What better way to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience with family or friends on a private boat - up to 6 guests maximum? Your private captain will offer you personalized service while you watch for whales, sea otters, sea lions, and other marine wildlife. Lots of room, comfortable and personal customer service!
We also offer this as a small group non-private excursion - Sitka Whale Watching and Marine Life Excursion (S2187).
Your private group will be met at the Sitka cruise ship tender pier, and transferred to your 26-foot Glacier Bay Catamaran, a double-hulled boat specifically designed for the narrow island passages and coves of this part of Alaska. You can choose to stay warm in the inside cabin with large windows or venture out on the back deck where there are unlimited views.
Your private group of up to six will have plenty of space to spread out on this boat that was designed for ten guests. The boat's catamaran hull design adds to the smooth ride for this marine life sightseeing excursion.
The boat will motor out of Sitka harbor into deeper waters. Along the way, your captain will tell you more about the area and its marine inhabitants. Try not to take your eyes off the water as you are in the summer feeding grounds of gray and humpback whales, as well as porpoise, sea otter, sea lion, seal, and more than 280 species of birds. This wildlife-rich area seems to have possible whale or marine life sightings around every island or peninsula.
Your captain will try to customize the excursion to your personal preferences, based on the sea and weather conditions that day. He will be in contact with other captains to know where the most recent sightings of whales have taken place that day.
Although wild and marine life sightings are never guaranteed, these waters are where the whales return every season due to their abundant sources of food. Whales feeding on krill and herring in roundups called "bubbling", are not unusual to see. Sea otters float by, lounging on their backs sometimes with babies on their stomachs.
On the nearby shores, you can see and hear the seals and sea lions barking a greeting. Bears are known to stroll the coast looking for a fish meal and wherever there is fish, eagles and other marine birds are usually close by. Keep your camera ready for some great photo opportunities. The beautiful coastal scenery, mountains, and treeline make a photographic backdrop to all of this.
Total time on the water is approximately two hours after which time, you will be returned to your Sitka cruise tender pier.
Please note: Please indicate how many are in your group. Pricing is per boat. The maximum per departure is 6 guests. Book early to avoid disappointment.
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