Evening Wildlife Expedition in Haines

[karatemom2]

We are contemplating this excursion for our upcoming Alaska cruise. We usually prefer to do our own excursions, but are traveling with my sister and brother-in-law who aren't quite as adventurous. They prefer ship excursions.

 

I would love to get feedback from those who have actually gone on this particular excursion or the daytime equivalent.

[Budget Queen]

This is a poor choice, IF wildlife is why you are going??? Very low sighting stats, and eagles which aren't in the numbers of past the cruise season, are seen all over Alaska without a costly tour.

[sherryf]

This is a poor choice, IF wildlife is why you are going??? Very low sighting stats, and eagles which aren't in the numbers of past the cruise season, are seen all over Alaska without a costly tour.

 

We were considering this too, but perhaps not, if you don't like it. So, what IS a good choice for wildlife? We are also considering a couple of Eagle Preserve excursions, either jet boat or float. Have read that the float is better, but the timing of the jet boat one might fit our schedule better. What about the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary trip out of Ketchikan?

[karatemom2]

We were considering this too, but perhaps not, if you don't like it. So, what IS a good choice for wildlife? We are also considering a couple of Eagle Preserve excursions, either jet boat or float. Have read that the float is better, but the timing of the jet boat one might fit our schedule better. What about the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary trip out of Ketchikan?

 

I would think the jet boat would scare away any wildlife so I wouldn't opt for that. We are also considering the float trip. We have friends who did that excursion last year and were very happy. They did see a couple of moose and lots of eagles and some other small wildlife on the tour. My in-laws aren't too keen on the boat idea though, which is why I was considering the other option.

 

BQ, thanks for your feedback. I will have to really think this one through. I would still love to hear any comments from someone who has taken the tour.

[Budget Queen]

We were considering this too, but perhaps not, if you don't like it. So, what IS a good choice for wildlife? We are also considering a couple of Eagle Preserve excursions, either jet boat or float. Have read that the float is better, but the timing of the jet boat one might fit our schedule better. What about the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary trip out of Ketchikan?

 

IF wildlife is indeed your priority then these are all, overall poor choices to consider. Wildlife is very likely seen on the whale watches and fly in bear tours. All others, are WAY down the pole for sighting stats. IF you are going interior Alaska, then "musts" are Kenai Fjords via boat tour, and getting INTO Denali Park.

 

 

Think about it- a jet boat is big noise. The cruise season is OUT of season for the Haines eagles where are way after the season ends. As I have already mentioned, eagles are all over Alaska. IF You take the time to look, they will frequently be seen- for free. :)

 

The float trip on the Chilkoot River is very good, for scenery. Expect nothing more.

[sherryf]

IF wildlife is indeed your priority then these are all, overall poor choices to consider. Wildlife is very likely seen on the whale watches and fly in bear tours. All others, are WAY down the pole for sighting stats. IF you are going interior Alaska, then "musts" are Kenai Fjords via boat tour, and getting INTO Denali Park.

 

Think about it- a jet boat is big noise. The cruise season is OUT of season for the Haines eagles where are way after the season ends. As I have already mentioned, eagles are all over Alaska. IF You take the time to look, they will frequently be seen- for free. :)

 

The float trip on the Chilkoot River is very good, for scenery. Expect nothing more.

 

Eagles are not our top priority. We know we can see them elsewhere in AK and often do see them at home. Moose are high on my husband's list, but I think our chances are low without an interior tour. We'd like to see bears, but can't afford the fly-in tours. I guess we are looking for a decent chance at seeing wildlife of some sort, with a good, scenic experience.

[whale-watcher]

We took a daytime version of this tour a few years ago...the focus was birding and general nature (botany, ecosystems). The guides were good and the scenery was pleasant. We saw moose droppings and tracks, but no actual animals. We did see a nice variety of birds (not just eagles, this was a general birding tour and we stopped to look at everything). We found it to be an enjoyable excursion, but we are birders and botany buffs and enjoy this sort of thing; I am not sure the average tourist would agree.

[Budget Queen]

Moose are high on my husband's list, but I think our chances are low without an interior tour. We'd like to see bears, but can't afford the fly-in tours. I guess we are looking for a decent chance at seeing wildlife of some sort, with a good, scenic experience.

 

Sorry, these tour selections aren't going to cut it with any "decent" wildlife priority. Moose is VERY rare Inside Passage, I've only seen one, once. Bears are going to be PURE chance, without a tour.

