VIVID ENDEAVORS
Whale Watching in Alaska’s Icy Strait
Icy Strait
Icy Strait is a legendary body of water that connects the protected inside waters of Southeast Alaska to the open Pacific Ocean. The nutrient rich waters of Southeast Alaska make it one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. During the summer months, these abundant fjords become the ideal home and feeding ground for a large population of Humpback Whales. Humpbacks travel to the area every year after their winter breeding season in the warmer waters of Hawaii and Mexico. After navigating over 3000 miles, we often see the same individual humpbacks return to Icy Strait year after year.
Humpbacks aren’t the only wildlife in the area. Our trips often encounter Sea Lions, Seals, Porpoise, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Coastal Brown Bears along the shoreline, & our favorite – the awe inspiring Orca better known as the Killer Whale.
Icy Strait Whale & Wildlife Endeavor
$218 Per Guest
Or
$1,288 for a Private Tour
(Up to 6 Guests)
Explore Icy Strait in style aboard our custom built 6 passenger whale watching catamaran with an enclosed heated cabin, restroom, indoor seating, outdoor seating, & 360 degree walk around viewing deck. We limit our vessel to 6 passengers max (whether private or mixed) to provide our guests with an uncrowded, relaxed, and intimate wildlife experience.
On the day of your tour, we will pick you up from your cruise ship port – Icy Strait Point and return you via van. Our excursion is 3 hours and 45 minutes from pick up to drop off (includes meeting, transit, & loading time). We designed this excursion to be one of the longest whale watching tours offered in Icy Strait. This extra time on the water allows us to take full advantage of Icy Strait’s rich diversity of marine wildlife.
We guarantee whale sightings or you will receive a full refund.
You have the option to book by the number of people in your party ($218 per guest) OR you can book the entire boat ($1,288) for a private experience. On a private tour, you and your travel companions will be the only guests aboard the vessel with Captain Seth. 6 guests max for all trips.
We designed our booking calendar to accommodate as many cruise ships as possible. For each tour, you will notice the corresponding ship(s) listed. Please be sure to double check that your ship’s name is listed for the specific tour you choose. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear? Will it be cold and raining?
Southeast Alaska is classified as a temperate rainforest. This means we have mild winters and cool temperate summers. There’s always a chance of encountering rain while you’re visiting SE Alaska, although usually only a light mist that you often forget is happening. For optimum comfort, especially on those extra rainy days, we recommend bringing a rain jacket and dressing in layers. The summertime temperatures are usually between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit, although it can feel significantly warmer than that on sunny days in June, July, & August. Often times a sweater or even a tshirt is fine but having an extra layer nearby for colder days, wind, and rain is recommended.
What type of vessel will we be on?
Our vessel is a custom 32ft Twin Vee Catamaran. Catamaran’s are extremely stable, smooth riding, and the ideal platform for watching marine wildlife in Southeast Alaska. Our vessel has an enclosed heated cabin with windows for panoramic viewing. In the cabin, we have a private marine head (bathroom) should you need to use the restroom while underway. Outside, we have a 360 degree walk-around viewing deck, ideal for photography. With our quiet motors and indoor/outdoor viewing areas you will often hear the wildlife in addition to seeing it.
*Although most guests never encounter seasickness on our vessel, we recommend taking medication before we pick you up at the Excursions Hub if you are prone to motion sickness.
Will we see Bubble Net Feeding? Will we see Orcas?
At various times throughout the summer Icy Strait becomes one of the few areas in the world where Humpbacks will gather in groups to engage in a cooperative feeding behavior known as Bubble Net Feeding. This is a truly incredible event that makes for great pictures and even better memories. We monitor reports and conditions closely to make sure we put you in the best position possible to see this behavior. We also encounter Orca/Killer Whales on many of our trips. Although we won’t see Orcas or Bubble Net Feeding every day as conditions and feeding habits change often, rest assured this will be our main priority if occurring that day.
Terms and Conditions
We limit our boat to 6 passengers max (whether private or mixed) to provide our guests with an uncrowded, relaxed, and personalized experience.
We have a 2 passenger per trip minimum. If you book 1 seat and the vessel hasn’t booked 2 seats total by the day of your tour – we will reach out to you with options for rescheduling or converting to the minimum passenger requirement. In this situation, if you are unable to reschedule or convert, you will be refunded.
If your trip doesn’t see a whale, you will be refunded.
Bookings that are cancelled 30 days in advance of your tour date will be refunded. No refunds will be given for cancellations attempted by guests within 30 days of their tour date.
If your Cruise Ship is delayed or misses the port altogether – we will work with you to reschedule a new time if possible or give you a refund.
If we have unusually inclement weather on the day of your tour, we will still meet you at the Excursions Hub as planned and discuss modified cruising options. If we determine the trip is not possible due to weather, you will be refunded.
Guests must be capable of traversing a potentially steep ramp (depending on tide), stepping up/down from our van, and stepping up/down again to board the vessel.
If you have a wheelchair/walker/stroller or limited mobility – contact us before booking to further discuss details.
Captain Seth
Captain Seth has an extensive history running whale watching tours, tidewater glacier tours, & offshore fishing charters. He holds a 100 Ton USCG Master Captain’s License.
Seth first arrived in Alaska in 2012 while finishing his degree in Environmental Engineering. He quickly fell in love with Southeast Alaska and, after graduating college, spent several years captaining vessels in the area. Apart from nearly a decade of whale watching experience, Seth’s Alaskan resumé includes sport fishing for salmon and halibut, commercial crab fishing, and captaining long range boat charters into Tracy Arm Ford’s Terror Wilderness where he would navigate guests through the floating ice up to the face of the tidewater glaciers.
In 2019, Seth was given the unique opportunity to live and work on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Research Vessel. Seth spent about a year and a half offshore conducting various types of research for NOAA centered around Marine Mammals and Fisheries.
In 2020, with NOAA ships forced back to port and the absence of tourism in Alaska due to the pandemic, Seth ventured down to the Florida Keys. During that time, Seth began running charters along the Florida Everglades where he was able to continue his love of showing guests the local environment and marine wildlife. Also while in the Keys, Seth was fortunate enough to work with some of the best offshore fishing outfits in the world, running charters out of Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon.
Now with tourism back up and running Seth has returned to his forever home of Southeast Alaska doing what he loves and sharing his favorite body of water, Icy Strait, with you.
Please Reach Out To Us With Any Questions!
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