Wonderful Whales and Wildlife Tour

Whale watching experience

What a great experience. Beautiful size boat so everyone can see at all times and a very experienced captain to find the best viewing. We’ll be doing it again next year.

via Tripadvisor

Wonderful whale tour by local McConnell Family!!

Wonderful day, arrangements, boat and guides! Teresa picked us up for the short van ride to Hoonah dock where Casey and his mate took over. We saw numerous humpbacks and even rare orcas/killer whales! We recommend you skip the cruise excursions in Icy Strait Point and book directly with Glacier Winds!

via Tripadvisor

Best whale watching in Icy Straight Point

This is such a great whale watching tour and the operators are top notch. Already planning the next trip as we cant wait to go again and again.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to post an excellent review for us! We’d love to see you again!

via Tripadvisor

Must do whale watching excursion in Icy Strait

We learned of this operator on a cruise vlog with ParoDeeJay. The owner who picked us up to shuttle us to the dock was so friendly and informative about the area. Her son was our boat captain and did an excellent job. This was our 2nd time to Icy Strait. The first time we saw whales though out the trip. On this journey we had to go out about one hour before we found the whales but that is wildlife for you. When we did see whales there was a whole pod of them and some got really close to view better. Our captain also made sure that we saw a group of sea lions and a raft of otters. The trip was so fun, the boat was great, and the staff were great. I would not hesitate to book with this company again. They were so much better that the trip we booked though our cruise line the first time we came to Icy Strait.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your review! We’re glad you got to see a lot of humpbacks and other wild critters, and that you had fun on the tour.

via Tripadvisor

Absolutely Spectacular — Glacier Wind Charters Is the Way to See Icy Strait!

I cannot recommend Glacier Wind Charters enough. From my very first interaction with Teresa during the booking process to the moment our tour ended, this was an incredibly personal, thoughtful, and truly spectacular experience. Glacier Wind is a small, family-run company, and that is a huge part of what makes it so special. Teresa is the matriarch of the family, and she and her husband spent years as educators before starting this company. Today, their two sons captain their beautiful, newer, incredibly well-equipped boats. Their knowledge of the area and wildlife is remarkable, but even more importantly, you can tell how much this entire family genuinely cares about every guest and the experience they provide. That care started before we even arrived in Hoonah. About a week before our trip, Teresa noticed in one of my emails that we had another tour scheduled immediately beforehand. She proactively contacted me and helped coordinate with the other tour operator so that our handoff would be smooth and we wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost or missing our whale tour. I didn’t ask her to do this—she simply noticed and took care of it. That tells you so much about the kind of company this is. And then there was the actual tour. WOW. We saw four orcas, including a BABY, which was absolutely incredible. Then came more humpback whales than I could possibly count, including TWO BREACHES! I have zero photographic evidence of those breaches because apparently my reflexes are nowhere near as fast as a humpback whale 😂, but seeing them happen in person was unforgettable. We also saw sea otters and, toward the end of our tour, two bears walking along the beach. Our captain was kind enough to stop so everyone had the opportunity to watch them and take pictures rather than simply rushing us back. Riley, our deckhand, was also great. He’s still learning, but he was respectful, helpful, fun, and clearly enthusiastic about being there. The entire crew made us feel welcome and cared for. One thing that really struck my husband and me happened while we were out on the water. We could see some of the enormous whale-watching boats carrying what looked like 100–200 people, and we literally looked at each other and said, “Thank goodness we didn’t do that.” There is simply no comparison. We weren’t part of a giant cattle herd trying to see wildlife with hundreds of other people. Being on a small, comfortable boat meant we could get a completely different experience—more personal attention, better opportunities to see the wildlife, and a crew that actually knew and cared about every person onboard. It felt intimate and special rather than mass-produced. Of course, wildlife is wildlife and no tour company can guarantee what you’re going to see on any particular day. We were incredibly fortunate with everything we saw, but what makes Glacier Wind special goes far beyond the number of whales you happen to encounter. It’s the knowledge, the beautiful boats, the small-group atmosphere, the personal attention, and a family that genuinely wants you to have an unforgettable day in their home. This was easily one of the highlights of our entire Alaska trip. If you’re visiting Icy Strait Point/Hoonah and trying to decide between one of the huge excursion boats and a small local operator, choose Glacier Wind Charters. We would book with them again without hesitation. An absolutely spectacular experience and an easy five stars!

Response from the operator: Thank you for the time you’ve taken to post this spectacular review! We appreciate all the details you’ve shared, it means so much to us.

via Tripadvisor