildlife viewing

Jeanette_J, Jun 2026

We saw whales, eagles, & otters. The boat was full, but not overcrowded, so viewing was pleasant. Crew was very nice.

A good tour

John_J, Jun 2026

Good chance of seeing orcas, eagles and seals. Might see a humpback! Good local knowledge and experience.

Here, Whaley, Whaley!

Patsy, Jun 2026

Very friendly and safe Boat Captain who knew the waters well. Crew was terrific-relaxed, friendly and answered so many questions! Excellent trip and saw several humpbacks and an Orca. Well, the tail anyway. Made friends with a local bald eagle mom and hear the chicks. Very pleasant and enjoyable trip. Viator needs to make clear that you actually go INSIDE the tourist terminal to the tour providers window. That would have helped In the zoo of cruise passengers all over.

Great experience to see...

Marty_S, Jun 2026

Great experience to see whales and other wildlife. Seasoned and experienced captain and staff, with a lot of knowledge about wildlife and area. Snacks, water and hot drinks provided.

Fantastic! Captain and...

Frank_A, Jun 2026

Fantastic! Captain and crew are exceptional. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend.

Awesome experience would definitely do it again

John_B, Jun 2026

It was really fun. The whale watching was cool but the eagle part was spectacular. You are in for a treat if they do it again.

Bucket List Experience!

mariannecohen7, Jun 2026

It was fabulous and met every expectation! One of our bucket list items on our Alaskan cruise was to see whales - especially one breaching and this did not disappoint! Not only did we see Orcas (some of which swam under our boat), but we were able to capture a Humpback breaching. We also saw eagles and sea lions! The captain knew EXACTLY where to go to see all of these and the crew was fabulous with their knowledge and hospitality. It was such a great experience!