Sitka’s Best Local Whale Watching & Marine Wildlife Tour
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Sitka, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Discover Alaska’s wildlife on this small-group tour through the waters of Sitka Sound. Keep your eye out for seals, bald eagles, sea lions, whales, bears, and more creatures big and small. Learn about the area’s flora and fauna from your guide as you coast along the water. Perfect for nature-lovers, this intimate tour is limited to six people.
- Great for adventure-seekers
- Service animals are very welcome
- The experience is stroller-accessible
- There are plenty of chances for photos of the stunning scenery
What's Included
- Bottled water
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Harrigan Centennial HallVisitors Dock at Crescent Harbor, 330 Harbor Dr, Sitka, AK 99835, USA
The meeting point is at Harrigan Centennial Hall in downtown Sitka, Alaska (330 Harbor Drive). This is the location where the cruise ship shuttle buses will drop you off in Town. We will be there waiting under the "Tours & Excursions Banner" holding a sign with your name on it!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Sitka
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Deborah_D
We had a wonderful tour with Captain Jaren! He was so kind and knowledgeable about the area, as he was born and raised in Sitka. We had a beautiful, sunny and warm day for our boat ride. We saw a bunch of humpback whales and sea otters! All in all, a fabulous day! We would highly recommend!
Reviews
4.8
based on 126 reviews
Lew_C, Apr 2026
Amazing! Tour guide was the best and we are so glad that we chose him to take us whale watching. He is very knowledgeable and knew what to look for so we could have the best experience. 100% recommend!
Steve_W, Oct 2025
We scheduled a wildlife tour on the water. And the captain did not show up. No one bothered to contact us to let us know, and we were unable to book another captain or boat. Very disappointed we would like to see some sort of credit towards a future booking.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hey Steve,
We are very sorry this happened - I was unexpectedly out of town and missed this booking on the calendar. It was our mistake and hate to see anyone miss out on their experience with us. Please reach out if you're ever back in Sitka and we are happy to get you out for free. Our apologies and we hope to see you down the road.
All the best,
Captain Jaren
Wendy, Sep 2025
We had a great trip, but it is a very small boat. We saw some sea otters in the bay and some humpbacks. The highlight of the trip was the brown bears near the hatchery.
Mary_J, Sep 2025
The guide was accommodating to the things we wanted to see most, and we got to see it all! Sea otters, seals, whales.
Nathanael_C, Sep 2025
Great small group tour and tour guide! Capn Mike was funny and empathetic and was receptive to what we wanted to see! Great to have a local who could offer realistic and expert opinions on things. We got lucky, even though it was rainy and wet, we saw humpbacks and sea otters in ways we hadn't before!
Cynthia_L, Sep 2025
We had a fabulous tour with Maureen! We saw so many whales. She was a wealth of information. Thank you!
vestergaardjama, Sep 2025
Jaren is a great guide. We saw humpback whales, brown bears, sea lions, sea otters and the salmon running.
Maureen_N, Sep 2025
We had an absolutely fabulous tour in Sitka with very close viewings of Orca whales that came up to and under our boat. Cruised by the fish hatchery looking for bears but just saw many chums. Last stop with a lone sea otter and a pod of humpbacks. Our captain/guide Maureen did an outstanding job. Highly recommend the tour.
Dean_C, Sep 2025
Very small boat, but excellent attempts to assist. Some rough seas but pilot recognized physical limitations.
Mary_L, Sep 2025
Fabulous trip! We saw salmon jumping, a bear eating salmon, a sea otter and many humpbacks. What great trip!
Michelle_T, Aug 2025
We had a great time on the water with our boat captain Joel. Very easy to find the meeting point and we all really enjoyed it! It was such beautiful scenery and we saw more wildlife than we expected. Definitely a highlight of our trip.
Jillian_P, Aug 2025
We had the best time and saw a ton of whales. 10/10 recommend. This was the highlight of our Alaska cruise.
Jeffery_J, Aug 2025
Joel was a great Capt. Got us up close to the whales got some great pics. Even took us back to our cruise ship dock
Noelle_P, Aug 2025
We had a good trip with Joel. He took us to see whale and otters. Was from a distance but was still a good time.
Wayde_T, Aug 2025
Had a great and intimate boat tour with Captain Joel. We got to see several whales (gray and humpback), sea otters and sea lions, bald eagles and the highlight was seeing a black bear catching and eating his lunch (salmon). The time on the water was great, accommodating and flexible - we went to where the wildlife were! The private boat tour was the highlight of our time in Sitka.
Elizabeth_C, Aug 2025
This was a great trip for families of all ages. We saw otters, sea lions, salmon & humpback whales! It was unbelievable!
