My wife and I spent a great June 4 morning with Capt. Joardan Savland of Hoonah Whale Tours on his Thor Too, a small, but solidly seaworthy 31-foot catamaran powered by a pair of monster 300 hp Yamaha outboards. The tour takes a maximum of six, so there's no mob mentality on board. Joardan knows the waters and is respectful of whales and the environment, not crowding the beasts of the deep that are his tour's bread and butter.
We saw whales bubble netting and feeding, breeching, etc. Only wish the tour was twice as long. This is a small, family-run operation and couldn't be friendlier. Call Maraiya Savland ---she bakes the tour's signature blueberry muffins, wrangles the couple's three kids and manages bookings---and get ready for a great, and memorable tour. Photographers: lenses between 100mm to 300mm recommended. The boat has a cozy cabin in the event of foul weather, as well as a "head" for personal emergencies.
Ross and Karen Dolan, South Dakota