On our cruise ship stop at Icy Strait Point / Hoonah, I opted to book a whale watching tour with Glacier Wind for a smaller and more personal experience, and it was everything and more! I believe they can usually fit up to 13 people on one tour but we got lucky with only 7 people in our group (aka lots of space on the boat to move around). Teresa drove all of us from the port to the dock, and we were then welcomed by her son Casey who is the captain. I later learned from Teresa that Casey studied fishery in school, and boy was he knowledgeable about all the different wildlife out here in Hoonah! While on the tour, we were able to witness porpoises, bald eagles, sea lions and, of course, whales. Casey takes you to different spots where you are likely to spot whales, and we ended up seeing a whale come up VERY close to our boat! It was absolutely mesmerizing to see and to capture. Additionally, the boat itself was super comfortable, and they even provide water, hot chocolate, and various chips for you to snack on :) If you are thinking about booking a whale watching tour while in Hoonah, do it with Glacier Wind! Teresa and Casey are both amazing, and my family had a fantastic experience overall. read more

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We booked a whale watching excursion with this tour group, on our "2020" Alaska cruise that we finally got to go on this year - I'd heard this was one of the best places in the US for whale watching, and I'm glad we went. We saw *tons* of whales - you could tell they were working their butts off looking for them, driving us all over the bay! We even saw a mom and calf once! (Tons of bald eagles, too! No bears, sadly - they showed us a spot where you can spot bears sometimes, but it was still a bit early in the season.) Funny enough, it was about the same price as the cruise ship's whale watching group, but it's a *much* different experience going out on a boat with only a handful of people plus the crew. Great people, too - you can tell they love what they doing, showing people the bay and all the really cool sea life that inhabits it. Super comfortable boat, too. Definitely glad we chose to go whale watching with them. Only one tiny complaint - I saw reviews mentioning homemade salmon dip! Not that we exactly *needed* any more food, coming from a cruise ship, but at least on our specific trip, they only provided water and hot chocolate. Seeing a bunch of whales was obviously the main reason we were there, but I *did* also have a side goal of eating as much salmon as possible while I was in Alaska, too, so I was a tiny bit sad. Extremely minor complaint, obviously. read more

Theresa picked us up right from the cruise terminal as promised. Sean was our captain and he guided us through a very exciting 3 hour tour of the waterways. We saw so many humpback whales, seals, otters, puffins and bald eagles. He gave us interesting stories and historic information as he was born and raised in Icy Strait pointe. I would highly recommend this family owned and operated business. read more

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We had a wonderful time with Glacier Wind! Our ship arrived late to port but they waited for us no problem, for over an hour. Captain Casey was knowledgeable, kind, and very helpful. We saw tons of whales and felt like we got a good idea of what Hoonah was like, being guided by a local who loves the area. The small group sizes were amazing and we would 100% recommend Glacier Wind to anyone!! read more

Thus is a family owned business. Mom, Dad, and 2 sons. Theresa and Sean are retired teachers who have moved back to Hoonah. This is where Sean grew up. Together they run and operate Glacier Wind Charters. We found them searching for the best reviewed whale watching tour. We were not disappointed. We were a group of 4 traveling together. And happened to be the only 4 on our tour. Theresa met us at the hub. While we waited for the other tour to get back; Theresa gave us a tour of their little town. She showed us their house that they built. The the cabins they rent out to teachers that come to stay for the school year. Sean and Therese are both retired teachers. The 4 of us stepped onto the boat ready for our tour. Not before Therese handed her son Casey some hot chocolate, water, and snacks for us. As a kid I was always fascinated with orcas. I have wanted to see one in the wild for nearly 45 years. And this day I did. No longer than 10 minutes did Casey spotted the black fin in the distance. Before you know it my dream came true. We were following several killer whales. I could not control my excitement. I may even have cussed a bit. Later, Casey took us where he knew there was humpbacks. These whales were netting. I recently read about this type of feeding. But it was hardly ever filmed. But we got to see them do it several times. Needless to say the 4 of us had the best tour. Casey was extremely knowledgeable. So friendly and happy to make us happy. Since it was just the 4 of us there was no rush to get back. read more

