Which Icy Strait Point Whale Watching Tour Is Right for You?
| Tour | Duration | Boat | Best for | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoonah Travel Adventures | 3 hrs | Heated-cabin boat | Lowest price, time in Hoonah after | $225 | Check → |
| Catch of the Day | 3 hrs | 38 ft, 16 max | Value, small group | $236 | Check → |
| Whale Watch with Drone Filmography | 3 hrs | Small boat | Photographers, keepsake video | $267 | Check → |
| Icy Strait Whale Adventures | 3 hrs | Up to 24 | Guarantee seekers, ship-time worriers | $302 | Check → |
| Hoonah Whale Tours | 3–3.5 hrs | Catamaran, 14 max | Longest time on the water | $314 | Check → |
| Glacier Wind Charters | 3 hrs | 13 max | Smallest group, walk-around deck | $320 | Check → |
Which Icy Strait Point Whale Tours Guarantee Whales or Refund You?
Two tours guarantee a whale, and they pay out differently: Hoonah Whale Tours refunds the full fare, Icy Strait Whale Adventures refunds half. Cancellation terms matter even more on a cruise, because ships sometimes skip a port in bad weather.
Meeting point, whale guarantee and cancellation terms for each tour on this page, from the booking listings and the operators' own sites.
| Tour | Meets at | Whale guarantee | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoonah Travel Adventures | Excursions Hub | Sold as guaranteed on its own site | Free up to 24 h. Full refund if your ship misses port |
| Catch of the Day | Past the City of Hoonah booth | None stated | Free up to 24 h |
| Drone Filmography | Excursions Hub | None, cites a 100% finding record | Free up to 24 h |
| Icy Strait Whale Adventures | Excursions Hub | 50% refund if no whale | Free up to 24 h. Full refund if ship cancels or is late |
| Hoonah Whale Tours | Port pickup | Whales or your money back | All sales final. Weather cancellation refunded |
| Glacier Wind | Excursions Hub | None stated | All sales final |
Source: Icy Strait Whale Adventures, Hoonah Travel Adventures, Icy Strait Whale Adventures on Viator, Hoonah Whale Tours on Viator, Glacier Wind on Viator, Catch of the Day on Viator.
How Long Is Whale Watching at Icy Strait Point, and Will It Fit My Port Day?
Plan on 3 hours from the Excursions Hub and back, of which about 2.5 hours are on the water. Add the walk from your dock: 6-8 minutes from Adventure Landing, or the 4-minute gondola plus a short walk from Wilderness Landing.
Operators build their departures around ship schedules, usually in the morning and early afternoon, and ask for your ship name at booking. Choose a slot that ends at least an hour before all-aboard. There is no cell signal at the port, so you cannot look up directions or call the operator from your phone: screenshot the meeting instructions on the ship.
Source: Hoonah Travel Adventures on Viator, Alaska Shore Excursions port guide, Alaska Shore Excursions.
Is It Better to Go Whale Watching in Juneau or Icy Strait Point?
Icy Strait Point is better for a small-boat trip: the listed caps run from 13 to 24 guests, and the boats work the Point Adolphus feeding grounds. Juneau is better on price and choice, with more operators, more departure times and whale-and-glacier combinations.
How the two Alaska cruise ports compare for a whale watching excursion.
| Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) | Juneau | |
|---|---|---|
| Price range | $225–$320 | From $108 |
| Boats | Small-group, 13–24 guests listed | Small boats to larger cruise boats |
| Boats leave from | Hoonah harbor, after a short transfer | Auke Bay |
| Extras | Drone filming, bear sightings on shore | Mendenhall Glacier combos |
On an itinerary with both ports, book the cheaper Juneau trip and spend Icy Strait Point on something else, or do Icy Strait for the small boat. Our Juneau whale watching page compares the Juneau tours.
Source: Hoonah Travel Adventures, Hoonah Whale Tours.
Whale Species & Best Months in Icy Strait Point
| Species | January–March | April–June | July–September | October–December | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback Whale | — | Arriving | Peak | — | Main species, May–Sep |
| Orca | — | Possible | Possible | — | Seen on some trips |
| Steller Sea Lion | — | Common | Common | — | Regular |
| Sea Otter | — | Common | Common | — | Regular |
| Brown Bear (shore) | — | Possible | Possible | — | Sometimes on the shoreline |
What to Expect on the Day
Walk to the Excursions Hub
From the Adventure (Ocean) Landing dock, walk through the Adventure Center, exit door 2 and follow the signs: 6-8 minutes. From the Wilderness Landing dock, ride the free green Transporter gondola (4 minutes) and walk 3 minutes, or take the 15-minute nature trail. Check in 15 minutes early: boats leave on time.
Transfer to Hoonah harbor
Most operators drive you 5-15 minutes into Hoonah, a Tlingit village of about 800 people, where the boats are moored. Catch of the Day is the exception: it meets just past the City of Hoonah visitor booth on port property, a 10-15 minute walk from the ship.
Out to the feeding grounds
Boats work Icy Strait and the water toward Point Adolphus, up to about 19 miles from Hoonah. Watch for blows, flukes and the circle of bubbles that marks bubble-net feeding.
Watching the whales
Federal rules keep every boat at least 100 yards from humpbacks in Alaska, so the closest views happen when a whale surfaces near the boat on its own. Most boats have a walk-around deck and a heated cabin.
Back to the ship
The full outing takes about 3 hours from the Hub. Departure times are set around your ship's schedule, which is why operators ask for your ship name when you book.
Watch: Humpback Whales in Icy Strait Point
Discover Icy Strait Point: The Best Whale Watching in Alaska
What to Bring and What to Leave at Home
✓ Bring
- Waterproof jacket and warm layers: rain is common and it is cold on deck
- Hat and gloves
- Binoculars
- Camera with a zoom lens
- A printout or screenshot of your meeting instructions: there is no cell signal at the port
- Seasickness tablets if you are prone
✗ Leave at home
- Alcohol (not allowed on the drone tour)
- Electric wheelchairs (not allowed on the drone tour)
- Large luggage
Where Tours Depart From
| Port / Area | Details | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Excursions Hub, Icy Strait Point | Meeting point for Hoonah Travel Adventures, the drone tour, Icy Strait Whale Adventures and Glacier Wind. 6-8 minutes' walk from Adventure Landing, a gondola ride from Wilderness Landing. | Most tours |
| Past the City of Hoonah visitor booth | Catch of the Day's pickup on port property, 10-15 minutes' walk from the ship. It does not meet at the Excursions Hub. | Catch of the Day |
| Hoonah harbor | Where most boats are moored, about 1 mile from the port by the paved trail. Hoonah Whale Tours also picks up anywhere in town for travellers not on a ship. | Independent travellers |
How to Choose an Ethical Tour
What ethical operators do
- Stay at least 100 yards from humpback whales (federal law in Alaska)
- Never put the boat in the path of a whale
- Slow down near feeding whales
- Local operators, several run by Hoonah Tlingit families
Red flags to avoid
- Boats that chase or cut off a whale
- Crowding a bubble-net feeding group
- Drones flown by passengers near whales