Alaska in June on Princess. Best stop & best tour to see eagle?

[TheArtfulPenguin]

5 hours ago, Jayaway said:

I agree with the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's tour n Ketchikan. Before our trip to Alaska last spring I asked my nephew about his cruise the year before and this tour was his hands down best tour he took. They take you to an area by boat, and as they come up, the eagles start to arrive. They throw out food and the eagles come from all over, grabbing out of the air, flying over the boat close enough to hear their wings, etc. Lots of photo opportunities! Then they start talking about crabbing & fishing, the Deadliest Catch show (which was interesting even if you haven't ever seen it), etc. They show you all types of "sea creatures" that are put back in the water, etc. I highly recommend this tour if your goal is to see eagles (and more).

Thanks. Sounds like a good must do.  Do they pull up crab pots?

[sherryf]

You can see bald eagles everywhere!  Personally, I will not take a tour that feeds wild eagles for the entertainment of tourists.  I'm not even sure that's legal!

[Jayaway]

17 hours ago, TheArtfulPenguin said:

Thanks. Sounds like a good must do.  Do they pull up crab pots?

They have demo crab pots. As for the illegal feeding thing - that is a good point. I believe whatever they are doing must be ok - maybe I put it wrong, but my feeling was that everything was done to benefit and not harm the wildlife.

[LeeW]

Largest group we saw last summer was Juneau, up north by the pier the whale watching tours go out of (we use Alaska Shore Tours).  Counted 27 in the trees around the marina.  The other great place is the Alaska Eagle Preserve float trip out of Haines.  This is a fairly expensive trip from Skagway with high speed ferry to Haines so we usually have to book it through the ship.  If ship is running tours you might be able to book direct for less (everyone uses the same ferry).  

[TheArtfulPenguin]

1 hour ago, Jayaway said:

They have demo crab pots. As for the illegal feeding thing - that is a good point. I believe whatever they are doing must be ok - maybe I put it wrong, but my feeling was that everything was done to benefit and not harm the wildlife.

As regulated as tours seem to be, and as protected as eagles are I feel that if it is illegal they'd be shutdown.  I think this is something my 9yr old daughter would love.

[SightCRR]

It is my understanding that the crab boat tour is in First Nation Tribal waters when they feed the eagles. Other feedings likely illegal but very few if any enforcement. Even having eagle feathers likely to get you in hot water. Saw feathers at Eagle beach in Juneau but just took a photo. 

[Cruise Raider]

1 minute ago, SightCRR said:

It is my understanding that the crab boat tour is in First Nation Tribal waters when they feed the eagles. Other feedings likely illegal but very few if any enforcement. Even having eagle feathers likely to get you in hot water. Saw feathers at Eagle beach in Juneau but just took a photo. 

I took a hike through a national forest last year and was told it was illegal to take an eagle feather from the park.  I didn’t know if it was folklore but I think you’ve confirmed it is true.  
 

[gottagoacruzn]

Yup, they are everwhere. Recommend binoculars, a big must have.

 

[sherryf]

6 hours ago, TheArtfulPenguin said:

As regulated as tours seem to be, and as protected as eagles are I feel that if it is illegal they'd be shutdown.  I think this is something my 9yr old daughter would love.

Your choice of course, but you can see plenty of eagles without a tour.  I love bald eagles and am always on the lookout for them, but I respect wildlife enough to refuse to support anyone who is feeding them.

[rustysunshine]

6 hours ago, TheArtfulPenguin said:

As regulated as tours seem to be, and as protected as eagles are I feel that if it is illegal they'd be shutdown.  I think this is something my 9yr old daughter would love.

They discussed this when we did our tour last June. There is an arrangement in place between the operators of the Deadliest Catch tour and the First Nations people who inhabit the area. The eagle feedings are seen as a benefit to the eagle population there. I came away from the tour feeling that Captain David and his crew have a deep respect for both the local ecosystem and the native people.

[SightCRR]

Check youtube for several personal (not the ad ones) videos of the tour. If you do decide to go make sure that you know how to use the sports settings on the cameras. Practice on birds of your area. Just checked the price and it is $229 p/p. Glad we saw it several years ago when under $100.  

[dahuffy]

On 3/20/2024 at 1:34 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

Not in Alaska, but this resident pair is in Big Bear, CA.  Unfortunately, this season, their 3 eggs will not hatch.  

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=big+bear+eagle+cam&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6a5ede9a,vid:B4-L2nfGcuE,st:0

 

You daughter might enjoy watching the rest of this nesting season.  Come back next January.  

I've been watching Jackie and Shadow for a few years now

Edited March 24 by dahuffy

[SightCRR]

fyi, In our family you are only allowed to point out the first 10-15 eagles. After that it gets to boring unless multiple eagles are in the same tree.   

[wolfie11]

In Alaska your guides will ask if you’re outbound or on your way back.  If on the way back, they only point out really good eagle sightings since they figure you’ve seen a lot already!