Icy straight point/ Hoonah whale watching?

[4cats,1dog]

Want to go on a whale watching tour in Hoonah.

Looking at: Misty Bay Lodge, Hoonah charter Adventures and Glacier Winds.

 

Which one does the best job? Active talkative captain? Nice boat? Snacks?

 

Has any of these companies do other tours combined with whale watching?

 

Are there bears to be seen the end of May in Hoonah?

 

Appreciate the feedback. Thanks

[frugaltravel]

Misty Bay Lodge and Glacier Winds get consistently positive reviews. FISHES also does. Teckk usually has at least 1 or 2 negative reviews a year on CC, but I don't recall seeing any this past season. Not sure about Hoonah Charter.

 

"best" is relative, so I am glad you qualified what you meant. I can only say I had a poor experience with Teckk and would personally never use them again.

 

Bears in Hoonah are billed as a bear "search" for good reason - you might (or might not) see them. Not like the 100% viewing for most fly-in bear tours. Basically you get what you pay for.

[Budget Queen]

I have had good tours with Teckk, and they do both whale watch and bear searches. But bear searches in May are overall too early, and likely not successful. June and later are more in season.

 

The only place that does have more sighting of bears in May is BC and Yukon out of Skagway. A car rental offers the most opportunity with a full day invested in looking.

[Italy52]

With regard to whale watching, I have gone with Glacier Wind and F.I.S.H.E.S. quite a few times and both vendors provided a good experience. I will be doing a B2B next June and have once again booked an excursion with each one.

 

Both vendors have snacks -- you might want to look at their websites for further detailed information about the captains, boats, etc.

[4cats,1dog]

My DH likes to talk! He thinks that he also has a sense of humor.

Which captain talks the most?

Which company is the most fun?

[Sea-level]

My DH likes to talk! He thinks that he also has a sense of humor.

Which captain talks the most?

Which company is the most fun?

 

I agree with Budget Queen about Teckk.

Although Teckk will at times leave a customer unhappy (with a occasional error), he does a good tour. So........

1. Keith (with Teckk) is a mighty fine talker........he can talk, yes.

2. Keith enjoys a good laugh

3. talks? *refer to 1.^

4. Fun...? Not sure, what's your pleasure?

 

But its hard to go wrong with your choices.

 

If May is your schedule, then you may see a bear on the beach while out whale watching. "Up close" is not a good definition here though if you see bear while on a boat but you will be safe for sure :-) .

Let me say that teckk probably has the best/successful "Bear search" of all land tours - he is a licensed Bear Guide I believe when he can fit a client in. Check out their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TECKK-Outfitters/199043773475516.

Keith's Dad is also a master hunter/ guide specializing in trophy Bear - but you won't do any bear hunting while on a tour but just so you know they know their stuff.

 

Of all the whale guides, FISHES is by FAR the most experienced. You might like his whale tour because he has a story for every inch of Icy Straits - after all, he is a fisherman too. Floyd knows his stuff.

 

Glacier Wind......grew up in Hoonah and is also well informed on the area. Nice people, nice boat. Prompt!

Misty Bay also excellent. Of all businesses they are the best equipped - boat, tour van(s). The Captain is a genuinely nice person.

[Aquahound]

Want to go on a whale watching tour in Hoonah.

Looking at: Misty Bay Lodge, Hoonah charter Adventures and Glacier Winds.

 

Which one does the best job? Active talkative captain? Nice boat? Snacks?

 

Has any of these companies do other tours combined with whale watching?

 

Are there bears to be seen the end of May in Hoonah?

 

Appreciate the feedback. Thanks

 

I can't give a fair comparison because I have only been on Misty Bay. However, I highly recommend them. The boat is very nice. It's a smooth riding catamaran, but what makes it real nice is a observation platform atop the pilot house. You can climb up there and get a better 360 degree view than most of the other private charters.

 

Captain Dan is a great talker. He's passionate about what he does, and he's great to talk to. His wife is a sweetheart as well and is a pleasure to talk to in the lodge.

[trophy_23]

I can't give a fair comparison because I have only been on Misty Bay. However, I highly recommend them. The boat is very nice. It's a smooth riding catamaran, but what makes it real nice is a observation platform atop the pilot house. You can climb up there and get a better 360 degree view than most of the other private charters.

 

Captain Dan is a great talker. He's passionate about what he does, and he's great to talk to. His wife is a sweetheart as well and is a pleasure to talk to in the lodge.

 

Agree'd! Also, can only comment on Misty Bay, but they did an excellent job. We happened to be the only ones booked with them so it was the two of us with Hope & Dan. Beautiful comfy boat, lots of great viewing space inside and out.

[SilkySal]

July will be our first trip to Alaska and have booked whale watching with Capt Shawn and Theresa of Glacier Winds!;) I have been chatting with Theresa off and on through their email and can't wait to meet them! She has been very helpful and informative with my many questions! We have a group of 8 and will split into 2 groups for the day, as they only take 6 guests at a time. Price was the same as a ship's tour with 30+ guests! No brainer there!:rolleyes:

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

I used Misty Bay in 2012 and will be going back on Misty bay in 2013. Hope and Dan are great. Dan will find the best place. All boats talk to each other. He even found a few bears off shore and we got a great view of them Whales were pleantful.

don't go on big boats with a few hundred people Misty bay has a limited of 6

[croosieloosie]

I went with Hoonah last June. I thought they were good. The boat was very nice.

