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Icy Strait Premier Whale Watching Adventure

4.9
418 reviews

Excursion Overview

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

Your Icy Strait Premier 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.

Hoonah is renowned for its rich marine life and thriving eco-tourism, and Hoonah Whale Tours lets you experience it all up close. Even nearby Gustavus contributes to these nutrient-rich waters, helping attract the abundant wildlife that makes every moment of your tour unforgettable.

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 can enjoy open-air viewing decks for incredible wildlife sightings, while the covered and heated cabin offers a warm and dry place to relax as you 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.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

  • Whale sightings are guaranteed. If you do not see a whale on your tour, you will be fully refunded.
  • Restrooms onboard
  • Roundtrip transportation from the Icy Strait Excursions Hub

Requirements:

  • There are no additional requirements for this excursion.

Duration: 3 hours (Roundtrip from the Excursions Hub.)

  • 30 minutes - roundtrip transportation to Hoonah City Commercial Dock
  • 2.5 hours - whale watching

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets at the Excursion Hub. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

  • This tour is not wheelchair or limited mobility accessible. Guests must be able to negotiate a sometimes extremely steep ramp to the boat due to extreme tides.

Refund Policy:

  • You may cancel for any reason up to seven (7) days prior to the date of the tour for a full refund.
  • Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are no age restrictions for this tour however, guest's of all ages, including infants, require a ticket.

Sightings are guaranteed or you'll receive a full refund for your tour.

Humpback whales and other sea animals are protected species and a safe distance of at least 100 yards must be maintained at all times according to NOAA regulations.

Air temperature can drop as much as 20°F with the wind chill factor when viewing whales outside.

The interior of the boat is heated when needed due to weather conditions to keep a comfortable environment.

The charter boats used have a capacity of 18, 30, or 42 passengers.

Every boat has open seating as well as outside viewing areas when permitted.

We get this question a lot. The waters we operate in are usually pretty calm. If you are prone to seasickness, we recommend Dramamine or a wristband. Over the years, less than 1% of our guests have gotten seasick.

Yes, the boats are equipped with restrooms.

Water & Snacks are available for purchase onboard. We highly encourage guest to bring a reusable water bottle on their cruise.

Non-alcoholic beverages in closeable containers and snacks are allowed on tour.​

Backpacks, small bags, and purses are allowed on this tour.

 

Guest Reviews

4.9

418 total

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Amanda B

On Oct 2025

This was one of our favorite excursions, we saw so many whales. Our boat captain was a wealth of knowledge. We would absolutely do this again!

Kendra A

On Sep 2025

We had a spectacular trip, our guides were both extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to see both humpbacks and orcas on our voyage.

Peter G

On Sep 2025

We had a great excursion, and we loved hearing about the heritage and stories of the island while on our tour. We were able to see humpbacks, orcas, bald eagles, a sea lion, and an otter during our trip. We were very pleased and would recommend this trip to anyone considering it. Transportation from the cruise port and back was easy and efficient.

Sheena C

On Sep 2025

Our guide was great! We got to see whales, orcas, sea otters, and seals. We even saw a rock bear!

Mariluz D

On Sep 2025

It was great to listen to the whales singing and then waiting for them to appear for bubble feeding. Our guide was great, as she shared with us a lot of cultural background about native people for Alaska and that was really enjoyable. It was also great that she was very careful to give us the best experience in her hands by searching for all animals we could see. We ended watching whales, sea lions, otters, orcas, and even a bear.

$185.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$185.00

Duration: 3 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 3 hours



Adult (13+): $185.00

Child (12 and Under): $185.00

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