My daughter and I headed out of Juneau on an Alaska Tales mini bus for a ride out to a marina where we would be getting on a boat and head out to a whale watch. The other people on the bus and our bus driver were all great. We all played a "Name that movie soundtrack" game out to the marina and back which was SUPER fun. Once we got on the boat, the staff were all friendly and great and once everyone was comfortably seated on board we headed out. Now the Alaskan coast line was INCREDIBLE and coming from Maine, I fully understand that you cannot predict whale activity. We were out on the water for about two hours and there were a few tail sightings, which were disappointing to me, but I completely accepted with a shrug. The interesting part though, was that everyone else on the boat was FREAKING OUT with happiness over those few tail sightings. They were running to the side of the boat and stretching over with their binoculars, they were laughing and smiling and basking in the Alaskan sun. Clearly the problem was mine! What's wrong with me? read more

Alaska Tales - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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Excellent experience! Our guides Larry, Gwen, and Morgan were very knowledgeable and shared their experiences and insights. We all learned a great deal about whales, and all of our questions were answered. Larry took us to a spot where we observed three whales. We all got great pictures! Highly recommend this excellent tour. read more

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We didn't have any intention of taking a whale watching tour but the guy in the kiosk on the boardwalk was super friendly and was able to give us a great deal. I love that they are locally owned and operated. Captain Krichelle was able to speed us from one spot to the next, giving us ample time to see whales (and other wildlife). Monica and Genevieve were amazing at spotting whales in the distance. I loved that they had a photo and an information sheet onboard letting the guides know "who" we were looking at. We got to see a pair of juvenile males bubblefeeding, which was spectacular. For the drive to Mendenhall glacier, our bus driver (Ed, I think) was full of fun stories and facts. He even pulled over at one point to let us watch bald eagles fishing. The glacier itself is not close to the visitors' center, but the waterfall is beautiful and dramatic! read more

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When we got off the cruise ship and wandered into town we had yet to make any plans for the day. So the guy in the kiosk shouting "Step right up folks for the adventure of a lifetime!" definitely caught our attention (ok he didn't actually say those words but it was something to that effect!). He proceeded to give his sales pitch for a whale watching tour and even offered to throw in tickets to the Goldbelt Tram at no additional cost. Knowing that the cruise line was charging half again as much for a whale watching tour alone, without tram tickets, we couldn't say no. BTW, Alaska Tales also offers a trip to the Mendenhall glacier but we chose to skip that part. It all starts with a bus ride to the harbor which stops to pick up passengers at the glacier along the way. The driver made this scenic trip even more interesting by giving us lots of information on Juneau and Alaska in general. Once we reached our destination everyone squeezed themselves into the boat. You could say we were packed in like sardines (sorry I couldn't resist a fish joke!) At this point I began to worry that we had chosen the wrong whale watching tour. Fortunately, this was only a temporary situation while traveling to an optimal whale watching spot. I should also mention that they guarantee a whale sighting - and it's not just a little stuffed toy that the tour guide shows you! After about 20 minute the boat stopped and everyone was invited to go out onto the decks to view the wondrous sight of whales swimming in their natural habitat. It didn't take long before they made an appearance. It was awe inspiring to say the least! Our captain even moved a couple times to make sure we continued to get the best views. Our guide Kacie was enthusiastic and full of knowledge. Not only did she educate us on the anatomy of whales, their diets, migration habits, etc, she knew all kinds of facts about the surrounding area, including the wildlife on land. And, she was happy to answer any questions from the passengers. I also have to commend the other crew members, Justin and Ben, since they all worked together to make it a great experience. Indeed this turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime, worth every penny. If you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to go whale watching with Alaska Tales. read more

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Krichelle, Ash, and Rylee were amazing. We had a great time and Rylee explained everything to us about humpbacks and their behaviors. We saw lots of whales! read more

The boat ladies were great. I just wish there were end of the season deals because you see like 3 lazy whales in September. At least the boat kept us dry. Spoiler- the snacks are granola bars. read more

