OUTSTANDING Whale Watching Experience! If you're visiting Sitka and want to see whales and other marine life up close, book with Gallant Adventures! Captain Paul is incredible -- he knows the area inside and out, understands wildlife behavior, and shares fascinating insights throughout the trip. Our group of five had the perfect setup: a comfortable, well-kept boat with plenty of room. We asked Capt. Paul all manner of questions and he shared so much information about the marine life and the geology. We got to see Up close whales, and otters and seals, and we went into a great cave to see birds. The views were beautiful, it was a magical tour. Everything about the experience was top-notch. Highly recommend! Once in a life time kind of thing! read more

Gallant Adventures - Sunbathing sea Lion in Sitka - Boating Near Me

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We joined Captain Paul Davis and this personable tour exceeded our dreams! The whales were out in groups and the captain knew where to find them- what to look for, and we had the best experience I've ever had on a wildlife tour! Highly recommend! read more

Wow!!! Today I went on Paul's Wildlife Tour, and was amazed! Because it was a small boat with only 6 people, we all had unobstructed and up-close views of a sea lion, otters, seals, puffins (even the rare Horned Puffin!!) various other birds, caves, a huge eagle's nest, etc. I went on this tour hoping I would see at least one whale... and was THRILLED that we were able to view several... and I mean up close! I lost count! Paul answered all of our questions and had a great deal of information to share! He was an excellent guide. I would highly recommend this tour for an informative up-close look at Alaska's wildlife! read more

Paul Davis and Gallant Adventures did NOT disappoint! His boat was small and held 6 passengers comfortably in the cabin, it's wide base made the boat feel very stable. We were thrilled with our 3 hour tour from Sitka. Paul was knowledgable, very professional and personable. He knew the area "sweet spots" of potential wildlife and quickly navigated us to each one where we had some amazing close to boat encounters with Humpbacks, Orcas, Harbor Seals, Sea Otters and a plethora of pacific coast sea birds. Paul identified all the wildlife and explained the behaviors we saw. St. Lazaria Island was a visual masterpiece of lava tubes and birds. Our personal favorites were getting to see the humpbacks feed near the rocky outcrops and interacting with a pod of orcas that encircled us for quite a while. Although this was a once in a lifetime trip for us, we knew after this tour - we have to come back again and do a repeat tour with Paul and Gallant Adventures soon!! read more

It was such an exciting experience with Captain Paul Davis while we were in Sitka. He knows where all the spots to find Alaska wildlife such as Brown bears, eagles, sea otters, sea lions and whales. Though Whales was the toughest one as they are more illusive but we got to see them bopping up and down in two separate occasion during the entire trip. we got to see the tail once when it dived down to deeper water (the whales were being shy not showing much of the tail on that day :-)) Captain Paul is very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife, very friendly and accommodating to make sure that we see and experience up-close (as possible) what Alaska wildlife can offer. Very satisfied and would recommend this tour to others. read more

My family went on a cruise to Alaska and decided we wanted to do something a little more personal and not in a huge group of cruisers. Paul Davis was awesome! He was very personable, he knew SO MUCH about the area! He is a licensed geologist, so he was able to explain some of the stuff we were looking at and he took us into some amazing caves! We saw lots of whales, different birds, otters, seals, star fish and sea anemones. I felt like the day went so fast. I HIGHLY recommend you book with Paul!! I know when we go back, we will again! read more

We used Gallant adventures 3 years ago and it was one of the highlights of our cruise. So when we planned a cruise this year I wanted to make sure we used them again. Paul Davis helped make it a great day. Yes, the 40 knot winds and rain were a pain but Paul put us on top of the humpback whales and sea otters. He was great. If you plan a trip through Sitka include Paul in your plans. Have done it twice now and would again if going there. read more

Paul is extremely passionate about his work. Wonderful man that we had the pleasure of spending a few hours with while in Sitka. From the first email to the day we meet him everything went smoothly. A first class operation and worth your time. We were able to see whales, sea lions, sea otters and all sort of birds. He has water, soft drinks and beer for his guest while on the boat. He let's you borrow his binoculars if you forgot yours. He does his best to show you a wonderful time. Highly recommend using him if you want to do a wildlife tour in Sitka. Since you are on a smaller boat you can do things the bigger boats can not. We were able to get really close to a bunch of sea otters. One was sleeping the entire time we were there taking his photo. Paul loves to talk about the area. He really does try to engage all of his guest young to old and make them all feel special. He even dropped us off closer to where we needed to meet our tender and save us a few dollars on a cab. Great service, wonderful personality and an amazing afternoon. read more

