Whale watching: better in Juneau or Icy Strait?

Hi cruisers! This is my first post, so sorry if its a little rough. :o

I need advice about the independent whale watching excursions for Icy Strait and Juneau. Im torn about which port to do it out of and worried about which is the better choice. I know I want to see whales, whales, whales, whales. :D Hubby wants to see some bears if possible.

My delimma is will I get eaten by the bears :eek: hahaha and if I do an excursion with Teckk in Icy Strait just for bears, is the whale watching going to be as good in Juneau?

I greatly appreciate all of your experienced advice and love reading all the threads about your previous experiences!! ;)

Hi cruisers! This is my first post, so sorry if its a little rough. :o

 

I need advice about the independent whale watching excursions for Icy Strait and Juneau. Im torn about which port to do it out of and worried about which is the better choice. I know I want to see whales, whales, whales, whales. :D Hubby wants to see some bears if possible.

 

My delimma is will I get eaten by the bears :eek: hahaha and if I do an excursion with Teckk in Icy Strait just for bears, is the whale watching going to be as good in Juneau?

 

I greatly appreciate all of your experienced advice and love reading all the threads about your previous experiences!! ;)

We went whale watching in Juneau and fishing in ISP and saw lots of whales in both locations:). Many people say ISP is better than Juneau, but again we found them both great. I know some people look at doing whale watching in the morning in ISP, then bear watching in the afternoon. When is your trip? That will dictate how good the bear watching may be. If the timing is right, that might cover both, and leave Juneau for more whales:D, or other things...kayaking, hiking, Mendenhall, etc. Here's another link where I posted some of the photos I took on our Juneau WW. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1620064 Good luck and have fun - you can't go wrong!

L.J.

Bear watching in ISP is called a bear 'search' for good reason. They are not as abundant as in other areas of Alaska. Depending on your dates, you might find bear watches in Juneau (fly-in to Pack Creek) will be far more profitable.

Whale watching is great in either place.

We went whale watching in Juneau and fishing in ISP and saw lots of whales in both locations:). Many people say ISP is better than Juneau, but again we found them both great. I know some people look at doing whale watching in the morning in ISP, then bear watching in the afternoon. When is your trip? That will dictate how good the bear watching may be. If the timing is right, that might cover both, and leave Juneau for more whales:D, or other things...kayaking, hiking, Mendenhall, etc. Here's another link where I posted some of the photos I took on our Juneau WW. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1620064 Good luck and have fun - you can't go wrong!

 

L.J.

L.J., I saw your pictures before, and I almost cried when I did!! They are amazing. It is that kind of experience I am hoping to have. I know the whales breaching is a treat and not guarentee, but I am keeping my fingers crossed they are in good spirits and cooperating when I am there. ;).

We will be in ISP June 12th from 3-10pm and Juneau June 14th from 730am-8pm. Because of the limited time in ISP Im thinking we only have time for either bears or whales and I have no intention of rushing my time with the whales. They are my top priority.

Any advice/experience with times of day being better for whale activity?

Bear watching in ISP is called a bear 'search' for good reason. They are not as abundant as in other areas of Alaska. Depending on your dates, you might find bear watches in Juneau (fly-in to Pack Creek) will be far more profitable.

 

Whale watching is great in either place.

We will be in ISP June 12th from 3-10pm. I dont know what time of day bears are usually out and about and from what Ive read on the boards Im getting the feeling they are generally more active later in the summer. Has this been your experience?

We will be in ISP June 12th from 3-10pm. I dont know what time of day bears are usually out and about and from what Ive read on the boards Im getting the feeling they are generally more active later in the summer. Has this been your experience?

I have never done the bear search in Hoonah. Enough reports of so-so sightings (at least one of no bears seen at all) that it is not something I would do myself there. When I want to see bears I go on an excursion where they are more plentiful - Anan Creek, Katmai, Kodiak, etc. Even Denali, especially with multiple trips into the park, is much better.