Alaska Tales is an AWESOME tour company! They took us to the Mendenhall Glacier by bus and then on to whale watching aboard their boat. Our tour bus driver Ben was very informative and lively all through Juneau, cracking dad jokes and keeping us entertained as he drove us to the Glacier, the Harbour and then back to the tram station. The highlight of our trip was getting to see MANY humpback whales and even a pair of Orcas! Tour guide Taylor's energy, excitement and knowledge was absolutely infectiously, and honestly made our trip even better than expected. He is a gem of a guide and naturist, and I hope he never loses his pure excitement and love for whales. He took time to point out how to tell which whale was which with his dorsal fin guide. Kristen and Captain Mark were great as well, and Captain Mark was excellent at making the boat ride smooth and safe. I cannot recommend this group enough! We got our money's worth in whale watching and knowledge. read more

Alaska Tales - Whale tale - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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Wonderful crew and epic whale watching experience. Very informative about whales and the sea lions we saw. The orcas were very active this afternoon and we lucked out with perfect weather. read more

Found them online through TripAdvisor. Such a great experience. I would highly recommend. First off the boat is well kept. There is a toilet on board. The windows on both sides slide open. Also you can walk to the upper deck when the boat is stop. I was really afraid of getting seasick but honestly the ride was really smooth and you could see where you were going so I didn't get seasick even though I came prepared. They do a good job of getting you to see whales, while maintaining a respectable distance from the animals. You spend a good amount of time whale watching. Honestly this was the highlight of my trip! I would recommend bringing a good camera with a good zoom and fast shutter speed because these whales come and go just as quickly and it helps you get the perfect shot if you have a good zoom and quick shutter. They also were nice enough to point out bald eagles sitting on the shore or on the pier waiting for an easy meal. I would do this again in a heartbeat. read more

Alaska Tales - Also they pointed out that eagles sit on shore or just near the pier hoping for an easy meal - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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Krichelle, Kacie, and Taylor were awesome. Kacie's a great host and kept things entertaining. Clean boat, newer, no complaints!

Choose these guys!!!! Between Benjamin - our bus driver - and the crew, we had a great time. Personally we would have preferred a longer trip as I would have loved to look for more whales. Within 15 minutes we were on our first whale. Then went to look at some seals and then back to another whale. The team was knowledgeable and provided a great experience. read more

Alaska Tales - Humpback whale - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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We booked this tour last minute with a person selling tours at the cruise port for about an hour later We found the tour easily. They had clear signage. We were only doing the whale watching tour so we had the shuttle to ourselves to the glacier to pick up the rest of the party. Jess, the shuttle bus driver gave a nice guided tour of town along the way. We arrived at the boat a bit late but the crew was waiting for us. The boat was nice and had three seats on each side of the interior cabin. Tip: sit up front for the best views and easy access to get outside to the viewing deck. We did see a lot of whales, don't focus too much on taking photos and try to enjoy the experience. The whales aren't super close enough (there are rules on how close a boat can get to them) and they spend 10ish minutes under the water between spottings. They also reappear without knowing where which makes grabbing really good pictures hard. Our crew: Captain Sarah, Taz and Brecken ran a tight ship. Taz was mostly our main guide, spending time educating us on whales and the ship. She had a wonderful personality and was knowledgeable. Whale watching isn't my thing, it's a bit boring for my taste but this tour was well organized, they delivered whales and Taz provided some good knowledge so I did learn a little. read more

Alaska Tales - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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Whale watching in Juneau delivers the goods! Great ride out to an area with lots of sightings. Guides were very knowledgeable about whales and their behaviors and were even able to identify some individuals that are known to the area. Boat was seemingly brand new and very clean and comfortable. We really enjoyed the afternoon and highly recommend. read more

Ben, James and Sophie our guides out whale watching were stellar!!!! Learned so much from Ben, it was like a mini class and we saw soooo many Humpbacks!!!! The ship was a perfect size and they were very respectful of the animals feeding. Just a dream come true. Our bus driver Randy was not cool at all and went on political and personal rants. Not a fan. But don't let that stop you. This is a fantastic tour company. Would use them again. (Hopefully soon) read more

Saw whales, sea lions, eagles, porpoise, and birds...as well as glaciers. It was a nice smooth ride in a super comfortable boat! Warm inside too! The crew was so friendly and knowledgeable. James, Greg , & Sophie were awesome! read more

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Loved this tour !!! They did an amazing job of making sure we got to see some whales and were also incredibly informative as well as entertaining !!! read more

