What a blast hanging out with several grey whales! We also saw one humpback. Got great pics…read more Thanks for the fun Captain McCarthy! We will be back in June!

Highly recommend spend a couple of hours with Captain Rick of Sitka Sound Tours. Its a small group…read moretour on a comfortable boat offering both inside and outside seating. Rick described sights in Sitka as we navigated to a cove where the whales were feeding. Sighted other wildlife along the way. Also enjoyed listening to Rick talk about his and wife's upbringing in Sitka and life there for their family. Family run business that leaves right from where the bus drops cruise passengers off in downtown. Would certainly book again!

I would highly recommend this tour. We had a very personal experience and The captain was…read moredetermined to get us where we could see as much wildlife as possible. I can't say enough about our experience. He grew up in the area and his experience in the water was reassuring. I would give him a 10 if it were an option

My wife and I had a stop on a cruise ship in Sitka for the afternoon. We lucked out and got on to…read morecaptain Jaren's guide boat just as we got dropped off in town. Super cool local guide! Traded hunting stories while going to view whales, eagles, sea lions, and a light house that the wife loved. Jaren even shared some of his black tail venison snacks. A great highlight to our Alaska trip. I'm all about supporting local small businesses. Great little outfit.

Amazing experience with our captain! Jaren and his brother are very professional and very…read moreknowledgeable. We felt safe and comfortable. It was a great way to explore without the cruise crowd and he made us feel special.

We chartered a trip with Bill & Chrystal for our family at the end of last season. It was beyond…read moreanything we expected. Along with their crew, Daisy, they took us to all the best spots to see wildlife and the splendors of Alaska. They are so knowledgeable about the area and you can see that this is their passion. They want to share this love with as many people as possible. The food was incredible and they were very accommodating as one of our group is not a fish lover. Fishing for dinner was amazing! The boat is beautiful. The 3 cabins all with ensuite, were perfect for my family. We were all together on a boat for a week but had a space that was our own to get some alone time. This was the perfect fit for our family. Bill & Chrystal were great hosts and made this the most amazing trip imaginable. The Asher family

Bear paw charters offers a unique Sitkan experience, you can charter a dinner cruise or charter an…read moreovernight excursion. Bill and Chrystal are great hosts! I highly recommend checking them out.

Ok, First time to…read moreAlaska and have been mind blown by scenery. The natural beauty of this state is almost overwhelming in its grandeur. What really made the trip special was getting out on the ocean with a local guide that not only knew the ins and outs of the waterways but was also truly dedicated to his craft as a guide. Captain Dave is passionate about his home town of Sitka and an absolute wealth of information. On the way out of the harbor he fired off a plethora of awesome facts that rivaled anything Wikipedia might have to say about this majestic seaside port. Safety was always on his mind and that played a huge roll in our comfort considering we had a 5 and 7 year-old with us. At all times, including when we disembarked on a remote island for a quick hike, he was sure to let us know he had our back (he had a bear deterrent on the form of a shotgun). Dave also provided us with a killer breakfast and lunch which were both accompanied by spectacular views at unique locations on the water that were second to none. Bottom line, if you want to see AND learn about Sitka and it's wonderful culture/history/ecology then Captain Dave and his vessel the Esther are the premiere choice for anyone who wants to see the real deal Alaska!

We had the most amazing day with Davey! We saw whales, puffin, sea otters, and more! The homemade…read morecookies were the best I had ever eaten and most importantly, Davey made sure that we got to do exactly what we had dreamed of doing. He was a pleasure to deal with and my whole family continued to rave about our day on Esther G Sea taxi.

Great experience did an awesome job accompanying my 80 year old father in law. Plus we caught lots…read moreof fish!!!

Everything went very smoothly from booking to cleaning and packaging the fish…read more Very polite and helpful. Can't wait to go back !

What an awesome experience! The grandeur of Sitka is breath taking…read more We booked a 3 fishing excursion trip, with an additional day for sight seeing. Kevin was an incredible concierge. He arranged everything and was super flexible- our party size kept changing as our kid's plans were changing. We were booked with Capt Steven, and were joined a couple days with the owner Herb. Steven heard the fishing was challenging, so he took the risk and headed south about 40 miles. Flat calm sea and limits of King Salmon, halibut and black rockfish! We fished the same location on day 2. We limited again on Kings and halibut and then hooked a SEAMONSTER. after a 30+ minute fight we boated a 250+ pound halibut. We only had the opportunity to boat this animal because Herb had harvest tags for halibut in the "slot" (40-80 inches). Normally it's only legal to harvest halibut less than 40 or greater than 80 inches. This fish looked close to 80+, so we bought a harvest tag. It was a centimeter short of 80"! We would have been in huge trouble if Herb didn't have harvest tags! Day 3 was a shorter cruise north through some amazing waters. We saw wild bears and cubs! Bald eagles diving for fish! and Deer galore. We had limits of Kings, halibut and Rockfish as well as releasing several decent lingcod. The extra day was well worth it. Fortress of the bear and the Totem trail are best experienced in person! YouTube doesn't do either justice! We're already negotiating with Kevin and Herb for next year!