[karatemom2]

Just giving this a bump to see if I can find anyone to comment who has actually done this excursion during the day or evening.

[oldmama]

I took this excursion last Sept & was disappointed. The guides were very nice & knowledgeable, but this should be advertised as a nature walk. We went by bus through Haines & along the waterfront, seeing eagles & other birds, then stopped at a lake, seeing trout consistently jumping out of the water, which was curious. We then went on an easy walk through the woods, with the guide telling us about the trees & variety of lichens, but no wildlife. Then we got back on the bus & drove up & down along side a river looking for bear, but only saw lots of dying salmon & an eagle or two. The company had spotters in a van going up & down the river, but no luck. If I were a bear & heard the loud bus, I would not show either. I would take a different excursion if wildlife is a priority. On a river float in Kenai, we saw a moose & a bear in the river, & driving to Emerald Lake this May we saw a bear & a mountain goat with her 2 kids, but I know this was just great luck, too. Seeing wildlife is just by chance unless going to Denali.

[Budget Queen]

Just giving this a bump to see if I can find anyone to comment who has actually done this excursion during the day or evening.

 

I have been to Haines several times. Where these tours go, you can drive to, which I have. I've also done the float, and jet boat trips. This information given to you is consistant over many years. NONE of the "wildlife" tours here are good choices- for that priority. It's a very scenic area, quaint, layed back.

[karatemom2]

Thanks for all of the feedback. At least I will have realistic expectations. We really want to go to Haines and with our morning plans the day we are in Skagway I feel a bit more comfortable booking through the ship. I have been on wildlife tours before when we saw little to no wildlife and it was still worthwhile for the gorgeous scenery alone so I will go with the expectation of seeing the beauty of Haines and any wildlife we happen to spot will be a bonus.

[whale-watcher]

I agree with the above posts. If you will be content looking at small songbirds and interesting plants and learning a bit about the natural history of the area, you will probably enjoy the excursion. If your goal is to see big game (moose, bear) then you will not.

[whale-watcher]

Thanks for all of the feedback. At least I will have realistic expectations. We really want to go to Haines and with our morning plans the day we are in Skagway I feel a bit more comfortable booking through the ship. I have been on wildlife tours before when we saw little to no wildlife and it was still worthwhile for the gorgeous scenery alone so I will go with the expectation of seeing the beauty of Haines and any wildlife we happen to spot will be a bonus.

bring along your binoculars and enjoy whatever birds you happen to find...we saw several species of warblers, hummingbirds, a variety of waterfowl, and heard quite a few other species. Also some some interesting wildflowers and plants. The guides were good, and we felt it was an enjoyable (if low-keyed) morning. The group was small, which was a plus. Haines was (IMO) a refreshing alternative to Skagway.

[skierT]

what will be a good guide book for birds in Alaska, especially for inside passage?

[K D cruiser]

I've booked this excursion for our August 21 Diamond cruise. Please post a review of this excursion when you return. That would give me time to cancel if it's really not good. We've been to Skagway before and wanted to take the ferry to Haines, but the times did not work out. We're mostly interested in the boat ride and scenery and if we get to see some wildlife, that would be a plus.

[karatemom2]

I've booked this excursion for our August 21 Diamond cruise. Please post a review of this excursion when you return. That would give me time to cancel if it's really not good. We've been to Skagway before and wanted to take the ferry to Haines, but the times did not work out. We're mostly interested in the boat ride and scenery and if we get to see some wildlife, that would be a plus.

 

I'll be happy to! I love the Diamond. We were on the Diamond last summer for B2B cruises and it was great. We were scheduled to do the ferry to Haines on our second Skagway port day, but my daughter was not feeling well so we ended up staying in town. We are really looking forward to having a chance to go to Haines this year!

[K D cruiser]

Thank you so much. We fly to Anchorage August 15 to start our cruisetour so I'll be watching for your review. Have a wonderful cruise.

[whale-watcher]

what will be a good guide book for birds in Alaska, especially for inside passage?

 

depends what you are looking for. Any north american field guide covering the western USA should be good for SE AK as well. The Sibley guide is my personal favorite, but it is very detailed and the amount of information can be overwhelming for casual birders. I tend to avoid more limited field guides that only show a selection of the more common species, as you are likely to see birds that are not illustrated (and that can be frustrating).