L.J., I saw your pictures before, and I almost cried when I did!! They are amazing. It is that kind of experience I am hoping to have. I know the whales breaching is a treat and not guarentee, but I am keeping my fingers crossed they are in good spirits and cooperating when I am there. .

We will be in ISP June 12th from 3-10pm and Juneau June 14th from 730am-8pm. Because of the limited time in ISP Im thinking we only have time for either bears or whales and I have no intention of rushing my time with the whales. They are my top priority.

 

Any advice/experience with times of day being better for whale activity?

brny,

Thanks! I'm hoping to have such an experience again in July! One thing we didn't see was bubble net feeding, which I know a lot of others have had the fortune to see. Given what I've read on here, I'd say to are too early to have a lot of luck seeing bears in early/mid June. I think it would be a better gamble in mid to late July in ISP/Hoonah. Personally I don't think you'd be crazy to whale watch in both ISP AND Juneau. Others may disagree, but if we weren't taking my Dad, who's a lifelong fishing fanatic, on his fish and maybe only halibut fishing trip while were in ISP, we'd be whale watching in both places ourselves. Some people say been there done that, but we can't wait to see the whales - again, and again, and again...

Here are some of the photos I took in ISP while on our fishing trip/whale watch last time...

As for time of day, people will swear early and late, yet there always seems to be activity in Alaska. We always do earlier when possible, because be it the Caribbean or Alaska, we always seem to find sunny mornings, with clouds often building in the afternoon. Have fun and let us know what you do and how the trip was!

L.J.

brny,

 

Thanks! I'm hoping to have such an experience again in July! One thing we didn't see was bubble net feeding, which I know a lot of others have had the fortune to see. Given what I've read on here, I'd say to are too early to have a lot of luck seeing bears in early/mid June. I think it would be a better gamble in mid to late July in ISP/Hoonah. Personally I don't think you'd be crazy to whale watch in both ISP AND Juneau. Others may disagree, but if we weren't taking my Dad, who's a lifelong fishing fanatic, on his fish and maybe only halibut fishing trip while were in ISP, we'd be whale watching in both places ourselves. Some people say been there done that, but we can't wait to see the whales - again, and again, and again...

 

 

Here are some of the photos I took in ISP while on our fishing trip/whale watch last time...

 

 

As for time of day, people will swear early and late, yet there always seems to be activity in Alaska. We always do earlier when possible, because be it the Caribbean or Alaska, we always seem to find sunny mornings, with clouds often building in the afternoon. Have fun and let us know what you do and how the trip was!

 

L.J.

L.J., again, stunning photos!! I agree, I think we are just too early for bears. I will consider us lucky if we see any, but I think on this go 'round we will not seek them out. (Besides, if I dont come face to face, eye to eye with a bear I think I'll be ok ;)). I think for me personally, I will probably do WW both locations. I will let the rest of the group (hubby, kids and parents) do something else if they want but I'll stick to the whales. I feel at peace with them and its where I want to be. Call me crazy but it's what is calling my name.

Now about those pictures.... I have a pretty good camera, and I fancy myself a pretty good photographer, but I would love to know what kind of equipment you use. I'm looking at getting an extender or larger zoom specific for this trip (Im maxing out at 300 right now) so Im always eager to know what others are using on these trips.

Thanks for all the help! I greatly appreciate it!! :D

I have never done the bear search in Hoonah. Enough reports of so-so sightings (at least one of no bears seen at all) that it is not something I would do myself there. When I want to see bears I go on an excursion where they are more plentiful - Anan Creek, Katmai, Kodiak, etc. Even Denali, especially with multiple trips into the park, is much better.

I think you're totally right. I think we are too early in the season and it does seem like further north seems to be more favorable for bears. Anan creek seems to be a favorite, so I might consider that. Thank you for your insight. I really appreciate it. It helps make the decision easier when Im going on no personal experience myself. :)

brny,

 

Here are some of the photos I took in ISP while on our fishing trip/whale watch last time...

 

L.J.

I forgot to ask, who do you use when you WW in ISP?