Alaska Tales - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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My husband and I were on our honeymoon on an Alaskan cruise and one of our stops was in Juneau. We had a jeep excursion already schedule for that morning. When we came back to the port to drop off the jeep we walked back on to the pier and a gentleman named Greg I believed Called out to use if we wanted to see the Glaciers, I yelled back we already did and he replied wanna see whales? So we walked over there and had a nice chat and gave us a really good deal. We were able to go have lunch walk around for a bit and souvenir shop before we got picked up to go shuttle to go pick up more passengers from the Glaciers. Jack gave a real nice tour and info as he drove through the city. Captain Josh, Will and Monica were great! We saw about 9 different whales on this tour. Will answered every one's questions and seemed very knowledgeable. I recommend this tour to anyone. The weather was great and the boat ride was fun. I did take a few pictures but next time if I'm ever out, I will just enjoy the time there seeing all the whales and take in the moment and enjoy the view just a little bit more. Oh and they also handed out some snacks and water and when we got off the boat got a cool whale sticker. Thanks again for this experience read more

Alaska Tales - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Lovely time yesterday with Alaska Tales and James, Kristen and Steph. Saw lots of wildlife and would go again! Thank you for making our Alaska trip unforgettable! read more

Alaska Tales - Whale - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Highly recommend their tours! Was easy to book through trip advisor and great to work with. Easy to find off our cruise ship and nice transportation. Kid friendly. Loved the whales and mendenhall! read more

Before I get to the amazing company of Alaska Tales, I will say that you should lower your expectations, if this will be your first whale-watching trip (as it was for me). We did get to follow a few whales and see them blow and occasionally dive to show their tales. I was expecting to see whales jumping out of the water the whole time and it was great that our guide, Rayne, a marine biologist working on her Ph.D, was able to explain that during this time of year, the whales are just eating in Alaska. We learned a lot about the whales' migratory patterns each year and it was amazing how Rayne could tell the whales apart. Our entire team at Alaska Tales - Rayne, Kyle, and Monica were welcoming and ready to answer everyone's questions. read more

Awesome experience. Kyle, Monica, and Stephanie were awesome. They were so helpful in telling us about what we were seeing. We saw so many whales so close to the boat. The boat was also very comfortable and the views were incredible read more

THIS was an OUTSTANDING tour! Mother Nature delivered us a viewing of some 20 whales during a Bubble-Net Feeding! The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly; they took GOOD care of us! What an AMAZING trip! We would go again and again! Money back, guarantee. Did NOT disappoint! read more

Alaska Tales - Juneau Alaska. Alaska Tales Whale Watching - this is a Bubble-Net Feeding! - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Affordable. Nice boat. Great crew. Very knowledgable. Mark, Taylor, and Kristen. We arrived on a cruise the first weeks of September. Caught the tour at the perfect time of the year. Whales were literally everywhere. I highly recommend this company and crew if you happen to be "in the neighborhood" and in need of whale watching! read more

We did this tour today and it was amazing. The tour bus driver, boat captain, and marine life expert were all awesome. We saw numerous humpback whales and were lucky enough to see the Orcas breach. We will do this tour every time we visit!!!!!! read more

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Book the out with them from Alaska cruise and it worths every penny. Captain Sarah tried her best to get us close to the whale while the crews Stephanie and Kristen delight us with snag and share the knowledge about the whale around the area. We have so much fun and highly recommends this tour AAA+++ read more

Amazing time with Mike Greg and Steph. They took us out on very comfortable boat then right to spot with the whales. We saw a baby breech and another came right next to the boat once in a lifetime. Great job !!!!! read more

What an amazing trip! The crew was awesome and the driver EJ provided lots of fun facts.