[BridgettBardot]

We selected Glacier Wind Charters as we wanted a personal whale watching experience - away from a group of tourists. The smaller, but stable, boat also provided closer access to the whales. Teresa and Shawn are a warm, engaging couple who take pride in their business and the wonders of Alaska. As former educators, you'll learn a lot about the wildlife and life in Hoonah from Shawn and Teresa.

 

From my first inquiry about their services, to the arrival and onboarding, everything was clearly communicated and delivered. The boat was extremely well maintained and reflected Shawn's pride. We saw whales, eagles and bears - just like we hope we'd see.Teresa also was kind in remembering that on further travels through Alaska that we'd be going Halibut fishing and followed up by send us her favorite recipes. So thoughtful.

 

If you are seeking a great adventure "with local color", I highly recommend you book with Glacier Wind Charters. And those sentiments are repeatedly echoed by so many others in their reviews.

[JimAOk1945]

We took the Whale Watching/Bear tour through the Royal Caribbean cruise line when we went to Alaska in August 2012.

 

I will insert links to the pictures my wife took and made into slide shows for her website.

 

Although bears were not guaranteed, we saw two brown bears catching salmon. We saw a lot of whales on that part of the excursion.

 

Bear Watch at Icy Strait Point/Hoonah

 

We were very happy with both parts of the excursion. The guides were informative and interacted with everyone who had question. The both excursion groups were small enough that it was easy to get up close to the railings for good viewing.

 

Whale Watch at Icy Strait Point/Hoonah

[StarTrkGeek]

Want to go on a whale watching tour in Hoonah.

Looking at: Misty Bay Lodge, Hoonah charter Adventures and Glacier Winds.

 

Which one does the best job? Active talkative captain? Nice boat? Snacks?

 

Has any of these companies do other tours combined with whale watching?

 

Are there bears to be seen the end of May in Hoonah?

 

Appreciate the feedback. Thanks

May is NOT a good time to see whales and especially not a good time to see bears -- still too cold. The end of June through the end of July are the best times to see all kinds of wildlife.

Alan

Edited February 2, 2014 by StarTrkGeek

[karatemom2]

I must also give my glowing review for Glacier Wind Charters. They gave us the best excursion ever - a combined fishing and whale watching trip. We caught plenty of halibut and other types of rock fish and saw more whales then we could count. An absolutely perfect day in Alaska on the best boat with the best hosts in Shawn and Theresa that we could ever want. Whenever our itinerary takes us back to Hoonah, we will book with them again!

[travelbug11]

I had a negative experience with F.I.S.H.E.S in May a couple years ago. The weather was so bad, Floyd couldn't get out into the ocean. We couldn't see a thing except a few birds.

 

Under the circumstances I believe he shouldn't have taken us out that day.

 

For myself, I will try another vendor next time.

Edited February 2, 2014 by travelbug11

[Assateague Island Princes]

I'm a big fan of Misty Bay Lodge for both whale watching and bear viewing (if the time frame is suitable). Small 6 passenger boat, excellent captain, delicious snacks/beverages, comfortable inside and covered outside viewing areas as well as a cros nest on the top deck w/seating area if the weather cooperates. We went in early August in 2011 w/Capt. Dan of Misty Bay and were SO fortunate to see numerous instances of bubblenet feeding, breaching, and of course countless tails and humps - up close and personal! Enjoyed that excursion so much that I'll be doing it again this coming May - woo-hoo!:D

[moposh]

I'm a big fan of Misty Bay Lodge for both whale watching and bear viewing (if the time frame is suitable). Small 6 passenger boat, excellent captain, delicious snacks/beverages, comfortable inside and covered outside viewing areas as well as a cros nest on the top deck w/seating area if the weather cooperates. We went in early August in 2011 w/Capt. Dan of Misty Bay and were SO fortunate to see numerous instances of bubblenet feeding, breaching, and of course countless tails and humps - up close and personal! Enjoyed that excursion so much that I'll be doing it again this coming May - woo-hoo!:D

 

How much do they charge for the whale watching?

[Assateague Island Princes]

moposh - the cost per person is $170.40. Check out their website (just Google 'Misty Bay Lodge') to see the various excursion options they have available. To reach Capt. Dan's wife, Hope, via email it is danhopester@gmail.com. She can provide you with more information about their excursions or book you on a trip, if interested.

[moposh]

Thank you!

[moposh]

Do you need to tip? How much?

[Scubaqn]

I scheduled with Glacier Winds for June 2014. I believe that almost all of the current places you mentioned are comparable with one another, offering personalized service, small group, and an intimate tour. I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of them.

[olemissreb]

We went with Glacier Winds in June 2013. Sean and Teresa were wonderful! At first Sean took us to an area where all the cruise tours were and we all got to see some whales - mainly spouts and tails. Nothing very active. As the cruise tour boats started leaving, Sean took us to another area that he said was actually on the edge of Glacier Bay National Park and we were the only ones out there. We saw a baby whale breaching and playing. It was AWESOME. So exciting and we were the only ones out there to see it.

 

Sean though he saw a bear on our way back to the dock, but it ran into the woods before we got turned around to see it.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

You will not be sorry with Misty bay. we even saw a few bears. I am going again in 2014 (I posted 2013 was wrong) Saw a lot of different types of wales Dress WARM

 

 

Mary