I pre-booked this Whale & Wildlife Tour in December, 2023 for our Alasakan Cruise scheduled for June 2024. My Hubby gets sea sick and we choose this specific boat perfect for small Groups. Hence the early booking.
The day before our Tour, we were notified by Eagle One (EO) that our tour was leaving 30 minutes earlier. No problem, we were ready. Our ship docked at the Pier and I received a call from EO confirming where to meet and a reminder of the earlier time.
We followed EO's directions to the meeting destination: Ketchikan's Visitor's Bureau right along the main Pier. Our Group quickly gathered and we were off for our Adventure! Less People equals less waiting!
Captain Jesse and 1st Mate Kaylee, were our experienced Guides for the day.
The tour began with a brief but informative introduction about the types of whales we might encounter and the conservation efforts to protect these magnificent creatures. As we ventured into the open sea, the anticipation grew, and we were not disappointed.
The Tour boats communicate with one another to provide info on where the Whales are feeding for their morning breakfast. It took about 30 minutes to arrive at the site.
Pretty thrilling to see Whales surface/breach, dive and spout water high into the air!
The Tour lasted about 3 Hours and we were fortunate to not only see Whales but an Island with chillaxing Sea lions and a convocation of Bald Eagles.
BONUS: This is the only authorized area, where the Crew can toss frozen herring to the Eagles. Super cool to see them swoop and dive and catch them in their beaks. Get your camera's ready, they are quick!
On the way back, we saw a few deer on the coastline grazing. As we docked at the pier, another wildlife bonus: Otters swimming under the pier.
Overall, I highly recommend Eagle One looking for a semi private Whale watching excursion. EO provided complimentary blankets, hot chocolate, water and snacks. Bring your own binoculars our borrow a pair, totally worth it! BTW, Bathroom on board, but steady yourself, male or female ;)