Whale watching in Juneau

[Wandering_star]

Hello!

 

Can anyone recommend a whale watching tour company in Juneau?

We are headed up at the beginning of September and just want to compare ship's excursions to what we could do on our own.

 

Recommendations please and thank you!!!

[Budget Queen]

I highly recommend Orca Enterprises. Comfortable boat with upper viewing. Cpt Larry is extremely knowledgeable and also will be a naturalist on board.

[sprint180]

just used Harv and Marv this week. 6 people to a boat and Capt. Russel was great. Whales swam right by out boat.

[Earplug]

We went with http://www.harvandmarvs.com/ in July. We couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Earplug

[travgurl]

We have already booked Harv and Marv for next summer. I chose this company from the reviews that I have read and I have full confidence that I have chosen a great company!!!

[cruise4sun&fun]

Just booked with F.I.S.H.E.S for next June.... toss up between them and Harv & Marv's.... son used F.I.S.H.E.S this May and had a great time....only 6 people on the boat and got very close to the whales so we went with them.

 

Can't go wrong with either from what I hear.

 

Have fun on your cruise! :)

[Zuki]

Harv & Marv!! We had an amazing trip with them this past July. Liz is great!

[Italy52]

Just booked with F.I.S.H.E.S for next June.... toss up between them and Harv & Marv's.... son used F.I.S.H.E.S this May and had a great time....only 6 people on the boat and got very close to the whales so we went with them.

 

Can't go wrong with either from what I hear.

 

Have fun on your cruise! :)

 

F.I.S.H.E.S. is a great company. However, they are located in Hoonah (Icy Strait port stop) and not in Juneau. I only mention this because the poster was looking for suggestions in Juneau.

[Italy52]

For Juneau, we have used Harv & Marv (small boat experience --- 6 passengers) and Weather Permitting (a little bit larger boat capacity --- I think 10-14). Both companies provided an EXCELLENT experience. I would also recommend looking at Trip Advisor for additional reviews.

[sherryf]

We love Orca Enterprises! We have had great experiences with them last year and just a couple of weeks ago. All of the staff are excellent and we have been lucky enough to see bubble net feeding both times. I saw some of the little 6-person boats when we were out, and I'm not sure if I'd like them as much. I like being able to go on the upper deck of the Orca boat to see better.

[Justprettynpink]

My son and his new bride loved orca..thye got some really great pics of the the whales and they were impressed with the passion that they have for the whales...

 

http://www.orcaenterprises.com/

[cruise4sun&fun]

Yes, sorry all, :( FISHES is in Hoonah, not Juneau. Thanks for pointing that out Italy52.....

[twinmom38]

agree.. either ORCA or harv and Marv.. we have been with ORCA, and are going with Hrv and Mrv next week..

[EsJake]

We have booked 2 times one with Capt Larry with a Orca Eneterprises. His location is right across from Mt Roberts tram he has spotters that call in the locations of the whales, then off you go in a high speed boat! They are not crowded with plenty of photo ops. We saw whale bubble feeding, seals, otters, eagles and lot of beautiful sights.

 

 

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[JimAOk1945]

We booked our whale watching excursions through the cruise line. We were on small boats and had good experiences watching the whales and calves bubble net feeding and breaching several times.

[CraftyDD]

We used Orca in 2006 and are booked with them again on our cruise this year.

[MVPinBoynton]

We have been on both Harv & Marv and ORCA. Loved them both and would happily repeat them again. It really depends on whether you want to be on a small or larger boat. They both have advantages. I will say that we really enjoyed the comfort of the larger ORCA boat a couple months ago, especially since we are in our upper 60's now. But when we used H&M 7 years ago we had a ball. If you don't have a boat size preference, flip a coin; you won't be disappointed with either company.

[starfish216]

We used Harv & Marv last week. Since we were a group of 7 we were on his larger 12 passenger boat with Captain Shawn and Amanda. Had a great time with both of them.

I highly recommend them.

 

BTW we saw whales breaching several times and bubble net feeding!

[peety3]

Take a good look at Gastineau Guiding. Their "Photo Safari" is a fantastic excursion for the photography "student" and non-students alike, as the boat only takes 14 passengers and all of the windows lift up/in so you can see/shoot through air not glass. The boats have inflated pontoons on the outside, so they're far less rocky than anything else on the water that holds 50 passengers or fewer (which means they're WAY more stable than Harv & Marv...).

 

I was far more comfortable photographing with a monopod on a Gastineau Guiding boat than I would have been on the 40-passenger boat we had on an excursion two years ago. I wouldn't consider using a monopod on H&M.

[Rambler5678]

How much did you tip and who?

[ccMiMi]

Orca Enterprises. They were terrific!

[QueenofEverything]

Harv and Marv sounds like fun, but how far is the hike from parking to the boat? When we went on a ship's excursion, it was not far. Having some knee issues at the moment, so am concerned the hike would be too far. The Gastineau photo safari sounds really great also. How long is the hike at the Mendenhall glacier? Thanks

[mapleleaves]

Harv and Marv sounds like fun, but how far is the hike from parking to the boat? When we went on a ship's excursion, it was not far. Having some knee issues at the moment, so am concerned the hike would be too far. The Gastineau photo safari sounds really great also. How long is the hike at the Mendenhall glacier? Thanks

 

Harv and Marv's web site has lots of info, including this line from their FAQ's :

A. There are three big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks about 300 yards away from our boat. If you cannot walk 1/2 mile or up and down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different company.

 

http://www.harvandmarvs.com/FAQ.html

[Earplug]

The walk from the parking lot to the boat is all paved. It is a little bit of a hill but not much. The steps into and out of the boat are about 1 1/2 taller than a normal stairway. Unless you are using a walker it should not be a problem. The staff is very helpful!