Snorkel Tour at Magic Island
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sitka, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Active, adventurous travelers will love taking a small-group snorkel tour around Sitka Sound to experience the underwater world. You’ll be fitted with a semi-dry suit to keep you warm in the cold Alaskan water. Your guide will keep you safe and lead the way as you look out for octopus, rockfish, anemones, and other cold-water creatures that call Sitka Sound home.
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
- All necessary snorkeling gear will be provided
- Reach the snorkeling spot via a private transfer
- Coffee/tea will be provided to keep you warm
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Private transportation
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Harrigan Centennial HallVisitors Dock at Crescent Harbor, 330 Harbor Dr, Sitka, AK 99835, USA
Pickup is at Harrigan Centennial Hall 15 MINUTES BEFORE TOUR START TIME. "Tours and Excursions" Area. Cruise passengers may take the port shuttle, allow 20 minutes.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
- Travelers should have some experience snorkeling and be strong swimmers
- Travelers should be able to walk a quarter mile over a rocky shore
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 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
Jeff_A
It was everything I was hoping for. Immersing in the kelp forest swimming with all the fish, sea stars and moon jelly’s was a great way to spend a couple hours. Andrew was extremely friendly and helpful. He gave clear and calm safety briefs to help make sure everything went smooth. When it was time to leave I felt everyone wanted to take one more lap around the island. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to see what lies beneath the waves.
Reviews
4.9
based on 98 reviews
NoraAnn_C, Sep 2025
Andrew and Hannah were great. We had a nice time! The water was tough, so one of our group members stayed on shore, but we all had a positive experience:)
Yolanda_H, Aug 2025
When I saw this excursion, I knew I had to sign up for it as it is truly one of a kind. The wetsuit was warm and the temperature of the water did not penetrate through the suit. The pictures do not give any justice to the actual experience. Ethan was very knowledgeable and a great tour guide. I was in awe in the amount of creatures we saw. The brilliance in color and vast variety of sea creatures was remarkable. I will always treasure this experience. Thank you Selkie Snorkels and Ethan for a great time!
Lisbeth_R, Aug 2025
Fantastic experience! Saw a lot of marine life while staying toasty warm. Guide and scheduler were super professional and helpful (Ethan and Alyssa). They opened up the shop on a day they were not working to accommodate us! A definite highlight of our trip.
Alissa_S, Aug 2025
Snorkeling in Alaska??! I was hesitant at first, but I am so glad we decided to do this! First - the staff and team were great - helpful, kind, and engaging. It was a whole ordeal to get suited up, but the staff made the process painless and fun. And the snorkeling part was so much fun! We got to see lots of fish and starfish and sea cucumbers - all very different from warm water snorkeling. It was a great experience, and our 12 year old said it was the best tour she had in Alaska!
Jeremy_P, Jul 2025
Outstanding! Guides were very helpful and informative. We were worried about being cold but the equipment works great and if anything it’s a bit warm. This is a different snorkeling experience and we saw a ton of sea life. Crabs, starfish, sea urchins, the kelp field were amazing!
Jeff_A, Jul 2025
It was everything I was hoping for. Immersing in the kelp forest swimming with all the fish, sea stars and moon jelly’s was a great way to spend a couple hours. Andrew was extremely friendly and helpful. He gave clear and calm safety briefs to help make sure everything went smooth. When it was time to leave I felt everyone wanted to take one more lap around the island. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to see what lies beneath the waves.
Brad_M, Jun 2025
Peter and Isabelle were very kind and helpful to accommodate our group including our 7-year old. First time cold water snorkeling, but not the last! Good time.
Tiffanie_S, Jun 2025
This was a magical experience! The suits kept us warm and we had a beautiful afternoon in the water. Saw lots of beautiful starfish, crabs, sea cucumbers and anemones.
Katie_V, Jun 2025
Great guides and an awesome time. Something fun that’s a little non traditional when you think of Alaska!!!!
Crystal_H, Jun 2025
I know it sounds crazy to snorkel in cold water, however this was an amazing experience. The suits keep you warm. We saw so many things in the water. Highly recommended!
Cristy_W, May 2025
This was a really unique thing to do in Alaska. I was terrified of the cold water but the wet suits are pretty fantastic and the guides do a really good job of walking you through how to put all the gear on. I’ve snorkled all around the world but never seen kelp forests and so many huge starfish all in one place. For some reason I was under the impression we wound boat out to magic island, but you just literally drive a little ways down the road and snorkel off the beach around a little island off shore. It was off putting at first (seemed kind of silly) but there really was a lot to see.
Christine_K, Sep 2024
Absolutely wonderful! We got picked up by Sonja who was in communication with us so we all knew where to meet. Got transported to her shop, fitted with great and off to Magic Island. She was so helpful with everything! Wetsuits are not easy to get on, adjust, or off. While it takes a few minutes to get used to the cold water, just remember to show down your breath. Once you are used to it, seeing all the star fish is so amazing! Sonja made sure that of she saw anything cool, that she's have us come over to look. We had lots of fun!