Deborah_D, Aug 2025
We had a wonderful tour with Captain Jaren! He was so kind and knowledgeable about the area, as he was born and raised in Sitka. We had a beautiful, sunny and warm day for our boat ride. We saw a bunch of humpback whales and sea otters! All in all, a fabulous day! We would highly recommend!
Susan_S, Aug 2025
Overall experience was great. We were up close to several humpbacks. One almost surfaced and hit the front of the boat. Boat was much smaller than I expected. We also saw eagles, sealions and otters. Felt there needed to be a better system of locating the tour, since I booked it independently. It was raining, cold and massive amounts of people trying to find their excursion, along with the fear of missing this paid for excursion. A number seemed to be be a better way.
Dawn_C, Jul 2025
The pilot catered to the other group on the tour and emphasized a bird watching experience. This was not what I expected. We avoided the area where most other charters were. We did see one spout and later two whales. But we did not go to the spot where there seemed to be a better chance of seeing more. Instead we went to the island where the birds nest. It was choppy and I really was not interested in all the emphasis placed on the birds.
We did see one lone otter as we were approaching the port. The tour ran over which the other group liked, but we had an earlier dinner seating and needed to get back.
The others in our group were able to get an earlier tour run by the owner and had a better balanced excursion. Unfortunately there was not enough room on that boat for us to join them.
Robert_J, Jul 2025
Prepared for cold and wet but beautiful sunny day. Saw a bald eagle leaving the harbor. Immediately on whales (at least 8), sea lions, and numerous otters. Our group needed 2 boats but Jaren and his partner kept us close. Much cheaper than booking through the ship.
ElijahFred_K, Jul 2025
Phenomenal and knowledgeable. Very accommodating. Knew all the best spots and best to travel with locals and professionals who know what they're looking for. We saw whales, seals, sea lions, and otters. It was fantastic. I enjoyed the wildlife but I also just enjoyed being out on the water boating along the sound and looking at yhe beautiful landscapes.
Bonnie_B, Jul 2025
I would rate this 9 stars bc that’s the number of whales we saw! I almost cried it was so good!!Our guide Brody was outstanding! Would highly recommend!!
Brenda_S, Jul 2025
We booked this trip while on an ncl alaska cruise. It was incredible and much more reasonable. I saw everything on my bucket list, eagles, whales, sea lions and sea otters. Highly recommend. It was super easy
Sarah_W, Jul 2025
The 2 hour experience was perfect! We liked that the boat only held 6 people. It was very personal and personalized! Our Captain Jaren was awesome. He knew where the Whales, sea otters and seals were. Peaceful and so beautiful!
Rebecca_K, Jul 2025
This was by far one of the best tours my family and I have ever been on. Joel was amazing and super patient with our young kids. He showed us all kinds of marine life and was able to answer all of our questions. The boat was clean, and we all felt very safe the entire tour. Thanks for such a fun time!!
Shayla_M, Jul 2025
We booked this whale watching excursion in Sitka through the Viator app with Sea Level Adventures, instead of going through our cruise line and I’m so glad we did! Like many people, I was a little hesitant at first since cruise lines really push the idea that you have to book with them or risk getting left behind. But this was hands down one of the best decisions of our entire trip.
Our captain, Jaren Sumatran, who also owns the company, was incredible. You can tell he truly loves what he does and knows the area like the back of his hand. The boat was clean, comfortable, and not overcrowded, which made it feel so much more personal and enjoyable.
We saw whales, sea otters, bald eagles, and sea lion! It was such a magical experience. Jaren also provided snacks on board, which was a thoughtful touch that made everything even more enjoyable.
Not only did we make it back to the ship with time to spare, but we also walked away with a one-of-a-kind experience that felt way more special than anything a cruise line excursion could offer.
If you’re visiting Sitka, I 100% recommend Sea Level Adventures. It was a highlight of our Alaska cruise and absolutely worth stepping outside the cruise line’s offerings.
Kim_V, Jul 2025
Wonderful experience overall! Easy to find from the pickup spot and captain was very knowledgeable. Saw a variety of wildlife including whales, seals and sea otters! Captain was even kind enough to drop us off at our cruise ship terminal afterwards :)
Pete_M, Jun 2025
Joel was friendly and informative. Good recommendation for lunch (the Beak). Had boat all to ourselves (family of four)! Thanks for the awesome time on the water.
Paige_C, Jun 2025
My father and I had the great pleasure of whale watching with Captain Jaren and three additional passengers. We saw many whales— grey and humpback—sea otters, and eagles. Captain Jaren was extremely knowledgeable and added educational and comical commentary throughout our excursion. We had a lovely time on the water and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Marie_M, Jun 2025
Make sure you're dressed appropriately. Our guide was great! Alot of fun. Trying to find a whale can be hit or miss. But our guide took us to great spots where we saw and experienced a whale-a-palooza!
From $200.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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