If your cruise stops in Icy Strait Point, Glacier Wind Charters is who you want to use for a whale watch tour. They have smaller boats than what you might book elsewhere giving you a more personalized experience. After booking, Teresa was great about communication and pickup at the transportation hub. Casey, her son, was our boat captain and knew exactly where to take us to see the whales. We had a great tour and saw plenty of whales, several pretty close up along the shore as they were bubble net feeding. The pictures can do no justice to what we actually experienced. I highly recommend this great family owned business for your tour! read more

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Captain Casey looks 12 but I hear he's 30. EXCELLENT tour guide. We had only 6 in our group (rather than the "cattle call" we usual get with tours) He and his dad know the waters here. Casey put us "on" humpbacks. Breeching! Very nice guy. His mom (Teresa) makes a hot and delish hot chocolate and salmon dip for the trip. I would always book direct with Glacier Wind Charters. read more

I have done two whale watching tours with Glacier Wind Charters and they are simply the best! Beautiful boat for small group whale watching (13 people or less I believe). From booking with Teresa, who is simply the nicest person ever, to the actual tour with her son Casey who is the captain, they deliver an unforgettable experience. I just finished my fourth Alaska cruise and anytime I am asked what to do in Icy Strait Point, the first thing I recommend is the whale watching with Glacier Wind. Casey is incredibly knowledgeable about all of the wildlife in the area including the whales which are the star of the show but we also had the chance to see a bear, sea lions, seals and otters this last time. We also had the rare opportunity to see bubble net feeding which was amazing. A couple of additional reasons I like to book with Glacier Wind... they are a family owned business and they live in Hoonah and are happy to answer tons of questions about the area and what it's like to actually live in Alaska. They are also very respectful of the wildlife. They respect the whales and keep an appropriate distance while still allowing you to see these beautiful creatures. They do their best to allow you the chance to see whales act naturally and that is the best whale watching experience! read more

Our party of six had a wonderful time watching the whales. The boat is brand new and very clean. The captain and his crew mate are very knowledgeable about the whales and the their habitat. Very pleasantly surprise to see so many whales in late August. Great experience. read more

This was one of the best excursions we've ever booked and this is our second time to Alaska. You can not beat the McConnells with Glacier Wind Charters. Teresa is the first person you meet and she was wonderful one of the sweetest person I've met. She took us on a short journey from the cruise terminal's excursion hub to the pier where we boarded the Apogee. There we met her son Kyle and Casey, both the sweetest gentlemen in the business where Casey captained the catamaran. They took us to see Orcas and Humpback. Both were on the lookout for whales and as we were leaving one location after seeing orcas captain Casey made a 180 after spotting some movement in the water and we headed back where we spotted an orca pod hunting a porpoise where the porpoise did not have a chance. Captain Casey is very respectful of the whales as we are in their natural habitat. The McConnells are Alaskan natives specifically to Hoonah and they are very familiar with the area. We have been on multiple whale watching excursions in the past but this is takes the cake. Upon returning to the cruise ship and hearing other guests talk about their whale watching it did not compare to the Glacier Wind Charters. We recommended Glacier Wind Charters to everyone we spoke on the cruise who also went whale watching. This was a much personable excursion compared to the others we've been on. I highly recommend the Glacier Wind Charter and I will be booking them again on my next visit and it is a great way to support small businesses. read more

Awesome experience with family run whale watching biz. Small boat - inly 13 people. And we saw a bunch of whales. Can't recommend them more.

Shawn and Teresa were amazing and it was an absolutely beautiful whale watching trip. We saw humpbacks, dall porpoises, otters, puffins and more. Shawn explained the tell tail signs of whale sighing and gave us some great insight on the area while we were out. The boat size is perfect and very comfortable for 6 and the time just flew by. Teresa even offered to take us by the local Huna Tribal House Carving Project on the way back and that was a perfect stop to learn about Tlingit community. This was a much better option than the larger tours or companies that are not run by locals- a must for any trip to Hoonah/Icy Strait! read more