Emma_A, Aug 2024
We decided to go on this tour as an excursion while we were in Sitka for the day. I highly enjoyed this excursion! We saw so many different things; lots of sea stars, jelly fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, anemones, and fish. The guides were informative and friendly. The suits kept us warm and comfortable as well. I only wish we could’ve stayed out there longer! This was our favorite excursion of our entire trip and I can’t wait to bring more friends and family to Sitka to experience it for themselves. Not many people can say they’ve gone snorkeling in Alaska, and we are so glad we did! Groups are no larger than 10 so the guides make it a very personalized experience. I recommend this to everyone considering it!
Peta_V, Aug 2024
Great experience and a glorious day, however finding the van at pick-up was frustrating and they were waiting for me. I had been sitting and walking around the area for 20 minutes. I also felt a little lost and ignored and the ladies who were lovely didn't check on me and I was having trouble swimming the distance against the current and unable to get their attention as I couldn't get my feet underneath me long enough to wave anyone down. I would recommend that you are a strong swimmer. For all that yes I enjoy the snorkling.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hi there, thank you so much for your review. Would you mind letting me know how you booked your tour with us? And what date was your snorkel?
Pickup is something we have been trying to smooth out and so we value your feedback on that part of our tour. We put meeting instructions on our website and in our confirmation emails, but I'm so sorry to hear that somehow you were left out of the loop! Maybe you booked through a third party agent?
Also, I'm so very sorry to hear that you felt lost and ignored. I will check in with the guides to make sure that they are checking in with everyone and making sure everyone is feeling looked after and safe. That is our highest priority and I'm very sorry to hear that you did not feel this way on your tour. Thank you, -Ellie
Yvonne_O, Jul 2024
This should be the most popular tour in Sitka. Absolutely wonderful experience of a lifetime. We saw a ton of sea stars, urchins, and anemones. There was also a swimming squirrel and salmon swimming by as we snorkeled. The 7mm wetsuits kept us warm and the service was great.
Danielle_B, Jul 2024
We had the best time on this snorkel tour! Peter was such a good guide and made sure that we were comfortable and saw lots of cool things! I was reluctant to snorkel in Alaska but my husband wanted to and I’m so glad that we did. Definitely recommend.
Katy_B, Jul 2024
Such a unique way to see Alaska! Our guide, Peter, was great and helped us along the way. We had never snorkeled in wet suits before and were surprisingly comfortable despite the 50 degree water temp. There was so many starfish and other sea creatures.
Todd_S, Jun 2024
Spectacular excursion. Accommodated for our ship un boarding. Owner and guide were so friendly and welcoming. Snorkeled around the island and saw all kinds of sea life. Highly recommend. I wish I had a GoPro to capture some photos of everything I saw. My teenage boys loved it also.
Samuel_D, Jun 2024
We went with a small group. Both our guides were super friendly and knew the area well. They made the experience comfortable and memorable for all of us.
Eric_W, Aug 2023
Awesome day. Our guide Peter was amazing. Magic island was very cool and easy to get to. Saw lots of fun things under the sea.
Mark_D, Aug 2023
Scott was a great guide. The weather was perfect and 60 foot visibility. Hundreds of star fish and anemones at Magic Island. Water was 62F, but the suits did a great job of keeping out the cold. I've snorkeled at numerous Caribbean Islands, but this experience was so different and unique because of the environment. It was so worth it.
obrnstlukes, Aug 2023
The entire experience was an adventure. If you’ve never had an experience with a dry suit, don’t stress. The fitting and prep is a little work, but once you get to the water it is worth it. The excursion team is patient and helpful the entire time. We had various size people in the group. All had equipment that fit. It might depend on how your body type is proportioned though. The water was very calm and we were not cold due to dry suit doing its job.
The snorkel around Magic Island was beautiful. They bring a boogie board in case anyone gets tired. The dry suit causes buoyancy so you float if you get too tired. However, with that you can’t dive down which was fine. The guides will dive down to get various creatures. If you enjoy snorkeling, this is highly recommended! Bring cash for tip because they definitely deserved it. They also have truly adorable tshirts for sale.
Angel_C, Jun 2023
Derek and Peter were amazing. My wife has really bad anxiety, and they were so patient and checking on her during the time we were In the water. They made sure we felt comfortable. Thank you guys for everything! Everyone needs to do this! We got to see so many different sea creatures, Highly recommend this excursion!
Tanya_M, Aug 2022
Spent over an hour in the cool waters. So much to see.. vibrantly coloured starfish anemones, crabs and shells. A large kelp forest and sea grass. A school of salmon swam by .. so close I could have reached out and grabbed one. I’m sure I’m missing other things I saw. Tour guides were excellent. Friendly and informative. Would highly recommend.
Karen_H, Jul 2022
What an incredible snorkeling experience! It was definitely one we will never forget. We saw star fish, crabs, sea cucumbers, rock fish, jelly fish, kelp and a variety of sea life! Ellie and Derek were wonderful guides and made sure we were safe and enjoyed snorkeling around Magic Island in Sitka. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity!
Likely to Sell Out
From $265.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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