WASeattleTraveller
Aug 2022
This was a perfect tour, and a highlight of an outstanding cruise for our group of close friends and our kids.
Carter was an outstanding guide taking us from our cruise ship to the yacht, with a quick stop to see Mendenhall Glacier on the way.
We met Captain Tori and our naturalist Dan on the yacht, and enjoyed information and snacks/drinks on the way out to the whale watching grounds. Dan was very good about tailoring the info to our group - it seemed like the right balance of breadth and depth without losing the excitement of the whales.
Upon arrival to the first viewing area, we were quickly amazed by a whale violently slapping the water with its tail from afar. Dan suggested that it may have gotten rocked by another boat's wake and was a bit upset Another smaller whale, likely a calf, was waving its tail above the water in what appeared to be play. Shortly after that, we got a surprise breach by another humpback. It was so amazing to watch that none of us managed to get a picture. All of this was in the first 10 minutes of watching, and our guides seemed to be genuinely excited themselves. Captain Tori was very active about keeping our stern facing the action, while maintaining appropriate distance. On a few occasions, the whales approached us of their own accord, and she shut down the engines until they moved a safe distance away.
The remainder of the tour was great - probably saw at least 8-10 different whales. The snacks and drinks were excellent, and the yacht was extremely well appointed. The kids in the group played in the cabin when not watching, and they all enjoyed themselves.
After returning to the dock, we took pictures and Carter took us to visit a salmon hatchery on the way back to the cruise ship. The salmon were running thick and the holding pens were getting to be full. Fish were jumping their way up the ladders with great zeal.
This tour was a truly memorable experience for our entire group. Everyone from the company was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. We did have a few people with a propensity to motion-sickness, but this was not a problem for any of the group. I would highly recommend this experience!