Amazing tour, saw about 7 blue whales. The naturalist was so well informed and passionate about alaska wildlife that it made everything even more exciting. The whole crew made the tour super enjoyable, safe and fun! read more

Best crew ever! Capt Luke, 9mi Monica and Bekken made my visit to juneau beyond memorable. A baby humpback(Bolt) breached and the video we captured showed the excitement throughout the whole boat! A once in a lifetime experience read more

Great fun with Alaska Tales! Easy to book! Our ship itinerary changed and I was able to email and got our tour time changed! Saw glaciers! Saw Orcas and Humpback whales! Tracy, William and Emma were very knowledgeable and were able to get us close to the whales! Bus driver EJ was informative with little details of Juneau. Would recommend this tour! Best of both while in Juneau. read more

The whale watching was awesome!!! Saw glaciers, killer whale, rainbows, and humpback whales. The rain cleared and was a beautiful afternoon. We also saw mendenhall glacier and it was amazing!!! read more

Went on a Mendenhall Glacier and Whale watching excursion June 2019. Booked directly with the company instead of through the cruise ship to save money. The tour bus driver was trying to tell us local information but was very sporadic and would stop mid story and then start back up with something unrelated. We only had an hour at the glacier. This is just enough time to walk to the waterfall. You won't have time for anything else. If you choose not to do the walk there are a couple of vantage points and a visitor center to visit. From the glacier you take the bus to the boat to see whales. There are lots of boats out trying to do the same thing we were. It was helpful so they knew where the whales were but tough with that many boats trying to do the same thing. We did see whales but I agree with another reviewer that it was disappointing that not much was said in general during the boat ride besides a couple minute talk as we were leaving the dock. Nothing was said when they decided to head back to the dock. My mother in law uses a walker and the steep ramp to the dock would not have been doable if it hadn't been for our other family members helping her up and down it. No help was offered to her in anyway by the staff. read more

We got closer to the whales than I could have ever imagined! Only 2.5 hours on the water and we saw them almost constantly and saw at least 4 different whales. The crew members, Cristin and Stephanie, were very knowledgeable about the whales, even identifying some of them by their known nicknames! A once in a lifetime experience! read more

My wife and I recently used their services for whale watching. The small boat was clean and comfortable. Each person was provided a bottle of water and a granola bar snack in the end. Both Kevin and Sarah were great. Overall, it was a great experience! read more

Fantastic experience! Ship crew members were amazing!!! Loved it!

Capt. Rich- Sarah - Hannah were amazing - we had such a great day - the boat was wonderful with three viewing areas - and the inside was comfortable and warm - the information on the whales was very informative- we saw 6 whales two of which were a mother and baby- the baby was all of the place having a great time- the transportation to and from the boat is in a big green bus which appears to be very new and very clean- the driver was very informative on our way pointing out local scenery I highly recommend this trip read more

Took our money and left us at the dock TWICE. When we booked this Whale Tale tour, we decided to meet them at the dock as opposed to meeting them downtown and take the shuttle with the rest of their tour group. We were instructed to wait at the white tent at the dock, which we did 15 minutes before the time they told us to meet them. Multiple different tour groups from multiple buses arrived at the same time, so there was no clear way to find our group. We had called the phone number for this company during the confusion, but it went to voicemail. The tour group went ahead onto the boats and left the dock. The only reason I know this was because I happened to have the phone number of the booking agent who booked this tour for us. He called the company and was told yes indeed the group just left without us. I was then told there was another tour leaving the dock 90 minutes later, so we decided to eat nearby and wait for the next tour, who was supposed to be looking for us this time. At the later time, we waited at the dock, and again watched multiple different tour groups head onto their boats. Again, NO ONE CALLED OR LOOKED FOR US. Thankfully, the guy whose number I had, told me what the boats looked like when I called him, so we walked to the boat ourselves, showed them our receipt and they let us on. Again, the staff clearly did not care at all whether or not we actually went on a tour. Completely unprofessional. Took over $260 of our money and left us behind TWICE. Would not recommend. read more

It was a cloudy afternoon and our helicopter ride to the glacier was canceled. We booked the last boat of the day for whale watching with Alaska Tales. Captain Rich and 1st mate & naturalist Brandi gave us the tour of a lifetime. Spotted many whales including a full breach. Brandi even knew the names of the whales from the markings on their tails. read more

Great tour. Katie, Lauren and Regina were awesome tour guides. The tour was intimate without having too many people on board. I would highly recommend. read more

Great experience! Not only did we see plenty of whales, both humpback and orcas, which they say orcas are hard to find, we also saw plenty of eagles and harbor seals. The crew members, Erin and Sarah, were also very knowledgeable with their facts about the whales but also with everything else about the Juneau area. Captain Rich was also great about finding the whales and stopping giving us plenty of time to see the whales in action! It was an amazing trip and would totally book with them if we ever come back! read more