Wildlife Viewing, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest
Recommended by 95% of travelers
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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 812 reviews
Shannon_C, Sep 2025
This was the highlight of our vacation. Saw many feeding humpback whales. Boat was not crowded and super comfortable. Could sit indoors if the weather was bad and upstairs outdoor for a better view. The snacks, hot chocolate and coffee were icing on the cake. Thanks for a wonderful first time whale watching.
Clay_Z, Sep 2025
Great experience and wonderful crew, Leanne and Jake made sure everyone was ready to capture amazing photos of the many whales we saw during our time on the boat. The boat was well equipped and had both indoor and outdoor seats.
Kellen_C, Sep 2025
Fantastic. The skipper and crew were very friendly and had lots of expertise. We saw plenty of humpback whales, even saw them feeding. It was wonderful.
Maria_E, Sep 2025
It was a cold and rainy day but we where able to see some humpback whales which was absolutely the whole point! Leanne and Jack where great at spotting the bubble circles so we could prepare the cameras and our eyes! The ship has a clean bathroom and complementary hot beverages. Whole tour was about 3h.
Rob_S, Sep 2025
Eagle One should be your priority choice for whale watching at Ketchikan. Leanne was just incredible helping the entire boat look for special details about whales and how they surface for viewing. I honestly was able to film uninterrupted and captured views I expected. The entire crew was kind, patient, and cared for your safety the entire time. Thank you Eagle One. Leanne and Jake, you are awesome!
JEN_L, Sep 2025
Great tour! Leanne and Jake were awesome. We saw whales and eagles, even though it was rainy and cold.
Danny_Y, Sep 2025
Vehicle was right where it was supposed to be. Very good experience. Vehicle drive well abd handled the hills well.
Joline_R, Sep 2025
We had a great time and saw so many whale sightings! It was great to get away from the cruiser crowd onto a smaller tour for a bit! Leanne and Jake were great guides!
Edward_P, Sep 2025
Captain Brad is very personable and spirited, he makes it a fun tour. And he works hard to find the most animals per capita. We saw so many hump back whales it was unbelievable.
Anonymous, Sep 2025
We had a great experience on this whale watching tour. We saw several whales, seals and a bald eagle. The staff was very informative and constantly checking the water for signs of whales. Even though it was rainy, they had plenty of inside seats and offered coffee, hot chocolate and water. They had binoculars at the tables for all to use.
john_c, Sep 2025
Great staff. Very friendly and accommodating. They worked hard to make our experience wonderful. The boat was clean and well maintained.
CHRISTINA_J, Sep 2025
We had a great time. We were able to see some Orcas a few hundred feet away and a couple humpback whales as well as a bald eagle. The crew were nice and offered hot chocolate and had chips and other snacks and drinks available. They can't guarantee you will see anything, but I would recommend this tour as they made every effort to locate the whales and to see what we could.
Carissa_S, Sep 2025
Team was very nice and making sure we got to where we were supposed to be. Beautiful boat ride. Went out to see if we could find whales. No whales but we did see seals and eagles. Not much narration on the trip to know what we were doing. It’s a great trip if you’re going to enjoy more views and get a little closer to the wildlife.
James_G, Sep 2025
This tour was Awesome. We saw so many Orca pods and a surprise of a Humpback also. Eagles, sea otter. Did not disappoint. Leanne & Jake were excellent very informative about the sea life. They were as excited to see the wildlife as we were.
Sharelle_s, Sep 2025
Check in was easy.
Crew was awesome.
While we didn't see any whales, the boat ride around and the awesome weather made for a relaxing morning.
Taylor_E, Sep 2025
So much fun and the perfect amount of time for my 1.5 year old! We saw several whales, eagles, and lots of seals. Our captain and guide were both great. Highly recommend!
Mackenzi_R, Sep 2025
You may or may not see whales. The pilot put us where they had been sighted earlier. We saw 3 Humpback whales from a fair distance. We saw numerous bald eagles.
Brent_M, Aug 2025
It was the high light of our trip great experience they were passionate about what they do and it showed highly recommend
gina_d, Aug 2025
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
Jennifer_P, Aug 2025
The boat was nice, people were friendly, but no whales. I understand they can't guarantee, but it seems that there has been a reduction in sightings reading more recent reviews.... I went on a second watch later in the day with them and headed in a different direction to have no whales. There was an overall lack of information and communication as there really was nothing to see.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We apologize that we couldn’t get you whales.
cspearce, Aug 2025
Amazing trip. We saw at least 9 or 10 whales bubble feeding. They came out of the water 9 or 10 times. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Great boat and crew!
Edward_A, Aug 2025
Great and informative crew, easy to find tour. Lots of whale sightings. Stayed on time. Great weather.
Maria_L, Aug 2025
Theo and Jake were excellent hosts. They made sure we saw every whale in the area! Highly recommend.
Ellen_J, Aug 2025
Crew worked hard to help us see some whales. They were all far away except one. It came up next to the boat but I was on the opposite side so really only saw the top of the fin. There are no guarantees and we understood that. It was a beautiful day and with all the rain in Ketchikan we were very surprised.
Helen_C, Aug 2025
First time I actually saw some whales. It was amazing. Every other one I was on was very poor. Great
Jamie_R, Aug 2025
Limited snacks wished they were full baskets with more choices. The snacks looked old. The boat ride was nice.
Kim_H, Aug 2025
We were able to see 4 different humpbacks on our trip. They were amazing. The Eagle One team was friendly, informative, and knew where to find the whales. The crew seemed just as excited as us to see the whales! Since they are wild animals, it could be hit or miss seeing them, we were lucky!
John_S, Aug 2025
The tour operator changed the time of the tour by an hour. I was never notified of the change. In fact the morning of the tour I received a reminder from Viator of the tour that listed the original tour time. The tour was an hour later. Had the operator moved it to an hour earlier I would have been a no show.
We saw very little wildlife and zero whales. I understand that the tour operator can't guarantee whale sightings.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear John,
We sent emails and text messages months before your tour about the time change. If you book a year early ships do change port times and we have to make some time changes. You were very rude when you checked in and treat my wife very poorly. Next time I recommend you read your texts and emails before stomping around like a spoiled child. As for not seeing whales, I guess they avoid drama queens like we try to. They are very intelligent mammals and sense these things in people.
Anna_G, Aug 2025
We took the ride hoping to see whales. We didn't see any. We saw a few seals and an eagle at the beginning of the journey. We know that seeing whales is often subject to chance, but it would have been helpful if the captain had given whale sighting updates intermittently as the morning progressed instead of waiting until we were almost back in port. The crew members were very friendly.
Richard_S, Aug 2025
Everything was perfect during our tour. This was one of the best experiences that we had. The crew (Theo) and the captain were always punctual, friendly and helpful.I remember they provided us everything that we need during our tour.They were very helpful to answer our questions and requirements.
Additionally, we were lucky to see many whales and seals.
We appreciate and we are so grateful for their help.
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