Went out with Captain Duane and he was just awesome at getting us to the whales. We had a “whale” of a time 🙂 All kidding aside, Duane was excellent at getting us to the whales, anticipating where the whales were going to surface. Although one time we were expecting one to surface in front of us and all of a sudden he pops up right behind us. It was just spectacular. This was definitely the highlight of our trip – being able to see the whales up close unlike the big boats thru the cruise line. Another family member chose the cruise line excursion and was highly disappointed after hearing about our adventure and seeing our pictures. She was never able to get to the rail to get a good view and they never ventured close like we were able to. My brother-in-law and two nieces were on the other boat with Colleen and they had an equally fabulous time with her – we could wave to each other!

I highly, highly recommend Duane & Colleen for a whale watching tour out of Icy Strait Point. And if you do go with Duane, tell him the folks from Texas are still talking about his “smoked salmon”!!!

Colleen made our whale watching experience awesome! We saw a humpback bubble feeding right where we got into the boat and hung out with him for a while before heading out to find more whales. The trip was nothing short of amazing. Private, low-key, nobody around (perfect after a few days on a cruise ship)… just us and nature. We would spot some wildlife and boat over to get a closer view. Colleen was so friendly and knowledgeable. If you are planning to whale watch at Icy Strait, book with Icy Strait Whale Adventures. You will not be disappointed!

We booked with Captain Colleen for the private whale watching excursion and were not disappointed. We were picked up outside the gates of Icy Strait and headed to her watercraft the “Monkey” in Hoonah. The entire experience was top rate. She put us on the whales and we were awed by their massive size and the majestic views of the distant mountains of Glacier Bay. We chose to stay with the first couple of whales we found, although Captain Colleen offered to take us elsewhere. The trip was relaxing, she had drinks and snacks for us and was the perfect hostess. As we were preparing to return to port, the ships whale excursion approached our area, a double decker boat with at least 100-150 people on it. We were so happy to be on this small boat with a capacity of 6. Captain Colleen talked to us about her life as a cruise ship captain and living in Icy Strait and we left feeling like we had a new friend. We wouldn’t book with anyone else.

My wife and I, along with one other couple, enjoyed our whale watching experience with our boat “Captain” Colleen Hickman. Not only did she provide me with a very detailed instruction e-mail, she arrived early, picked us up on time, boarded her small motor boat, and off we went! What a friendly and personable individual Colleen was. It was quite evident that Colleen was an experienced individual who “knew” where her whales were located at and she certainly did not disappoint any of us. Her boat was clean, well maintained and fast. Fortunately for us, we directly coordinated with this company rather than going through the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Her boat was able to maneuver and go places that much larger boats which would hold 50+ people could not. This was a huge plus! We saw lots of whales and we had a blast. The scenery surrounding Icy Strait Point is breath taking. Insure that you take your cameras!

Please give serious consideration of selecting Icy Strait Whale Adventures for your whale watching experience.

Profound!!! And I don’t use the word profound very lightly. Seeing 19 Humpback whales for a couple of hours frolicking and eating and just BEING whales! Oh my. My wife and I keep saying “Oh Wow” even two months later! Our cruise was an amazing trip topped off by seeing the whales! If you have never seen whales this is well worth it. Our Native American guide was wonderful and answered all questions. he was insightful and well armed with a sense of humor and an absolute reverence for what he saw and shared with us all.

Icy Straight has some of the best and most humpbacks you will see. We saw 66 different whales, many doing tail slaps. This is the second time here and I will always go on this attraction.

Excellent trip. Saw whales breaching and circle fishing. Very cool! Our tour narrator was extremely helpful. He pointed out quite a lot of wildlife that I would have missed. Eagles, seals, etc. The best though, was the whales. We say quite a few of them.

Captain Colleen was our guide for the morning for our party of 6. Communication with her was great leading up to the tour. She met us at the cruise ship pier promptly as promised and took our party of six to her boat. I am so glad that we choose a “private” tour instead of the cruise ship excursion. Although I was a bit daunted by the smaller size of the boat as we approached it on the pier, I was so happy once we were on it that it was smaller. We were able to get close to shore on the smaller vessel which allowed us some very close viewing of the whales and a seal. An amazing experience that I will never forget!

We were lucky to have been on the new “big boat”. The boat isn’t too big – just right. Plenty of room inside and out with huge windows that open to allow great viewing from the protected inside. Captain Duane was in charge of getting us to the whales. We started right away in the “no wake” zone with a humpback feeding. It was the perfect start! (They really mean it when they guarantee you’ll see whale – first 10 mins on the boat!)
Capt Duane took the time to spot and stop – follow and stay with the action. He was very respectful of the whale, the passengers, and other boats as well. We were provided complementary soda, water, and chips. We could bring aboard any of our own snacks as well. So glad we booked this excursion – even the reservation and booking process was easy. Can’t wait to go back again!

My family just got back from Alaskan cruise. It was great, but I have to say you should book excursions on your own instead of through cruise line. We did this excursion & it was great – there was not a 100 people squished in a boat trying to get a view of whales. There were only 14 people on a beautiful boat, clear views no matter where you were. It was a great experience! Capt. Duane was right there when we got off ship to greet us. Highly recommend.