7 Ketchikan Whale Watching Tours Worth the Early Start

1.Wildlife Viewing, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 812 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $178Our pick

Join Eagle One Enterprises for a 2.5-hour wildlife cruise from downtown Ketchikan. Guides Leanne, Jake, Theo, and Captain Brad search Tongass Narrows for humpbacks and orcas, with binoculars, blankets, hot drinks, snacks, and indoor and outdoor seating.

“The tour operator changed the time of the tour by an hour. I was never notified of the change. In fact the morning of the tour I received a reminder from Viator of the tour that listed the original tour time. The tour was an hour later. Had the operator moved it to an hour earlier I would have been a no show. We saw very little wildlife and zero whales. I understand that the tour operator can't guarantee whale sightings.”

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2.Orca Cove Sea Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 322 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $175Best value

Ride a fast boat from downtown Ketchikan to Orca Cove, then paddle 1.5 to 1.75 hours among rainforest islands and quiet coves. Guides such as Lucas, Matt, David, and AJ lead groups of up to six. Gear, dry bags, drinks, and smoked salmon are included.

“Amazing excursion, worth every penny for this experience, we ended up going out just 2 of us with Lucas as our guide who was very knowledgeable of the wildlife and surroundings went above and beyond taking great pics of us so we could just relax and enjoy our surroundings, on our way back at end of trip Devon even stopped and let us take some awesome video’s of a humpback he had spotted , recommend this trip , also lovely salmon dip made by Matt I polished off !”

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3.Private Ketchikan Fishing Combo & Whale Watching/ Wildlife 5 HR

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $700

Spend five private hours fishing Ketchikan’s calm waters for salmon, halibut, cod, and rockfish, with whale and wildlife viewing along the way. Captains Tony, Lukas, and Grayson are praised for helping beginners. Gear, bait, snacks, and water are included, but you’ll need a fishing license.

“Capt. Luke took my family out for a fantastic day of fishing..we tagged out in less than 2 hours…Great boat and equipment …I would highly recommend this charter!”

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4.Ketchikan: Marine Wildlife and Whale Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 24 reviews · 2h 30m · from $198

Cruise from central Ketchikan into Tongass Narrows and Nichols Passage for 150 minutes of whale and wildlife watching. Your English-speaking crew provides binoculars, blankets, hot drinks, snacks, and local stories while you search for humpbacks, killer whales, eagles, seals, sea lions, and seabirds.

“The captain and the guide were awesome. Knowledgeable and fun to be around.”

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5.Ketchikan: Orca Cove Fast Boat and Sea Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $198

Ride 20 minutes by fast boat from Ketchikan to Orca Cove, then spend 1.5 to 1.75 hours paddling among rainforest islands and quiet coves. Your English-speaking guide leads a group of no more than six, with gear, hot drinks, smoked salmon, hummus, vegan snacks, and Alaskan beer provided.

“Everything was excellent. They were also flexible, as my cruise ship was leaving before the tour ended. They kindly finished our tour early and took us to our ship. The service was truly wonderful.”

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6.Ketchikan Whale Watching and Nature Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews

Captain Scott takes your private group from Thomas Basin around Revillagigedo Island in a fast, enclosed boat. Look for humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, bears, otters, eagles, and more, with binoculars, snacks, and drinks provided.

“Captain Scott really made this trip. He has remarkable knowledge of the seas and bays in the area around Ketchikan and it paid off in whale sightings, porpoise sightings, seal sightings, bald eagle sightings and sea otter sightings. This trip had two couples. One person haRead more”

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7.Ketchikan Ultimate Whale Watching, Wildlife, & Wilderness Dining

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $599

Join a small private boat tour from Ketchikan with a Coast Guard certified captain, covered cabins, eagle feeding, whale and wildlife watching, wilderness dining, and a waterside view of Saxman Native Village and Totem Row.

“Grayson was a great guide. The weather was wonderful and the boat was beautiful! We would do this trip again anytime. Amazing.”

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