Whales, Wildlife & Drones

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Trip Highlights

  • Unique aerial perspective you won’t find anywhere else is SE Alaska!

  • Humpback whale feeding and migration location near Icy Strait Point

  • Comfortable boat with heated cabin & restroom

  • Live broadcast of our drone footage onbaord

Description

This whale watching tour is personalized, as it takes out a maximum of 14 guests at a time. This affords a great crew to guest ratio, allowing us to make sure that your experience is personal and special. The areas we search near Icy Strait Point and Point Adolphus are known Humpback whale feeding grounds, and are well known to Captain Josh who has a flawless record of finding whales! Add in the communication he has with his captain friends on the other boats, and it's a perfect system to find whales every time!

What really makes this tour unique, is the Drone imagery which allows us to see down below the surface - watch pods of orcas glide beneath the waves, humpback mothers with their calves and on rare occasions, witness the incredible phenomenon of "bubble-net feeding by groups of humpbacks. We do not replace your view of the whales with the drones; rather, we supplement it. You will experience all the wonder and joy of seeing and hearing these animals with your own eyes and ears, and then we’ll take you to the next level with our onboard displays.

Tour info

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 14
Price starts at
169 USD
Languages
English
Meeting Point

108 Cannery Rd, Hoonah, AK Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub Hoonah ALASKA

Dropoff location

108 Cannery Rd, Hoonah, AK Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub Hoonah ALASKA

Why take this tour?

You don’t just get a boat and a captain. Captain Josh is also a certified Drone pilot, with a state-of-the-art filmography drone. While the focus is always to get you personal views of the wildlife with your own eyes, the view from the drone makes an incredible addition to your experience. By flying the drone a legal, safe distance from the wildlife, we can safely view them without disturbance, and broadcast the footage live to you while underway on board the boat. What you will see through they eye of our drone is simply incredible and can't be obtained by normal photography. 

Not only will our guests be thrilled by incredible sightings they will also have the opportunity to take home an "unusual" souvenir. We download our drone footage shortly after docking. You can obtain an immediate copy for an extremely reasonable price - this is a souvenir like no other! You won’t find another company in Alaska who is using technology to bring you this amazing perspective of marine wildlife! 

Included

  • Round Trip Transfers from Icy Strait Point

  • Heated Cabin & Clean Restroom

  • Return to ship “Anytime Shuttle Pass” on regular shuttle from Hoonah to Icy Strait Point

Frequently asked questions

The National Marine Fisheries Service whale watching guidelines require us to maintain a 100 yard spacing from the whales when we are approaching the whales or maneuvering in the whale watching areas. Once we have stopped moving and begin to drift and enjoy the whales they frequently approach the boat at a much closer distance. It is likely that during the trip you will find yourself very close to one or more humpback whales and will get some excellent photos.
Humpback whales in Icy Strait have one primary focus for their time spent here – eating. There really is no period during the day during which you can predict when the whales will be more active. We really have not noticed a difference in behavior during different times of the day. Most of the time we are out on the water we observe them feeding and enjoying some exercise between meals. They feed as often as they are able and rest and play a bit between meals. We tell guests to pick the times that work best with their schedule
Yes, we have a clean marine head on board.
This boat takes a maximum of 14 guest.
Aside from humpback whales that come to feed on Icy Strait nutrient-rich waters, you might also get to feast your eyes on harbor seals, sea lions, porpoises and sea otters. Bald eagles and a myriad of birdlife soaring overhead also populate our skies so don’t forget to look up. Sometimes, brown bears can be seen on the shoreline.
This is a common, but not a common occurrence! Becoming seasick is always an extremely remote possibility. The waters are generally calm during the summer months and on the days when the wind and tide do make the water choppy, the motion of the boat is not of the kind that induces motion sickness. If you are prone to seasickness we recommend Dramamine or a wristband.
As the only charter boat in the Hoonah area to offer drone footage of whale sightings during your tour, this souvenir is unique and will truly enhance your experience! The cost is $25.00 and the footage will be downloaded onto a USB drive formatted to either PC or Mac.
There are times, due to weather circumstances that would prevent us from putting up the drones, namely constant rain. We cannot fly these devices in full-downpours as they are not totally waterproof, but it’s a rare tour that doesn’t give us some window of opportunity to view from the drone. We estimate that on average, we are able to fly them over ninety-five percent of our tours but we can’t guarantee they will go up.

Things to know

COVID - Health & Safety

Your health is our top priority! All of our boat crews, drivers and guides are fully vaccinated.

Stringent Cleaning – We’ve increased the frequency of disinfecting surfaces and high traffic areas during those tours that allow and between all tours. Aside from the increased cleaning abo...

Your health is our top priority! All of our boat crews, drivers and guides are fully vaccinated.

Stringent Cleaning – We’ve increased the frequency of disinfecting surfaces and high traffic areas during those tours that allow and between all tours. Aside from the increased cleaning above, our boats and vehicles are now deep cleaned at the end of each day.

Wellness Checks – Employees receive daily wellness checks, to include temperature to ensure they are healthy and symptom-free. If you or anyone in your group is experiencing symptoms, we will work directly with you to cancel or reschedule your tour.

Cancellation Policy

To receive a full refund guests may cancel up to 24hrs before the experience. If for some reason your cruise ship does not make it to port, or we have to cancel due to weather, this would also be a 100% refund. No refund for cancelations less than 24hrs. This policy does not apply to Private Char...

To receive a full refund guests may cancel up to 24hrs before the experience. If for some reason your cruise ship does not make it to port, or we have to cancel due to weather, this would also be a 100% refund. No refund for cancelations less than 24hrs. This policy does not apply to Private Charters, please email for details.

What to Wear

The weather in Hoonah is often wet (we live in a rainforest.) Bring layered clothing, a waterproof jacket, a camera and/or video camera, and comfortable shoes. Keep food and flavored drinks packed tightly away. Water is permitted.

The weather in Hoonah is often wet (we live in a rainforest.) Bring layered clothing, a waterproof jacket, a camera and/or video camera, and comfortable shoes. Keep food and flavored drinks packed tightly away. Water is permitted.

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