Hoonah: Icy Strait Whale Watching Tour with Small Group

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1/9

Duration3h

GroupUp to 14

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Small boat whale watching in Hoonah’s wild Icy Strait with locals

You’ll feel Alaska’s wild side up close on this small group whale watching tour from Hoonah—watching humpbacks breach in Icy Strait, spotting eagles overhead, sipping hot coffee as sea otters drift past. Expect real local stories from your guide and plenty of quiet moments with just ocean and sky around you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Whale watching tour in Icy Strait

Board small group catamaran
Enjoy heated cabin and snacks
Watch for humpback whales
Spot sea lions and sea otters
See bald eagles flying by
Chance to see brown bears
Look for orcas and puffins

The Experience

We were already out past the last dock in Hoonah before I realized how quiet it gets on the water here. Just the low hum of the catamaran and then, suddenly, a blast of air—a humpback surfaced maybe thirty feet off our side. Our guide, Tlingit-born and quick to laugh, pointed out how you can tell which whales are locals too (I didn’t quite catch his full explanation but it had something to do with their tail markings). The air smelled cold and salty, and someone handed around coffee that actually tasted better than I expected—maybe because my hands were freezing.

Icy Strait is huge. We drifted past bald eagles hunched on driftwood and watched sea otters float by looking like they owned the place. There was this moment when everyone went silent at once—just watching a whale’s back arching through gray water—and it felt almost rude to talk. Then a kid asked if we’d see orcas; our guide just grinned and said “maybe,” but you could tell he was scanning for them too. The snack basket made its rounds (granola bars, nothing fancy), and I tried not to spill tea all over myself when we hit a choppy bit.

We hugged the shoreline for a while hoping for brown bears—didn’t spot any this time, but honestly, just seeing those mountains drop right into the sea was enough. I still think about that view sometimes when things get loud at home. On the way back, someone spotted a puffin darting by (blink and you miss it). The whole thing lasted about three hours but felt longer in a good way—like your brain slows down out there. So yeah, if you’re thinking about a day trip from Juneau or have cruise time in Hoonah, this is worth it for the whales alone.

What’s included

Your day includes port pickup and drop-off in Hoonah, snacks and light refreshments like coffee or tea served onboard in the heated cabin of a small catamaran with bathroom facilities—plus guiding from locals who know these waters inside out before returning after about three hours on Icy Strait.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Hoonah Whale Tours