Great whale watching experience on their new boat! We were lucky to see Orcas as well as a couple…read morewhales. Crew were all experienced and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the Signature Whale Watch tour. First, we got lucky with…read moreperfect, blue-sky weather. Then a baby humpback breached over and over, at least 30-40 times, with its mom nearby. That was just in the first hour - we saw quite a few other humpbacks, plus the sea lions at the buoy. Thanks to Alex and Tess for their expert, passionate work as tour guides. The Chilkat boat was very comfortable, fast, and smooth, with clear views whether you stay inside or go outside the cabin.

my family and I took a tour out of Sitka Alaska today and Gracie and Spencer were awesome!…read more They were knowledgeable and engaging. We got to see humpback, whales, eagles, sea otters, and sea lions!

Sailed via the Norwegian Encore as a solo doing the Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Quest, applied $50…read moreexcursion credit. Easy transport to the Mendenhall Glacier though the entrance was very busy with 6 cruise ships in port that day. Short walk to the visitor center, watch your time closely if doing a hike into the park, we had 4 guests not returning to our bus can only hope they used a related bus at departure time for the transfer to Statter Harbor. Not exactly a retreat into nature because of the crowds but still a nice stop. Not a long drive to Auke Bay, Statter Harbor and our transfer to the Whale Watching Boats. My excursion was on May 5th, weather was dry, and mostly clear. Complimentary warm beverages, and some nibbles were provided, plus other food and beverages for purchase, clean bathrooms, and sheltered seating on decks 1 and 2. Found my insulated jacket, gloves, and binoculars all useful, but even being sheltered it was cold on deck 2. The binoculars were helpful to view the humpbacks that we sighted, but so was the gps of my phone to know where the boat was in relationship to its surroundings, we sailed up the Saginaw Channel. In my opinion the sailing component makes sense if you enjoy the idea of a cruising the channel, with marine sightings as a bonus. Overall a good experience with the crew proving insights into this area of Alaska during Whale Watching component. Got back to my cruise ship post normal dinner service, but the Encore extended buffet hours, and I grabbed some food via the Local / Pub.

Steve was absolutely fantastic!! My family and I were visiting Juneau by way of a cruise, and…read moreJuneau was our first stop. What a first stop it was! From the very first moment, Steve was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and hospitable. He started off the tour talking about Juneau's history and giving us an origin story of the Alaskan Native Indian population known as the Tlingit. Once we got to the docks, the true wonderment began. On our way out to the heart of Auke Bay, Steve continued with information about the local wildlife population, sharing fun facts about humpback whales, harbor seals, bald eagles, and more. The highlight of the trip had to be the humpback whale breaches. We got very lucky - there must have been 10-15 separate full-body jumps out of the water! Our presence was graced with several playful whale calves, many of them performing chin straps (a term I had never heard before ) and several full-body breaches. Thanks again Steve for helping make our trip to Alaska so special. I would strongly recommend his tours to anyone looking for something special to do in Juneau!

This was the best excursion we had all week when on our cruise in May. Captain Steve was so nice,…read moreaccommodating, and knowledgeable. We saw so many humpbacks and orcas and learned a lot about them. We saw several starfish when boarding the boat, and many Stellar Sea Lions. This was a small boat with a total of 6 on the excursion. So much better than large excursions. Captain Steve also stopped by Mendenhall Glacier for a few minutes before heading back to our ship. He told us a lot about the area and the natives of the area. I thoroughly enjoyed our day!

Disappointing and Overpriced Halibut Charter Experience Our…read moreexperience was poor to average. We are a family of four with two girls, ages 11 and 14, and this charter was not a good fit for us this past August, 2025. We were surprised to learn that guides were not allowed to help reel in the fish until they could actually see it at the water line. When fishing for halibut, the line is dropped over 300 feet with a two-pound weight to reach the bottom. Between the weight, the depth, and the rocky waves, it was nearly impossible for our daughters--and admittedly myself--to reel in a fish without assistance. For the price we paid, and after several conversations with the owner before booking, we were disappointed this was never explained upfront. It would have been helpful to know this charter was not ideal for families with kids or teens. We were also frustrated by the lack of basic amenities. The toilet on board was broken, leaving only a bucket with no toilet paper as the option. For almost $2,000, this felt unacceptable. No bottled water or beverages were provided, and the only snack was a single granola bar for a five-hour trip. For a premium charter, this fell far short of expectations. Another disappointment was with the fish processing. We paid the owner in advance for our three fish to be filleted and shipped home, only to be asked again for our credit card later to cover separate shipping charges. This was never made clear and felt misleading. Lastly, we did not catch our limit, and both the guide and captain repeatedly mentioned that a large fishing competition had just taken place in the area over the previous three days. Their exact words were: "It's not good fishing today, it's been way overfished the last few days and it will take about two weeks to get the halibut back to this area." It left us questioning why guests were still being booked at full price when conditions were known to be poor. In the end, we spent a lot of money for what turned out to be an average experience, with limited access to fish and very little in the way of customer service.