I think you're totally right. I think we are too early in the season and it does seem like further north seems to be more favorable for bears. Anan creek seems to be a favorite, so I might consider that. Thank you for your insight. I really appreciate it. It helps make the decision easier when Im going on no personal experience myself. :)

Anan is great but it is primarily black bears. Other areas have grizzlies.

I forgot to ask, who do you use when you WW in ISP?

There are quite a few independents now. FISHES and Misty Bay Lodge are probably the two with the most favorable reviews on CC. Since I have been accused of "bashing" one vendor I won't mention them here, but my experience with them was such that I would never use or recommend them again. They do both whale watch trips and bear "searches." You can easily tell which one it is - there are usually 1-2 (or more) negative reviews about them every year on this forum.

Thanks for your input Frugal! I did read that thread that you are referring to, so I know what you are talking about. ;) I'll take a look at FISHES and Misty Bay and see what they offer. :)

Distance between Hoonah (Icy Point) and Juneau is 37 miles. Likely watching the same whales ? :)

Now about those pictures.... I have a pretty good camera, and I fancy myself a pretty good photographer, but I would love to know what kind of equipment you use. I'm looking at getting an extender or larger zoom specific for this trip (Im maxing out at 300 right now) so Im always eager to know what others are using on these trips.

 

Thanks for all the help! I greatly appreciate it!! :D

brny,

I used a Canon 50D and a Canon 100-400mm Image Stablized "L" lens for pretty much all those shots I posted - almost all at 400mm, handheld. This summer I'll be bringing my new 7D and Sigma 150-500mm, plus a 1.4x telextender, giving me 700mm:D. The big challenge then will be how calm the water will be aqnd how much the boat will be moving:). I'll be using the same rig in Katmai for bear watching.

I'm not sure what kind of camera you have, but I couldn't afford to buy that 100-400mm in 2009. I actually rented that lens for that trip. For about $130 I was able to take a $1,600 lens. If you search "lens rental", you'll get a number of reputable online rental companies that will carry Canon and Nikon for sure, and often other brands as well. I had it scheduled for delivery to our hotel in Seattle to start the trip, and then dropped it off at a FedEx office in Anchorage right before we headed to the airport. Saved the carrying it on the plane issues for that sized item. It's a great way to carry pro glass with a minimum hassle, and no $1000+ investment for a lens you might not use that often at home.

If you rent or purchase a lens for thtrip and your camera doesn't have in camera stablization (Canon and Nikon don't, Pentax and Sony do), make sure you get an IS (Canon)/OS (Sigma)/VR (Nikon) version because unless you use a tripod on land, trying to shoot sharp images handheld over 300mm can be very difficult if not impossible. If you have any other questions, let me know and I'll try and answer them.

Good luck and have fun!

L.J.

Distance between Hoonah (Icy Point) and Juneau is 37 miles. Likely watching the same whales ? :)

That 37 miles is straight line, but there isn't a straight line between ISP & Juneau. Point Adolphus, one of the best feeding/viewing spots for humpbacks, is roughly 17 water miles from ISP/Hoonah and the most common place for ISP WW boats to go, and roughly 60 water miles from Auke Bay near Juneau, where most of the WW there is done. While they may at some point share the same whales, it wouldn't be in the same day, and each area has it's local population in addition to transient visitors. I think both spots are great, and it seems like from looking at posts on here that more bubble net feeding is observed on the trips out of ISP/Hoonah. In a vote, I think ISP would win by a small margin by those that have gone WW from both. Still, you can't go wrong either way - especially if you do both!

L.J.

brny,

 

I used a Canon 50D and a Canon 100-400mm Image Stablized "L" lens for pretty much all those shots I posted - almost all at 400mm, handheld. This summer I'll be bringing my new 7D and Sigma 150-500mm, plus a 1.4x telextender, giving me 700mm:D. The big challenge then will be how calm the water will be aqnd how much the boat will be moving:). I'll be using the same rig in Katmai for bear watching.

