Whale Watching question

[nanabananna]

Hey everyone!

 

I am trying to decide if I want to go on a Whale Watching tour in Juneau.

 

If I should go on one I believe I will book with Harv and Marv due to the positive reviews I have read on CC.

 

1. If you have gone on a Whale watching tour do you feel as though it was well spend money?

 

2. Do you feel if you had Not gone on W W tour you would have missed something you would regret by not going?

 

3 If you took the Princess tour was it what you had expected it would be or better?

 

I am in hopes of your thoughts and or experiences will help me decide to do this tour or not. It is NOT based on the cost, but if it is worth while to take.

 

I am so confused. Most tours are 4 hours and I also want to have time to enjoy Juneau the city.

 

Thanks,

Sandra

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• it really depends on where you are from.... if you leave near the ocean.... you will appreciate it less than those who are away from the ocean.
  
• many have seen orcas.... Alaska offers the much larger humpbacks. If you don't go.... when is the next opportunity to see a humpback?
  
• Humpbacks are much slower than the smaller/faster Orcas. Thus you are not likely to see the whole humpback out of the water.
  
• don't be surprised if most of your images will be just the back and butt of the whale. The whales do not perform like at SeaWorld. When they do.... you need to be ready.
  
• the boats need to maintain a minimum distance of 100 yards or 3 blocks to the whales. You want to bring a good zoom lens. Occasionally a whale may choose to come closer to your boat.... but you are not allowed to bait it.
  
• I was on DCL and Gastineau was the operator. Loved it. http://www.stepintoalaska.com/
  
• consider a Mendenhall combo where you see the glacier LAST. This allows you time to explore the trails longer if you want to return via shuttle on your own. When dry.... you want to stay longer.... when it's wet.... you might want to leave immediately. The combo tour allows you to see both highlights West of the docks and saves you time in not double backing.
  

 

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Edited November 16, 2016 by xlxo

[Italy52]

Whether or not a whale watching tour is well worth the money is a subjective question. For us, we take every opportunity we can to see whales. We have had some spectacular whale watches and others that have been more subdued. We go with the expectations that we will probably see tails and blows --- anything else that happens is a blessing. The whales are beautiful creatures and we have enjoyed watching them during our trips to Alaska.

 

I have posted a link to one of our back-to-back trips to Alaska. For our northbound trip to Juneau you can see we had one of those rare experiences where we had so much activity that we didn't know where to look. For our southbound trip to Juneau our whale watching experience was on a smaller scale. We have learned that no two whale watching trips are alike and we are thankful for whatever appears.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2237702

 

**Both Juneau whale watching tours were with Harv & Marv

[travelingbehindlense]

We cruised to Alaska this past May and didn't go whale watching. We read reviews of seeing whales from the ship and while on other excursions, so we figured we'd see them anyway. We did see a humpback and some orcas from the ship, but way too far away. We saw whales while in Skagway and Ketchikan on our excursions, but... I do regret not going on an actual whale watching excursion. I feel I would have had a better whale experience if I did. It's definitely a must do on my next Alaska adventure!

 

 

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[Eboracum_d]

We went whale watching with Juneau and we're glad we did not take the Celebrity Tour.

 

We walked round the harbour and found an independent operator. There were only six passengers and two crew,one of them a Whale fanatic who spent his year tracking whales as they migrated.

 

The small number on board made it very easy for us to move around the ship and take photographs. We found a Mother humpback with calf which played around with the boat in close attendance for about 90 minutes.

 

 

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[TheCalicoCat]

For us it isn't worth it.

 

I know that we would not be satisfied with just seeing a dorsal fin from a distance. :rolleyes:

 

There are rules about the distance that the boat must keep from the animals, but the animals don't have to follow them, so you might get lucky & be closer than allowed... I don't have that kind of luck.

 

Now if they could guarantee breaching or bubble net feeding...

[Eboracum_d]

We were just about within touching distance !

 

 

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[sherryf]

For us it isn't worth it.

 

I know that we would not be satisfied with just seeing a dorsal fin from a distance. :rolleyes:

 

There are rules about the distance that the boat must keep from the animals, but the animals don't have to follow them, so you might get lucky & be closer than allowed... I don't have that kind of luck.

 

Now if they could guarantee breaching or bubble net feeding...

 

I guess it is a matter of perspective, and how much you want to see whales. By not going, you are missing the opportunity to see something spectacular, just because you feel you would be disappointed if you saw less.

 

My first whale watching tour, back in 2001, was not very exciting. We saw lots of fins and tails, but that's it. My son, who was 8 at the time and obsessed with whales, was thrilled with just seeing whales, so it was totally worth it to us. Despite the lack of anything exciting like breaching on that tour, I still chose to go again in recent years. I have been lucky enough to see bubble net feeding two years in a row. You just never know what you will see until you get out there, but if you don't go, you will never see the good stuff!