Great customer service - Adam and Andrew are true professionals that will guide you in the best…read morepossible direction for fishing and whale watching. Adam is responsive, trustworthy and despite it not being the best time for fishing we came away with a great experience and memories to last a lifetime.

Best whale watching out there! Ask him a question about whales and see if he doesn't know the…read moreanswer! We saw Bubble Netting- (we didnt know what it was until he told us- but I can tell you it is something to make even the biggest National Graphic enthusiast green with envy!) And his wife prepares food for the trip and makes unreal homemade brownies! A once in a lifetime adventure- unless you book it again :) He is amazing - one of the biggest reasons we will miss Alaska! Thank you for teaching us everything we learned about whales today :) we will never forget it.

From the owner: Custom whale-watching tours, Eco-touring, water-taxi service.read more

Julia and Kendall were amazing! Our boat driver did an amazing job finding the whales and giving…read moreus a close, but safe experience! We love kayaking and this experience was out of this world! Just incredible. We saw humpbacks and orcas! Highly recommend this company!

Great place definitely a must do when your in the area . Or just make a point yo go to Alaska and…read moreexperience it first gand

Really great tour. We went out on the water in a really nice new boat. Saw loud of whales as well…read moreas sea otters, sea lions, and eagles. Then we went into the island with the lighthouse and got some great pictures and climbed up to see the light. Annie, Coral and captain Graham were all very personable and fun to be around. They were very knowledgeable and did a fantastic job making this trip educational and fun. Highly recommend

We had a great time on our trip seeing several whales and the lighthouse. Graham was our captain…read moreand was great. Coral was our guide and her and Nick had excellent info and were very friendly. 10/10 highly recommend.

Cade was a fun and interesting guide, he shared stories and maneuvered us into amazing view of…read moreMendenhall glacier and Nugget Falls. It was a perfect adventure!

Five star experience with Autumn and Captain Lee! Quite an informative and knowledgeable crew. The…read moresafety briefing was thorough and the boat was clean and organized. Autumn clearly has a passion for whales and gave us enough education to fuel our fire for the animals. We saw calves and Sasha and we were treated with the experience of a whale breaching right in front of the boat! Overall a wonderful experience and looking forward to another tour with ATA! Also to mention the wonderful salmon bake! Fresh fish and live music with covered seating and a creekside view. The short hike to the waterfall was fun too! Special shout out to our wonderful bus driver too! She drives the "sunshine" bus and while her name escapes me, her impression does not! She pointed out an eagle's nest, told stories of the legendary wolf Romeo, and gave us a quick but detailed history of the town. Bonus that she's from our neck of the woods!

Where do I start. Jayleen's Alaska is hands down one of the best whale/wildlife tour in Alaska…read more Jayleens boats are small and more personalized for a better experience. Holding only 6 guests it makes viewing so much more relaxed as you're not fighting for positions on a bigger boat. You have more of a one on one experience. They also supply you with some binoculars if you didn't bring yours. If you're a photographer this is a great way to get some amazing shots without jockeying for positions to shoot. Great for families as the captains are very knowledgeable about the area and what nature it has to hold. I've been fortunate to be a guest for 3 trips now. Just getting back last week from an amazing tour with Capt Alana. Also got to experience her new boat Naughty Girl. All of Jayleens boats are top notch amazing quality boat's. And transportation from the ship to marina was easy. Pick up is right across the street at the Red Dog Saloon (Side note had a good burger there for lunch after the tout) Seen a lot of whale activity with tail slapping and jumping we only had 3 people on board for this trip so it was like my own boat. Seen whales, eagles, seals porpoise and even a bear on the ride back to town. I'd 1000% recommend Jayleen and her team for an amazing tour in Juneau.

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to leave a review, but Jayleen was amazing when my family…read morecame to visit Alaska and go whale watching. She is a local that had endless information about the area, the wildlife, and she was happy to share more about her experience growing up and starting her business. It's a very small business but the experience was better than any large company we have used in the past. She knows the best spots for watching and made the experience interactive and fun for everyone. Cannot recommend her enough

Look up Shelter on the web. Shelter Lodge at Auke Bay ( there are two Shelters run by different…read moregroups. Everythinhg first class Actually you need only show up with acchsnge of underwear and sundries as everything else is provided. They do just about everything except cstch your fish. Clean , fillet , package in boxes and freeze your catch. You don't touch your 2 boxes until you pick them up at your home airport. 5 stars !

We have been going to Shelter Lodge every other year for 20 years. This is an update of a review…read morethat I wrote in 2010. I cannot believe it but since writing my review, it has gotten even mo betta. They have totally rebuilt their lodge and nearly all of their cabins. They have a beautiful dining area and decking all around. They have a new utility/changing room where they check you in and outfit you with your rain gear. The dining experience continues to be truly outstanding with Chef Kenny designing, preparing and presenting incredible meals that rival dining experiences of five-star restaurants. Fishing continues to be outstanding with expert guides who put you on the fish. The best and most noteworthy attribute continues to be their wonderful hospitality.