Whale Sightings on Whale Watches

[Hate 2 W8t]

DH and I are signed up for the evening whale watch excursion, through Princess, in late August. We live in So Cal, and yesterday took my in-laws on a whale watching trip out of San Diego. We saw ONE whale. And...it was a humpback not the gray whales expected this time of year. (Our captain explained this little guy must have been lost since the humpbacks are in Hawaii this time of year....mating season. ;) )

 

Anyway, should I expect the same sort of whale watching experience in Juneau? Am I more likely to see them from the cruise ship anyway? If I am only going to see one whale in 3 1/2 hours, I think I would rather do something else.

 

Feedback?

[Budget Queen]

Humpbacks congregate in Auke Bay- a BIG buffet for them. :) If you want to see whales- you need a tour. Any sightings from your cruise ship will require a good amount of time invested at the front of your ship, dressed appripriately. MUST HAVE a good pair of wide angle binoculars and expect distant brief views. Humpbacks are seen on 100% of the watches, orcas come in on average every 5-10 days.

[GloriaF]

Auke Bay is in the Juneau area, correct? I found a sight with Capt Todd/Auke Bay Sportfishing & Sightseeing. What is your Recommendation, BQ?

[Budget Queen]

Yes correct. I now only go with Orca Enterprises, my opinion only. Will be on a "double trip" in May. I think the 5th time I have gone with them, once with Dolphin.

[JohnQ]

Temecula,

You will definitely see more whales in JUneua. You should probably see at least half a dozen and often more. Usually close enough for good pictures with a good telephoto lense. Out of 3 hours, you should be around whales for at least two of them, maybe more. On ship, you may see if you are on deck a lot, carry your binoculars, and are actively looking. Most on ship are oblivious to whales. It could breech next to ship and the majority would never see.

[bluedevil72]

I'll add my two cents worth. We were on a ship excursion in June of 2001 in Auke Bay near Juneau and saw several whales along with others wildlife. It was well worth the money. We are going back this year and have already booked an excursion with Capt. Larry and Orca Enterprises, the one Budget Queen alluded to in the above post.

[chalky_bertie]

Have also booked with Capt Larry after reading the posts and recommendations given on the forum. Have been on whale watching tour in NZ so hopefully will just be as good if not better (want to see orca's!)

[whale-watcher]

Like all wildlife, whales can be harder to find some days, and you never know what they will be doing. We saw numerous individuals well in Auke Bay last May, but some of the more interesting behaviors (breeching, lobtailing) were observed from the cruise ship itself. Ask your onboard naturalist (last year we had Barbara on the Coral Princess, and she was fantastic), and they will tell you where and when you should be watching for whales as you cruise. We saw orcas from the ship on the way out of College Fjiord, and spotted humpbacks everywhere Barbara said we should watch for them. Make sure you bring binoculars, and carry them with you when you are out on deck!

We did not go with Capt Larry, and still enjoyed the trip in Auke bay, although the boat was a bit crowded. Next time we will go with Capt Larry.

[Budget Queen]

Have also booked with Capt Larry after reading the posts and recommendations given on the forum. Have been on whale watching tour in NZ so hopefully will just be as good if not better (want to see orca's!)

 

 

If your priority is orcas, you may want to consider a tour out of Victoria BC or Friday Harbor Wa.. Out of Juneau they are only seen on average only every 5-10 days, these trips are 100% humpbacks. But I always see- as well as spend a GREAT deal of time looking for orcas coming back inside Vancouver Island. Have seen them going north being out before dawn- yep- usually only one out. Wide angle binoculars are a MUST.

[KentuckyWoman]

Would you have a better chance seeing whales out of Juneau versus Seward?

[Budget Queen]

Would you have a better chance seeing whales out of Juneau versus Seward?

 

 

 

Absolutely, 100% humpback sightings out of Juneau.