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If you are reading this review to decide if you want to book with Glacier Wind then stop here and just do it! We were on a cruise ship and decided to try a smaller company rather than the large cruise excursions. It was one of the best experiences of our lives. Casey took 6 of us out in his boat (their larger boat only holds around 13) and we could see the large cruise ships packed full of people so we were glad of our decision. Casey was so friendly and knowledgeable and took us to a perfect spot. We had the most magical experience seeing two pods of Orcas. They greeted each other and were flapping their fins and splashing and Casey explained that they were greeting each other. Having a masters in marine biology he knew what he was seeing and we appreciated the insight. We were so lucky as we saw the Orca's breach about 5 times, heard them communicating and even saw one swim right by our boat chasing a fish. Our smaller group got a much more intimate experience. And prior to the day Teresa was really communicative and really wonderful. It was a perfect day! read more

Glacier Wind Charters - This was only one of the sightings of a beautiful Orca! - Fishing Near Me

This is owned and operated by a family. The experience was amazing. We saw plenty of whales as well as a few sea lions, porpoises, an otter and a bear along the coastline . We sat comfortably inside the boat until it was show time and then went outside for the better viewing although 1 person observed from inside. They supplied binoculars and snacks including Teresa's home made smoked salmon spread. Definitely a 5 star experience. read more

We absolutely loved our experience with Glacier Wind Charters. Teresa and Shawn are wonderful people who take pride in their business. They have an immaculate boat with plenty of room for the 6 passengers they allow. The boat has a really nice restroom which was a bonus. We met Teresa a short walk from the cruise ship and she drove us down the road about 2 miles to the dock. Once onboard, we settled in and enjoyed a 45 minute ride out to see the whales. The water was smooth as glass and the sun was shining. We really lucked out on the weather. Shawn told us where to keep an eye out for different wildlife and pointed out a whale here and there until we got to the feeding area where several whales were gathered. We spent about two hours watching the whales. We got to see so much!! One whale came up no more than 25 yards from the boat. He showed his hump a few times and then the tail. We quickly learned that there was a rhythm to the whales. They would show their hump 4 times, then their tail. We also had one whale that breeched at least 10 times. He was timely as well. After showing his tail, it would be 35 seconds until he'd jump out of the water. Absolutely unbelievable and I couldn't believe how loud the splash was!! We also saw a whale slapping his fin on the water and later another one slapping his tail. It was just awesome!! Our group had the afternoon slot so I don't think there's necessarily any difference in the level of activity between the two time slots. Other nice touches throughout the day were the snacks available on the boat. Hot chocolate, sodas, and water were available. Teresa also provided salmon dip, crackers, and chips. Also, when the trip was complete and we were headed back, Teresa took a detour to show us two baby eagles that were hopping around their nest. They hadn't flown yet and were hopping around like it could happen any second. It was neat to see and a nice touch added to an already great trip. read more

Our excursion was with Captain Casey, Shaun and Teresa's son and he was amazing. Whales were out putting on a show all day. We did not really look for any wildlife as we were all wanting to see the whales, but we did manage to see other sea life while watching the whales. Our group as a whole wanted to watch the whales and Casey obliged. He is getting his degree in fisheries and taught us a lot about what the whales were doing and also how different species of whales live. Teresa made fresh hot chocolate that was very good and snacks were provided for our small group of 6. This family run business makes you feel right at home, and before returning us back to the ship, Teresa gave us a short tour of their town, including their home. This is the trip to take. Thank you Casey and family. We had a blast. read more

Cruised Icy Strait with Captain Shaun in early May 2015. The water was like glass. The view of the surrounding mountains crystal clear and gorgeous. We were able to spot whales spouting from quite a distance. We saw 4 whales fishing together! Captain Shaun and Teresa made booking and sailing easy and enjoyable. Teresa even made a smoked salmon dip "Yummy!" The boat is small so not too many passengers. Easy to move around to get a great view. read more

Shaun was a really great captain. We saw tons of whales. He has lived in Hoonah since he was a child, so he is very knowledgable about the area. He also took us by the shore to look for bears, but sadly, none were out. His wife was awesome. She took us on a tour of the cute town and also let up stop by a workshop where a totem pole was being done. A freebie! Thanks so much for a great excursion. read more