Whale Sightings & Wildlife Wonders: An Unforgettable Whale-Watching Adventure

Your Icy Strait whale watching tour (with guaranteed whale sightings!) begins when a transport picks you up just outside the gates of Icy Strait. You'll be whisked away to Hoonah Harbor dock to meet the charter boat. Along the way, you may spot some of our local wildlife, including Alaskan Brown Bears, bald eagles, blacktail deer, and more. Once aboard and traveling along the shorelines, sightings of bears, deer, coastal ducks and geese, blue herons, puffins, swans, terns, cormorants, and more are common.

In the water, you may get a chance to spot, orcas, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, and seals in addition to the feeding humpbacks. Humpback whales come to Hoonah in huge numbers to feed on the nutrient-rich waters of Glacier Bay and Icy Strait every summer beginning in May before migrating south again in September for the winter.

Humpback whales are large baleen whales that can reach over 50 feet in length and weigh as much as 30-50 tons. Humpbacks are amazingly active and typical whale sightings will include diving, blows, and flukes (tails). Lucky whale watchers may get to see breaching and bubble-net feeding, a cooperative feeding method where a pod forms a circle and dives under the water; they then blow air to create a wall of bubbles that force krill and plankton to the surface where the whales can eat them. Observing humpbacks practice bubble-net feeding is a real treat and a truly thrilling experience.

Whale Watching Charter and Transportation

The charter boat is built for speed and comfort and is perfectly suited for travel along Alaska's waterways. Guests will stay warm and dry with viewing decks and heated cabins as they experience the wonder and beauty of our whale-watching trip. We will return to the docks and transport you back to Icy Strait with plenty of time to board your ship or explore downtown Hoonah.

Cruising to Alaska in 2026? Complete our excursions inquiry form.

Click here to sign up to be notified about excursions for 2026. Once your requested tour becomes available, our team will notify you via email. All of our tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so completing our Excursion Inquiries Form gives you the best chance of booking all of your desired experiences for next year.