Bears and Whales

My sister, 77 yo mom and I are considering doing a whale and bear watch tour with teckk in ISP 1st week of Sept. Anyone done this tour with this tour operator? Any suggestions or thoughts? Mom is pretty active walking not a problem. Thanks

My sister, 77 yo mom and I are considering doing a whale and bear watch tour with teckk in ISP 1st week of Sept. Anyone done this tour with this tour operator? Any suggestions or thoughts? Mom is pretty active walking not a problem. Thanks

They may also have a walking tour. You can contact Keith with any questions.

(907) 945-3204 (Home)

(907) 321-2672 (Keith's cell)

keith_skaflestad@yahoo.com

Just note that there has been more than one complaint about Teckk canceling tours at the last minute. See posts #7 and 8 of this thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1050358

Just note that there has been more than one complaint about Teckk canceling tours at the last minute. See posts #7 and 8 of this thread.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1050358

UMMM ... "I read a similar complaint about Teckk a year or two ago" constitutes more than one complaint? Come on.

Keith and Teckk Tours are a small independent operator, exactly what is constantly recommended on this board. When booking with any small independent, you must be aware that things can happen. Ship's excursions have also been known to be cancelled with little notice.

When we toured with Teckk, one other couple was booked also. Keith waited over an hour for them to show up (giving us a nice tour of the town meanwhile) before leaving without them, and even then left word with another operator to look out for them.

We had an absolutely wonderful bear search with Keith! It was positively a highlight of our cruise.

Check out our report and pictures (including "our" bear!) at

http://www.bully4.us/volendam.html

Have a Great cruise!

UMMM ... "I read a similar complaint about Teckk a year or two ago" constitutes more than one complaint? Come on.

Please read the thread carefully that I linked to. Someone posted a complaint about Teckk. I posted in that thread that I recall another complaint earlier about them (I just can't put my finger on the thread). That makes at least TWO complaints (one plus one equals two :) ).

Anyone can use any vendor they like. But if I have read two complaints in two years about a certain vendor and there are other options, you can bet I would go with a vendor that has had no complaints.

We had an absolutely wonderful bear search with Keith! It was positively a highlight of our cruise.

 

Check out our report and pictures (including "our" bear!) at

http://www.bully4.us/volendam.html

 

Have a Great cruise!

We agree with you Mike! On our first trip to Hoonah several years ago we luckily ran into Keith. He had a 'no show' for his bear tour and we asked if he would take us out. He said, "Hop in the van"! He took us on a marvelous 3 hour sightseeing tour of the area. The highlight was 3 bears! He has a wonderful personality and treated us like one of the family. That short port stay was just not enough for us and we have returned for the last 3 years to go fishing, whale watching and more bear searches with TECKK. We have had great experiences every time.

2 complaints in 2 years! That isn't even statistical. I wouldn't worry about 2 complaints.

2 complaints in 2 years! That isn't even statistical. I wouldn't worry about 2 complaints.

That depends on how one looks at it. Two "posted" complaints. We all know that only a very small percentage of cruisers/travelers read CC, and an even smaller percentage even post. Makes you wonder how many other problems have been had but we don't know about.

As I said, anyone can use any vendor they like. If I get to ISP, I personally will first attempt to book with another vendor.

Heck, I had one problem with a single vendor in Homer. They canceled my tour 2 hours before it was supposed to begin. Like one of the complaints about Teckk, it was too late to book another tour for the day. I have not seen any other complaints about this company. But even if that were the only complaint in 20 years, I would never, ever use them again. Too much competition out there - why risk it?

FRUGAL, Your constant attempt to rag on TECKK is getting a bit suspicious. You obviously have a hidden agenda. You haven't been to Hoonah. You have never used TECKK. Yet you persist in bringing up a complaint that you think you read a couple of years ago. I had much rather read posts from people who have actually used TECCK and their experience with them.

FRUGAL, Your constant attempt to rag on TECKK is getting a bit suspicious. You obviously have a hidden agenda. You haven't been to Hoonah. You have never used TECKK. Yet you persist in bringing up a complaint that you think you read a couple of years ago. I had much rather read posts from people who have actually used TECCK and their experience with them.

LOL. Very well said.

