Dolphin, Sam and Dale were amazing as Captain, and crew! Nicest and most comfortable! We saw 10…read morewhales over the few hours we were out on the water. Dale the Naturalist was so knowledgable and funny! So many pics and videos and such wonderful clear skies! We stopped by one of the bouys that had seals and a quick stop to capture Mendenhall glacier as... well worth it!

We had an incredible time whale watching this morning with Salar!…read more Our group of six had our own boat and I was really really hoping to see Orcas. Salar was up front that only about 10% of tours see Orcas and typically they're just passing through if you do. I know we got lucky but he was able to make happen for us! The boat was clean, as well as the restrooms in the marina beforehand. There were even snacks and drinks on board, as well as some educational resources about the whales living in this area. Overall I cannot recommend enough!

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.

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

Chris is the absolute best. Experienced, fair & honest, and fun to hang out with. He went way above…read more& beyond for us, I couldn't be happier! I booked a 4-hour salmon charter, and it was tough to talk the wife into even that--she gets seasick on boats sometimes. (But Alaska, and Salmon!!) Chris answered all my questions ahead of time, picked us up, and off we went to the boat. He had everything we needed--just wear rubber-soled shoes, and warm clothes/rain gear. Chris had to navigate thru REALLY thick fog in the marina & first part of the channel to get to the fish. He thought it'd break up once we got out further, and it did. He set up the rods for us, and we were off. I know that experience isn't everything when finding fish. Sometimes you're just not lucky. But being good definitely helps...these two novices caught the limit of 6 coho apiece! (That's about 40 pounds of salmon to send home). Since the wife was feeling good (and catching more than I was) she agreed to a little longer on the boat, and Chris was happy to accommodate. Before too long, we'd 'limited out' and were headed home. Chris gutted & took off the heads, took us to the processor (didn't have to do that, but it was TRULY appreciated!--we'll be able to pick up our fish in a couple days before we fly home!) Overall, just a really great experience. Chris has over 25 years of experience on these waters, and it shows. On top of that, he cares about giving you a great time. Appreciate it, Rum Runner...if we ever come back into town, we'll be happy to head out with you again!

Captain Adrienne and her Deck hand Marlin led us on an epic fishing and whale watching adventure…read more Our hope was to catch king salmon and to see Orcas and Humpbacks. Adrienne and Marlin made it all happen! They are very accommodating and knowledgeable about fishing and about the wildlife. We plan to hire them again in the future!

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.

We booked the Best Of Juneau in August. There are 9 of us, from kids to not kids. Everything is…read moreplanned, fun and informative. Enough time to watch and admire the whales, view the Mendenhall Glacier, hike to Nugget Falls and enjoy the Salmon Bake. And have enough time to make it back to our cruise ship. Highly recommended. Shout out to the fabulous team, Corrina, Clair from MO and Matt.

Many moons ago I went on a raft ride in Alaska. I love the experience so when we were headed back…read moreas a family I felt it was a must do. The company was very efficient. Getting us immediately suited. Getting us separated in groups for the rafts. Issue: i understand the weight balance but my four year old was placed on the outside and it made for a nerve racking trip for me holding on to him for dear life! My issue- our tour guide. Nice and strong but I couldn't understand anything he was telling us because I was in the front and he has a very very thick accent. I feel like my oldest did not get the experience I hoped for because of the language barrier. Aka she didnt learn anything. Overall, it's beautiful and fun. But cold. We did get wet. It's still Alaska and still amazing. Still suggest.

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

Fantastic experience from the first email to the final minute of the tour. Saw more than we…read moreexpected, with breathtaking 360 degree views. Jayleen is very knowledgeable and really puts a lot of effort into making sure your tour is customized and informative. What a wonderful day we had. Thank you so much for all the local tips and recommendations as well. I think it's important to note that Jayleen's Alaska is a born and raised Alaskan, female owned company. Jayleen also did a phenomenal job accommodating a large service dog.

A really long shuttle line had us stressing when we missed our excursion start time, but this group…read morewas extremely accommodating and immediately got us on a different tour starting 10 minutes later. Everyone we interacted with from this group was so kind and informative. And at the end they took us straight to our cruise ship. Definitely worth supporting this small family business! Shout out to Sam, Brendan, Aurora, and cJ!

This is a family owned company and they treat you like family from the minute you get on board. Our…read morecaptain Austin was so personable and knowledgeable and an excellent boat handler. Our naturalist was also very friendly and knowledgeable. The boat is well maintained and the staff is just wonderfully kind. Saw six whales and really enjoyed the scenery. Highly recommend.We