Sitka Marine Life Tour: Private Boat with Captain, 3 Hours

A captain with 30 years on the water takes you where the wildlife actually is that day

A private 3-hour marine wildlife tour in Sitka, Alaska, aboard a double-hulled Stabicraft boat captained by a Merchant Marine with three decades of experience. You choose your departure time between 6am and 5pm, and the captain routes the boat to Sitka Sound, Saint Lazaria Islands or Mt. Edgecumbe Volcano depending on where eagles, puffins, whales, sea otters and bears are most active. The tour includes snacks, sodas, water and a heated cabin. The boat is Coast Guard approved and fully equipped for safety in Southeast Alaska waters.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private scenic wildlife boat tour

• Start tour at chosen time
• Travel around Sitka Sound islands and coves
• Visit Saint Lazaria Islands for seabird viewing
• Spot eagles, puffins, and assorted seabirds
• Observe whales, sea otters, sea lions, and dolphins
• Enjoy views of Mt. Edgecumbe Volcano and ocean

The experience

What makes this tour different is the captain's call. A Merchant Marine with over 30 years on the water doesn't follow a fixed route. He reads the conditions and the wildlife patterns each day and steers toward what's actually there. The boat, a New Zealand-built Stabicraft 2500 Ultracab XL, is double-hulled aluminum designed for the rough Pacific waters off Alaska's coast. It seats your private group and no one else, so the pace and the stops are yours alone.

Saint Lazaria Island, twenty miles west of Sitka, is where the tour often heads if seas allow it. The island is a nesting colony so dense that 7,000 birds live per acre: 250,000 breeding pairs of storm-petrels, 1,500 to 2,000 tufted puffins, thousands of murres and auklets, plus bald eagles and peregrine falcons. The island itself has no public landing. You view the colony from the water. Sitka Sound offers an alternative route through endless islands and coves if the weather or the swell makes the open ocean crossing risky that day. Either way, the tour focuses on active wildlife: humpback and grey whales, sea otters, sea lions, dolphins, harbor seals, orcas, and Baranof brown bears, along with volcano and mountain views.

The boat has a heated cabin, so you're not exposed to the elements the whole time. Snacks, sodas and water are included. You pick any departure between 6am and 5pm, so you can time the tour around the rest of your day in Sitka or fit it into a cruise ship schedule. The captain guarantees return to your shuttle or directly to the ship before departure.

What’s included

• The tour includes the private Stabicraft boat with a Merchant Marine Captain, snacks, sodas and water.
• a heated cabin.
• and all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 10 Nov

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Outer Coast Charters

Is this one for you?The 3-hour window fits a cruise ship schedule or a half-day in Sitka without eating your whole afternoon. If you want a longer immersion in the wildlife or the open ocean, you can extend the tour at checkout.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the difference between going to Saint Lazaria Islands and staying in Sitka Sound?

Saint Lazaria Island, twenty miles west, is a seabird nesting colony with 7,000 birds per acre (storm-petrels, puffins, murres and auklets), but it requires calmer seas and a longer boat ride. Sitka Sound offers an endless array of islands and coves closer to shore. The captain chooses the route based on weather and sea conditions each day to give you the best wildlife viewing possible.

Can I pick what time the tour starts?

Yes. You choose any departure time between 6am and 5pm, so you can fit the tour into your schedule or time it around a cruise ship departure from Sitka.

What wildlife might I see on this tour?

The tour focuses on eagles, puffins and seabirds, humpback and grey whales, sea otters, sea lions, dolphins, harbor seals, orcas, and Baranof brown bears. Saint Lazaria Island alone hosts 250,000 breeding pairs of storm-petrels, 1,500 to 2,000 tufted puffins, and thousands of murres and auklets. Wildlife sightings depend on where animals are active that day.

Is the boat safe in rough water?

The Suzy-Q is a double-hulled aluminum Stabicraft 2500 Ultracab XL built in New Zealand for safety in challenging seas. It's Coast Guard approved and fully equipped. The captain adjusts the route based on weather and sea conditions each day.

How long is the tour and what's included?

The tour is 3 hours. Included are the private boat, a Merchant Marine Captain, snacks, sodas, water, a heated cabin, and all fees and taxes. The boat is fully equipped and Coast Guard approved.