Great experience all around. Coordination was excellent,…read morefood was great, fish processing included, great room accommodations, and we caught limits daily as we think we had the best captain around. Can't wait to get back. Brian F Sebastopol Ca

What an awesome experience!  My husband and I enjoyed this tour with Captain Gary very much.  From…read morestart to finish, it was fun and exciting.   We came from the cruise ship port by a free 10 minute shuttle. We boarded the boat which was new, clean and beautifully designed, plus it had SUPER comfortable seats.  Before we even left the local bay, we saw multiple whales and seals. We went to several areas to see more amazing whales, salmon jumping out of the water, otters and a waterfall! We were able to sit inside or go on the front or back decks for photos or to hang out a bit and observe the natural beauty around us. As a fellow nature lover, It was fun that Captain Gary was excited to see the whales as well even after having grown up in Sitka and seeing them many times before.  He was a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and area, plus relaxed and easy going.  I appreciate the details about the whales names and that he recently found out how some were related. This was our favorite tour of our entire cruise, hands down.  We'll recommend Captain Gary's Sitka Adventures to everyone traveling to the area!

Fantastic Land & Sea Tour! The boat was new & fit 14 people comfortably & handled the waves very…read morewell. We saw several whales, sea otters, & sea lions. We then went to the land tour where we went to a park & saw several eagles & enjoyed the rainforest. We then went to the Bear Raptor Center & Eagle Raptor Center & grabbed a hotdog at the Bear place. We enjoyed both tours & saw a lot of Sitka & our driver (also named Gary) was very knowledgable about the history of Sitka & we learned a lot! Definitely recommend!

I visited Alaska on a cruise and wanted to see some sites in Sitka. Sitka Wildlife Tours was…read morerecommended by someone in our group. We had a private shuttle to accommodate our group of 10. Our tour guide Brett took us to the Fortess of the Bear, the Raptor Center and the Park. Amazing centers that support the wildlife is such a great spot to visit. We had plenty of time to watch the bears communicate with one another and the staff at the centers. I also love that there are items in the gift shop that support the sanctuary so purchase those and know your purchase supports the wildlife. The Raptor center has amazing eagles, owls and other birds that are in need of medical help. Absolutely amazing to see them up close. The park has so much history on the natives, totem poles, and beautiful artifacts to see up close. If you're in Sitka I highly recommend you take this tour.

The Hubby and I were on a 7 day Alaska Cruise and Sitka was on the schedule. As usual, I scoured…read moreVIATOR looking for a private or semi-private tour to give us an in depth experience to Sitka. We ended up booking with Sitka Wildlife Tours. From our Cruise ship, we boarded a local bus (no charge/complimentary) to take us to the Chamber of Commerce meeting destination for the Wildlife tour. Very easy to follow instructions ;) We boarded the cargo mini van and Brett, our tour guide for the excursion began our Sitka adventure! The tour included visits to the Alaska Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear Sanctuary, and the Sitka National Historical Park, featuring the iconic totem poles. Each stop offered a unique glimpse into the natural beauty and cultural richness of this incredible region. The Bear Sanctuary, is the highlight of the tour. The sanctuary is dedicated to the rehabilitation and care of orphaned and injured bears. Seeing these magnificent creatures up close was awe-inspiring. Our final stop was the Sitka National Historical Park, renowned for its impressive collection of totem poles. Walking through the park felt like stepping back in time. The totem poles, each with its own story, stood as silent sentinels of the Tlingit people's rich heritage. The park's trails offered stunning views of the surrounding forest and coastline, making it a perfect blend of culture and nature. Overall, this wildlife tour in Sitka was a remarkable adventure. The combination of breathtaking wildlife encounters and cultural exploration made it a well-rounded experience. Whether you're a nature lover, a history buff, or simply seeking an enriching getaway, this tour is a must-do when visiting Sitka, Alaska. Highly recommended! The only negative, there should be an age restriction: Fellow Travelers brought their Toddler Girl, who cried the entire time, in and outside of the Van!. Super unpleasant and very hard to hear Brett speak about the sites!