Gallant Adventures - Paul driving boat - Boating Near Me

We visited Alaska twice - back to back years on a cruise. We found Paul on the internet and decided to book a tour with him our first year. Words can't describe what an amazing day we had as a family. Paul is born and raised in AK, and knows everything from the perspective of living there his whole life, but also as a geologist. He was so wonderful with our young boys. Explained all the geography and wildlife to them with detailed drawings. It went beyond our expectations! We went again the following summer with extended family and called Paul to book again that year. No trip is ever the same and our second time didn't disappoint either. Our family LOVED the trip as well. If you are ever in or near enough to Sitka- this tour is a must! read more

Great time with Captain Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures today. We saw all sorts of wildlife and scenery. He made an extra effort to ensure we saw whales. Superfriendly guy. Knowledgeable, funny, considerate. Exactly the sort of personality you'd want for this type of adventure. Note: this is a small boat. I consider that a plus. It means you have a real, direct experience, and you get to know everyone. Others might consider that a minus. Be prepared to be tossed around if the weather is rough. read more

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Gallant Adventures was the highlight of my trip to Alaska, we had the most wonderful time. Pretend your best [and most fun] friend has a boat, and lives in Alaska, and is going to spend five hours taking you around - that's Paul! Owner and tour guide extraordinaire, Paul put everyone at ease and made sure each person had a great time. The tour was small, four people (I think he takes six people max), and being on a smaller boat, we were able to get up close to the local wildlife, take a rare glimpse at Saint Lazaria Island National Wildlife Refuge, and experience the Alaskan hot springs. The animals we saw included countless humpback whales, gaggles of sea otters and hordes of sea lions. I've never seen anything like it, and I thank Paul for the once in a lifetime experience! read more

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Having visited Alaska for the third time, I didn't believe I could be more in awe of Alaska but Paul Gallant, sure made that happen! From my first email well before the cruise asking about seeing Puffins till our tour with him ended back ashore, Paul's passion to show his passengers the beauty surrounding Sitka came shining thru on every level. We saw different species of whales, sea otters, eagles, sea lions and my favorite, puffins. The tour size is small and personal, and the time is taken to try to please everyone onboard. If you want to make the most of your time in Sitka count, I highly recommend Gallant Adventures. read more

We just got back from our 7 day cruise in Alaska with Sitka being one of our first stops. We booked a whale watching tour with Captain Paul Davis and couldn't have asked for a better guide. From the get-go, without even meeting him yet, he was very responsive and personable via email and offered so much help, detailed instructions on how he would be meeting us, even different scenarios of how he would meet us depending on how our cruise ship docked. I really appreciated that -- he put me and my family at such great ease and I knew we were in good hands. We had to split our group into two separate tours because the max amount of people per boat is 6 (we had 7). Well, at the last minute one of the guys in our group couldn't go on the cruise because he was sick. We contacted Paul 24 hours before our tour to tell him, thinking it was a long shot and a lost cause-- not only did he manage to switch around his tour schedule so that we could be on one boat together, but he refunded the money no questions asked. Customer service was above and beyond. Anyways, back to the actual tour-- Paul was very knowledgeable about all aspects of Alaskan wildlife. We were just blown away. We were ale to see whales up close, sea lions, sea otters, about 50 eagles feeding, a brown bear turning over rocks to look for crustaceans, salmon, muscles, waterfalls, thousands of jellyfish... we went through some beautiful passage ways that bigger boats wouldn't have been able to access. You can tell Paul just loves Alaskan wildlife and he wants to make sure you leave the tour loving it too. Out of all the things we did in Alaska (which was a lot!) this tour was our favorite and most memorable. Icing on the cake-- he dropped us off right on the dock in front of our cruise ship so we didn't have to stand in any bus lines from downtown sitka back to the dock. Don't hesitate-- book this tour, you will not regret it and will have a lifetime of memories read more

One of the best excursions of our cruise. When the whales, eagles, sea otters, sea lions, puffins and other animals are not keeping your attention... Paul is with excellent natural wildlife and personnel Alaskan stories. I bet we we saw about 9 humpback with several blows per and a couple of gray whales. We even got one humpback breech. He took the boat into a sea cave! I think I had about 1500 photos by the time our 3 1/2 hr strip was over. BTW he also keeps a cooler full of water, juice, and beer. I highly recommend this excursion. read more

Humpback whale bubble netting, up close. It doesn't get any better than our time on Paul's boat. The highlight of our Alaskan cruise. My kids still talk about it. Besides the whale, we saw sea lions, otters, a bald eagle with a chick in its nest, and more. Paul's personality is great, so interactive with kids and really enthusiastic. I'm so glad that we opted not to take one of the cruise ship's excursion offerings and found Gallant Adventures instead. read more

One of the best tours in Sitka. we saw a Gray Whale , lots of sea otters and two different kinds of puffins. it was a great day on the water. read more

