Juneau Travel Forum

I'm planning on taking the typical 3-hour whale watching trip with my husband, but I'm unsure of which companies are reputable, or even just better than the others.

Do you have opinions or experiences?

I love the idea of seeing other wildlife as well, but that's secondary.

Thanks

I've done a few in Hawaii. Where are you planning to whale watch?

Hi - I went with Captain Larry of Orca Enterprises a few years ago (and am going again next month). It was great - we saw a lot of whales. Orca Enterprises has an almost 100% success rate for seeing whales during the season. Check www.orcaenterprises.com for more info. Happy Travels!

We went on Four Seasons a few years back and loved the trip. Lots of whales and other wildlife and a delicous lunch on a remote island. I'm a boater myself and was impressed with their operation. Kept a respectful distance from the critters as well. The lunch of BBQ salmon was excellent. I wrote about the trip on my Juneau page if you need more info.

4-Seasons just got bought out by Allen Marine, so that's no longer an option. Orca Enterprises is the most often advertised in travel forums, and with the high volume of people they put on their boats, it's no wonder there are so many good reviews.

Here's the breakdown on whale watching in Juneau:

All of the tours see basically the same whales in the same area. As a matter of fact, NOAA and NMFS require whale watching operators to act cooperatively to stay out of the way of the whales and other marine mammals. All tour operators have a set of guidelines to follow... things like do not approach closer than 100 yards, communicate with other boats and coordinate your viewing, don't stay with one group of animals for more than 20 minutes, etc.

Since most of the tours in Juneau are 2-3 hours in length, and they're all going to the same areas, it comes down to a few more subtle points when making your decisions.

First, try to decide what size of boat you'd like to take your tour on. I put all the operations in Juneau into 3 categories, based on the size (passenger capacity) of the boats they operate. Allen Marine operates large boats. You'll be on a tour with anywhere from 60-150 other people. The interaction with the captain will be minimal, but there are usually several very qualified crew members you can grab and ask a question if needed. When the boat is fairly full, the announcements will all be over a P/A system instead of in person.

Dolphin Jet Tours, Adventures in Alaska, Alaska Whale Watching and Orca Enterprises all fall into the medium category with anywhere from 6 to 50 guests on each tour. Usually the boats are smaller than the big Catamarans, and your announcements and narration will usually be in-person. A bit more direct access to the captain/local expert, although Orca regularly receives criticism that Capt. Larry just sits there looking grumpy and lets his crew do all the talking while he silently drives the boat. Note that in all the times I've personally been aboard an Orca boat, Larry has been very engaged with his guests.

Last but not least are the small boats. Often called "6-Packs" because they're limited to 6 passengers, these tend to be the most personal tours, if you can get one. Ride on the Rum Runner and you'll get a great lecture from a (very fun) marine biologist. Ride on the Can Can and you'll get to experience life in Alaska the way I experienced things growing up here. Some boats, driven by retired Coast Guard officers will give you an entire maritime history of the USCG, etc... The smaller boats also can be a bit more versatile with the route of your tour. For example, if you're on a large boat with 100 people, and you want to see Sea Lions and Eagles, you won't likely get to vote. On a small boat, the whole tour can be entirely up to your wishes and whims.

Next, look at how much time you'll be spending on the water, then compare the pricing. A $115 tour comes out to $46 per hour if it's a 2.5 hour tour. A $138 tour may seem more expensive, but if you're getting 3 hours on the water, the cost is the same between the tours. While we're on the subject of time, be sure to ask about the ground transportation to and from the small boat harbor. Some tours may include it in the fee, and some may charge extra. Also, the drive time between the cruise ships downtown and Auke Bay averages to about 30 minutes each way. Many of the 3.5-hour tours you see are really 2.5 hour tours with a 30 minute bus ride before and after.

Once you've made a decision based on time, take a look at what the tour includes. Most boat trips in Juneau should include "Alaskan Snacks," soft drinks, and coffee. Some of the longer trips will include a lunch, but be sure to ask. (ie: Adventure Bound sells lunches, snacks, etc. on their Tracy Arm trips, Alaskan Marine Adventures includes all of that in the price, etc.) Different tours are becoming known for their unique snacks. Harv & Marv can often be seen meeting Eileen in her kayak to deliver fresh baked cookies. Alaskan Marine Adventures usually serves an assortment of smoked salmon, crab dip, reindeer sausage, cheese, crackers, etc.... don't hesitate to ask! Not that snacks will make or break your decision, but I think it's important to consider whether or not you can customize things when you're booking.

Once you've narrowed the selection down a bit more, it will really come down to the personality of the operator. Some tours are very scientific, spouting facts and figures at you for 2 hours as if their HighSchool biology class grade depended on it. I always try to take a different approach and share a bit of my perspective on what life up here can be like. While other guides were studying and memorizing a bunch of facts and figures (and a script), My crew and I were out LIVING in the area, and learning about the animals and world around us from a first-hand point of view.

Another point to consider is the concern for safety and overall safety record of the boat/operator you choose. Larger vessels are required to be inspected on a regular schedule by the USCG. The small boats are not, but there's a voluntary "5-Star" inspection program that more of the smaller boats are participating in. It basically means we've gone above and beyond the required minimums where safety is concerned.

CanCanCase-
Your posting on whale watching is probably the finest forum posting I've seen on VT! outstanding! I'll amend my 4 seasons to show it as a memoir rather than a useful tip.
Thanks!

As far as Orca Enterprises - they will go out no matter how many or how few people are on their boats. I went in peak season one year and there was plenty of room on the boat to move around, get great photos, etc. It was not "overcrowded" by any means. I also just went in early May this year and there were only 6 of us on the boat. The trip could have been easily canceled but they went anyway - and we had a great trip - very personal. They get a lot of good reviews because they have a lot of customers because they do a great job!

@Rick: Thanks. Whale watching is so popular here, our legislators have tried to tax wildlife "viewing"... it can get confusing with all the choices. I've always believed there is a right tour for everyone, so maybe my writing will help steer a few folks to a better decision than they would have made otherwise.

@Donna: Orca's high number of good reviews is based purely on volume... take 30,000 or so guests out each summer, and, even at a 1% return rate, you'll have 3,000 good reviews. Take 500 guests out on a smaller boat, and get 5 good reviews. But... with the good, also comes the bad. Orca is the only whale watching tour in Juneau to have a blemished safety record. A quick "Google" or search of the local newspaper archives shows a fire aboard one of their vessels, guests going to the hospital with Carbon Monoxide issues, a collision with a whale and a number of fines and suspended penalties levied against the company... all in a 5-year span. I'm certainly not trying to "badmouth" their operation... they run wonderful tours and I send them business all the time. High volume tours, however, will always garner more praise and be at much higher risk for accidents/problems. Then again, Orca has the only ADA accessible tour boat in SE Alaska, so, just as an example, there's an instance where a big purple boat would definitely be the "right" tour for someone who needed to make that choice!

Happy Alaska Travels all!
-Case