Jetta, I agree with poster fleckle, call TECKK up directly and check out with him about what he has available. The independent tour company can give you such a spectacular tour with much more attention to you & your family that is easily missed when one is on a tour bus with 40+ people.

Thank you everyone for your input. After reading other threads I am wondering if the bear excursion is even necessary. We will have 2 days in Denali, will we see many bears there or if we see them will they be dots on the horizon. Do the bear excursions get you pretty close to the bears? MercedesMike your pictures looked like you were fairly close to the bear. I would like to be able to view the bears from a safe but close distance. Thanks

FRUGAL, Your constant attempt to rag on TECKK is getting a bit suspicious. You obviously have a hidden agenda. You haven't been to Hoonah. You have never used TECKK. Yet you persist in bringing up a complaint that you think you read a couple of years ago. I had much rather read posts from people who have actually used TECCK and their experience with them.

No hidden agenda, just repeating what I have read here on the board. Mentioning on two threads in more than a year what others have said can hardly be calling "ragging" and definitely not "constant." :)

What I have posted are from those who have been there. If the truth hurts, so be it. Sounds more like you and MercedMike have the "hidden agenda" with rave reviews and not at all considering the negative posts. 'Nuff of this for me on this thread.

Our personal experience ... YMMV ...

With Keith of Teckk in ISP, I thought we were as close to the bear as we really wanted to be! ;) As you can see in the pics at http://www.bully4.us/volendam.html, we got out and stood on the bridges, while Keith WITH HIS GUN was with us. He, in fact, offered to take us off into the woods, or go off in the woods himself and "beat the bushes" but we passed on that. When we did sight the bear he was very careful and as it worked its way down the stream we retreated to the van and shot through the open windows. Of course it was nowhere near as close as we would get at a zoo.

At Denali on the TWT, most of the bears we saw were no more than dots in the distance until the driver brought them up on the 100X video camera. As you see in my pic at http://www.bully4.us/ct3.html, ONE of them was actually close enough to be observed pretty well with the naked eye. Of course we did NOT get out of the bus at all when wildlife was sighted.

Bear in mind that I have a simple "Push Here Dummy" digital camera and am by no means expert with it. I am sure with a long lens, a tripod and some expertise we could have gotten much better pictures. I am also one of those guys who does not want to see the whole of Alaska through a viewfinder. I tend to shoot and then put down the camera to watch so I may miss the best shots.

IMAO the experience touring with Keith was much more fun and more interesting than the TWT. We definitely enjoyed them both.

Thank you everyone for your input. After reading other threads I am wondering if the bear excursion is even necessary. We will have 2 days in Denali, will we see many bears there or if we see them will they be dots on the horizon. Do the bear excursions get you pretty close to the bears? MercedesMike your pictures looked like you were fairly close to the bear. I would like to be able to view the bears from a safe but close distance. Thanks

I am the original recommender of Teckk, going with him his first year of cruise ship passenger business. My tour was excellent. I have also been to Denali Park numerous times. They are different bears, based on diet. I've had close views in both areas.

Yes, if you are getting into the park, to Eielson, you will see bears. Necessary is a good pair of binoculars, with my min. 10 power.

... I have also been to Denali Park numerous times. They are different bears, based on diet. I've had close views in both areas. ...

Interestingly enough the bears we saw were gorging themselves on ...... BLUEBERRIES! Our guide said that at the time we were there (late in the season) that is practically their exclusive diet. I don't think that salmon get as far at Denali at all, in any case they are not the main dietary item for the Denali bears, while at ISP during almost all of the summer salmon is the bears mainstay. Bears are essentially as omnivorous as humans and will eat practically anything, which makes them very adaptable. In past times their habitat extended over almost all of North America, but sadly is now much reduced.

Interestingly enough the bears we saw were gorging themselves on ...... BLUEBERRIES! Our guide said that at the time we were there (late in the season) that is practically their exclusive diet. I don't think that salmon get as far at Denali at all, in any case they are not the main dietary item for the Denali bears, while at ISP during almost all of the summer salmon is the bears mainstay. Bears are essentially as omnivorous as humans and will eat practically anything, which makes them very adaptable. In past times their habitat extended over almost all of North America, but sadly is now much reduced.

Hoonah bears are COASTAL bears, which are bigger then the interior bears of Denali Park, they do have a diet of salmon, at some point. There is NO salmon in Denali Park.