We took a cruise to Alaska May 12 aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Got an awesome deal and some amazing perks on the cruise, so were able to spend a little more on some great excursions including dog sledding, float plane tour and zip lining. All were fantastic, but I have to say the absolute highlight of our Alaskan Cruise was our amazing Marine Wildlife tour with Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures! Our little group has been on numerous cruises together and we are lucky enough to have a friend in our group who likes to do his homework regarding planning, shopping around, price comparisons, fun etc. We save a ton of money by booking our own excursions and really love the small individualized attention. After doing his research our good friend Glen found Paul Davis and arranged our 6 person boat tour. Paul met us on the dock at Crescent Harbor and we boarded his small boat. From the moment we stepped on the boat Paul made us feel comfortable. He had just come in from his morning excursion when he picked us up and headed right back out, but you would never know it. He has so much enthusiasm for the wild life and the Sitka area, and is so warm and friendly. There is no question he really loves what he does! We were able to get up close to an island with quite a few bald eagles, and then some nearby sea lions. Then on to another island that had a mama bear with two cubs walking along the shoreline. Even with the small boat we could not get very close so he pulled out his binoculars for those who did not have any. Next we headed out to an area where we saw about a hundred sea otters floating on their backs, playing and wrapping themselves up in kelp. They didn't seem to mind the small boat and we were able to get really close and take some great pictures! One of the highlights was racing alongside a small whale, watching it breach and then dive again! We finished up the tour by heading over to an island that has a lava made arch. Paul took the boat into a sea cave along it's shoreline pointing out the starfish and sea life clinging to its walls! After checking out some beautiful Puffin near the cave it was time to head back to the ship. When he dropped us off it felt like we were saying goodbye to an old family friend! If you are thinking about taking a marine wildlife tour in Sitka, I highly recommend Paul Davis of gallantadventures.com ! read more

We took a tour with Captain Paul Davis yesterday, and it was fantastic. He was so knowledgeable and clearly enamored with Sitka sound and Alaska in general. It was really nice to be guided by someone so happy to be there. He took us on a five hour tour and we saw two whales, otters, sea lions, seals, eagles, salmon, jellyfish and to top it off, a brown bear. He was also very friendly and perfectly communicated with our two daughters - 10 and 12 years old. I highly recommend Gallant Adventures! read more

Touring the Sitka Sound by boat is one of the great times in this part of Alaska. We have travelled many places in the world, and we have had many business dealings in many remote places. We have never had an experience like this. We contacted Paul first because he had a small boat. We had read that there are little nooks that you can only enter by a small boat, and that is absolutely true. But, as I always do my research, I contacted other operators on the sound. What we did not know at that time is the operators speak to each other, and even communicate while they are boating to let others know what wildlife they have located. What we did not know is they discuss the clientele. I had written back and forth with Paul asking some questions about his boat and fees and was very excited about the trip on the sound. Shortly after this point, I received an email that he had made other plans with another group (which actually, it turns out, we knew some of attendees). What a disappointment!!! After planning to go with Gallant, to be told we could not. Further, and more disturbing, after I posted a low star review, I received some very unpleasant emails from Paul with very derogatory remarks directed at me and calling me names. This I found to be very unprofessional as we run a company and deal with the public all of the time. Not the way to talk to people you deal with! I thought it was fair to let others know. I want to highly recommend the sound. As I mentioned take a small boat so can get closer to wildlife. I also highly recommend making sure that your tour goes out see St. Lazaria Island, and generally go early in the morning with the low tide. We can view orange and purple starfish, like I have never seen close up! And checking out the whales and otters is the best that we saw in Alaska! You can choose personalized tours or group. And what we found was that you can go on the exact same tour with all of the extras without paying the private excursion prices and still see everything you would have with on the private tour! read more

The Absolute Highlight of our Alaskan Cruise! We cruised to Alaska on Holland America in August 2012 and had a total blast while exploring Sitka Sound with Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures. First of all, our group of 5 were treated like good friends. Secondly, you wouldn't believe the things we saw! We had close encounters with several humpback whales, a huge raft of sea otters (including one with an octopus on its belly), swooping bald eagles, dozens of seals lounging on rocks, salmon jumping at the base of a waterfall in the most beautiful cove on Earth, and other amazing things I can't even remember. Not only was this tour the highlight of our cruise, it was one of the coolest things I've ever done. If you go to Sitka...Go on a Gallant Adventure! read more

Gallant Adventures is the absolute BEST excursion in Sitka!! Our tour with Captain Paul was truly the most memorable part of our trip! Even in stormy weather and occasional rough waves, we had an incredible time and saw an abundance of wildlife! As others have already stated, Paul was extremely personable and made us feel as though we were hanging out with a close friend. He had so much knowledge and experience to share with us and left us wanting more. We were not ready for the tour to end but are eager to book with him this summer again when we return! The tour is very family friendly and can be enjoyed by ALL ages! This experience, and Captain Paul, were second-to-none! The absolute BEST way to intimately and thoroughly enjoy the true SITKA! :) read more