 

If you are a serious birder, then you might want to invest in the following bird finding guide:

 

http://www.aba.org/siteguides/ak.html

[karatemom2]

Since I started this thread I thought it would be nice to come back and give a review or our Evening Wildlife Excursion in Haines last week. I have to say I am so very glad we went ahead and booked this excursion despite any misgivings I might have had. After reading reports here, I simply decided that I would go into the experience viewing wildlife as a bonus, but I could not have predicted what a wonderful bonus it would be.

 

The ferry ride from Skagway to Haines provides some really beautiful scenery and a closer experience than you get cruising the Lynn Canal in a large ship. Once we got to Haines we boarded buses and headed out to Chilkat Lake. The scenery along the way is gorgeous and our guide provided lots of great commentary. Once we arrived at Chilkat Lake we started upon a nature hike, but within a few minutes a mother brown bear and her two cubs walked right by us and down to the lake where we were able to watch the mama bear catch salmon for a good 20 to 30 minutes before she and the cubs walked right back in front of our group across the street and up into the forest where she lingered for a bit eating berries. It was absolutely the most thrilling wildlife viewing experience I have ever had. In addition, we still had our nature walk through the lush rainforest, saw eagles, and a variety of other birds as well as salmon. If that wasn't enough we took a drive through Haines and by Fort Seward with some interesting narration about the town and then back for another scenic ride aboard the ferry.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful excursion and I'm so glad that I didn't miss out on such an amazing experience!

[K D cruiser]

Thank you so much for posting. I've beeen waiting for your review and I'm so glad you enjoyed this excursion. We leave Sunday for Anchorage for our 13 day cruisetour. I hope we see as much wildlife as you did, but, like you, will just be happy with the catamaran boat ride and scenic hike and consider any wildlife sighting to be a bonus. Thanks again.

[ColoCruze]

How lucky you were to have such an amazing sighting!!

 

We're doing the daytime version of this excursion in September, and I'm approaching it the same way you did...as a beautiful and informative nature walk. Any wildlife sightings will be icing on the cake. (I can't imagine we'll have as much icing as you did! :) )

[karatemom2]

Here are a couple of the photos we took that day:

 

 

[luvSClake]

Since I started this thread I thought it would be nice to come back and give a review or our Evening Wildlife Excursion in Haines last week. I have to say I am so very glad we went ahead and booked this excursion despite any misgivings I might have had. After reading reports here, I simply decided that I would go into the experience viewing wildlife as a bonus, but I could not have predicted what a wonderful bonus it would be.

 

The ferry ride from Skagway to Haines provides some really beautiful scenery and a closer experience than you get cruising the Lynn Canal in a large ship. Once we got to Haines we boarded buses and headed out to Chilkat Lake. The scenery along the way is gorgeous and our guide provided lots of great commentary. Once we arrived at Chilkat Lake we started upon a nature hike, but within a few minutes a mother brown bear and her two cubs walked right by us and down to the lake where we were able to watch the mama bear catch salmon for a good 20 to 30 minutes before she and the cubs walked right back in front of our group across the street and up into the forest where she lingered for a bit eating berries. It was absolutely the most thrilling wildlife viewing experience I have ever had. In addition, we still had our nature walk through the lush rainforest, saw eagles, and a variety of other birds as well as salmon. If that wasn't enough we took a drive through Haines and by Fort Seward with some interesting narration about the town and then back for another scenic ride aboard the ferry.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful excursion and I'm so glad that I didn't miss out on such an amazing experience!

 

We are considering this excursion for our stop in Skagway along with the White Pass Train ride up and back or doing one of the Chilcoot tours train/bus to the Yukon or to Lake Bennet. Our cruise is mid-August Any recommendations?

[Budget Queen]

We are considering this excursion for our stop in Skagway along with the White Pass Train ride up and back or doing one of the Chilcoot tours train/bus to the Yukon or to Lake Bennet. Our cruise is mid-August Any recommendations?

 

Mid August is, overall a little too early - on average, for a lot of wildlife viewing success, in Haines. There is no way to predict, but, I would suggest late booking depending on the current reports.

 

I was in Haines last year, and had the sighting of one brown bear, did get to view it for over 30 minutes, which was excellent. My nephews and I hiked for about 1 1/2 hours with no further wildlife sightings. I know the areas and enjoyed the wonderful scenery that this area is noted for. Haines has one of the latest salmon runs, so it definitely wasn't peak by any stretch. (did have a peak salmon ladder view in Juneau with more salmon than water :) ) I did also drive up to the Yukon, and drove all the way back in toward Porcupine Mine.

 

Eagles are seen everywhere in Alaska. I always have my binoculars with me.