 

I'm not sure what kind of camera you have, but I couldn't afford to buy that 100-400mm in 2009. I actually rented that lens for that trip. For about $130 I was able to take a $1,600 lens. If you search "lens rental", you'll get a number of reputable online rental companies that will carry Canon and Nikon for sure, and often other brands as well. I had it scheduled for delivery to our hotel in Seattle to start the trip, and then dropped it off at a FedEx office in Anchorage right before we headed to the airport. Saved the carrying it on the plane issues for that sized item. It's a great way to carry pro glass with a minimum hassle, and no $1000+ investment for a lens you might not use that often at home.

 

If you rent or purchase a lens for thtrip and your camera doesn't have in camera stablization (Canon and Nikon don't, Pentax and Sony do), make sure you get an IS (Canon)/OS (Sigma)/VR (Nikon) version because unless you use a tripod on land, trying to shoot sharp images handheld over 300mm can be very difficult if not impossible. If you have any other questions, let me know and I'll try and answer them.

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

L.J.

I have a Canon T2i with a few different lenses. I did consider renting, and like you, I cant afford $1000+ lenses for special trips, which is why I am considering just getting an extender. I will likely go the route of an extender and renting a pro size lens. :D Thanks for the IS tip, I hadn't thought much about it, but you are so right!! I know the more you zoom, the more shaky everything gets, especially on a moving boat! I'll also be shooting everything in RAW so I can edit and touchup in lightroom when I get home. I want those pictures looking as good as possible with the best lighting, and I've learned my lesson not shooting things in RAW!

I cant wait to see all the images you come back with after your trip in July!

I have a Canon T2i with a few different lenses. I did consider renting, and like you, I cant afford $1000+ lenses for special trips, which is why I am considering just getting an extender. I will likely go the route of an extender and renting a pro size lens. :D Thanks for the IS tip, I hadn't thought much about it, but you are so right!! I know the more you zoom, the more shaky everything gets, especially on a moving boat! I'll also be shooting everything in RAW so I can edit and touchup in lightroom when I get home. I want those pictures looking as good as possible with the best lighting, and I've learned my lesson not shooting things in RAW!

 

I cant wait to see all the images you come back with after your trip in July!

Sounds like a plan! Hopefully you'll be able to post some of yours before we head north July 6th. Before you purchase the extender, double check it'll work with the lenses you have. For example, if you have a 70/75-300mm zoom instead of a 300mm prime, they won't work together. If not, you can rent the extender along with the lens pretty cheap. Also, a 1.4x extender will cut your speed by a stop, a 2x by two full stops, making the IS that much more important. Here's a list of which lenses will work with the extender:

EF 135mm f/2L USM

EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM

EF 200mm f/1.8L USM

EF 200mm f/2L IS USM

EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM

EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM

EF 400mm f/4L DO IS USM

EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

EF 500mm f/4L IS USM

EF 600mm f/4L IS USM

EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM

EF 1200mm f/5.6L USM

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

EF 70-200mm f/4L USM

EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM

EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Have a great trip, and let me know how the whale watching goes - and what lens you rent:D!

L.J.

I have been following these boards since 2004 and have finally decited to post the truth after my first cruise last winter. To give you a little background of my family and self have been in alaska for over 2000 years. Yes that means I am Tlingit native and come from Glacier bay. My Tlingit name is TAWOOS-KA-DAI and have lived my entire life in Hoonah Alaska or the port of Icy Straight Point. The reason for getting on here is there are posts that are very misleading for alot of the tours. There are people that are in buisness that make bad posts to better there buisness. The one person you can belive in is Budget Queen because she is very opened minded and tells it the way it is. There is much talk about whales in Juneau or Icystraight Point. This is very easy to find out the truth. Go to Alaska NOAA and they will tell you the numbers of whales for the entire state of alaska. If you have any questions please ask and will give you the most true awnser i can. One other thing i dont understand is when operators say they are local that means they live in alaska year round. Thanks

TAWOOS-KA-DAI