[Budget Queen]

Hey everyone!

 

I am trying to decide if I want to go on a Whale Watching tour in Juneau.

 

If I should go on one I believe I will book with Harv and Marv due to the positive reviews I have read on CC.

 

1. If you have gone on a Whale watching tour do you feel as though it was well spend money?

 

2. Do you feel if you had Not gone on W W tour you would have missed something you would regret by not going?

 

3 If you took the Princess tour was it what you had expected it would be or better?

 

I am in hopes of your thoughts and or experiences will help me decide to do this tour or not. It is NOT based on the cost, but if it is worth while to take.

 

I am so confused. Most tours are 4 hours and I also want to have time to enjoy Juneau the city.

 

Thanks,

Sandra

 

 

Frankly- your post is perhaps telling? Someone who does have a priority for whale watching, would never have these questions, in my opinion. With the asking- it would appear, this may not be a good selection for you?

 

It is totally subjective and a personal choice. Doesn't matter, one bit, what anyone else does. Myself- I go on at least 20 whale watches/year, out of Hawaii, Alaska and Gloucester. MY choice and priority, that looks ridiculous to a LOT of people. :) IF I took "advice" from once a year whale watchers, I'd be pretty unhappy. :)

 

Perhaps, look at the whole picture- what other selections are of your interest in Juneau? IF money is a factor, look at the WHOLE picture there too. Some times, it s poor choice- to spend where it eliminates other choices? There can be all kinds of resentments as well, that I see with Alaska tours- repetitively. Especially with those who book based on being told it's a "must". etc

 

 

Think more about this. Read some trip reports, of ALL the options you are interested in, sleep on it. :) Hopefully you will arrive at the decision that you are happy with.

[lightasafeather]

We have been to Juneau 3 times and twice we went whale watching with Harv and Marv. One time we did the helicopter to the Juneau ice field instead. Here is a slide show/video I made from our trip in May 2009. Lots of whales.

 

Like others have said - you never know who many whales you will see. We saw many on both our trips. The last time we even saw an Orca pod with a new born. No matter how many whales you see, it is still a fun adventure if you want it to be.

 

The small boat experience is nice and they treat you well. Highly recommend them.

[nanabananna]

Thank you each for taking your time to answer my questions about

the W W Tours

 

The pictures are incredible! Especially the feeding ones posted by Italy52, I even read some of Italy52 reviews and excursions. ;)

 

Travelingbehindlense: I think this is what I would feel by not going...a big disappointment.

 

Eboracum_d: I would be thrilled if the whales would do that for me. I will wish upon a Star (Princess) and maybe it will come true. :D

 

xlxo: I live in Northwest Louisiana...close to TX and AR state line. So, I do not see whales. I have not even been to Sea World! :(

 

It seems I have made up my mind and I plan to book a Harv and Marv tour. I think, it will be the better of the tours that will suit my husband and I best. The smaller tour group on the boat is what we will try to book.

 

Thank you all again for your help. :)

[Sequim88]

the boats need to maintain a minimum distance of 100 yards or 3 blocks to the whales.

 

but the animals don't have to follow them,

 

We got lucky and a baby Humpback left its Mom and came right up to the side of the boat. The Captain had it in shutdown and drift mode until the little one left to rejoin Mom.

 

We see Orcas pretty often from Washington State Ferries, especially the Keystone Ferry to Port Townsend. So our interest was in Humpbacks. Sailing out of Seattle will pass through there. Of course unlike tours the ship does not stop to watch. But free watching from the ship depends on how much time you want to invest in it.

 

Trading money for time on a tour can be a reasonable trade-off. The operators stake their reputation in knowing where the whales are hanging out. Much like charter fishing and they probably talk to other Captains over the radio about as much comparing results or spot where clusters of whale watchers are parked. Always a chance of getting skunked but pretty small and on the flip side of the curve you might see something spectacular like breaching.

These whales broke all the rules. :D

[nanabananna]

Oh my goodness! I always knew whales were big, but they are huge.

 

The wonderful videos posted from Sequim88 and lightasafeather have put that into perspective for me. Loved seeing the whale that looks like it came very close to the kayakers.

 

Thank you both for posting the video. :)

 

I look forward to our tour with Harv and Marv, Now, I have to locate a camera with a telescope lens. LOL A good excuse to buy a new camera!:D

 

Sandra

[xlxo]

xlxo: I live in Northwest Louisiana...close to TX and AR state line. So, I do not see whales. I have not even been to Sea World! :(

To clarify.... this is what you see at Sea World. The One Ocean show is ending this year in San Diego....

 

Alaskan humpback whales are much bigger. Size matters.

 

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