Juneau Kayaking with Whales Excursion

Description

• Air-conditioned and licensed round-trip transportation from your Juneau cruise pier area!
• English-speaking certified shore excursion guides!
• Van transfer to the base camp!
• Round-trip motorboat cruise to the Channel Islands State Marine Park!
• Scenic wildlife and whale watching cruise!
• Use of shared, two-person kayak, paddling gear, and dry bags!
• Rain gear: hooded jacket, rubber boots, and pants!
• State Marine Park permits!
• Complimentary bottled water and a healthy snack!
• Escape the cruise ship shore excursion crowds and enjoy the unique sights of Juneau and the surrounding area!
  

If you love adventure and unique, new things, kayaking with whales excursion is "THE" excursion for you. A guided paddle to the feeding grounds of the migrating humpback whales for a unique whale-watching adventure. 

After meeting your guide close to your Juneau cruise terminal, you'll head out in your comfortable transportation to the dock located approximately 45 minutes away. Here you'll be given safety instructions and outfitted with weather gear for your adventure. Then you'll hop on the 6-passenger motorboat for a 1.5-hour cruise, that will take you to the kayaks and the whale feeding area.

Traveling up the Inside Passage of Gastineau Channel, you'll see the wilderness and beauty of Alaska. The captain will point out the indigenous fauna as you head to the Channel Islands State Marine Park where the richest humpback whale feeding ground in the state is located. Each year the whales return to the area, including those with their newly born calves, to feed on the multitude of fish in these waters.

Here, they replenish from their travels to the Baja Mexico area where the calves are born and mating occurs. The whales will stock up on food to put on enough fat to last them for the return trip south again. Your guide will explain the whole migration process and help you spot whales. No worries, your boat captain and guide will keep you at a safe and legal distance to observe but not intrude on the whales. You might be lucky enough to witness the famous "bubble feeding" where whales will team together to use their blowholes to create a curtain of bubbles around krill, anchovies, cod, sardines, mackerel, and other types of schooling fish. Then once they have a high concentration of food "trapped" by the bubble curtain in one small area they usually come up from the bottom with mouths open as they break the surface of the water scooping up their meal.

A rich variety of fauna makes this area their home so be on the lookout for orcas, sea lions, porpoises, many bird species, eagles, seals, and, of course, humpback whales. During the cruise, you can enjoy local Juneau snacks. Keep your cameras ready to capture the action!

The boat will pull up on a remote beach where you'll find your kayaks. Before you set off you'll be given instructions on how to paddle the kayak plus safety tips. Then into your life jackets and off across the water in 2-person kayaks for about 1.5-2-hours depending on weather conditions and guests' ability. Both your boat captain and kayak guides will give you the history of the area plus point out the various wildlife along the way. As this is a show put on by Mother Nature, you never know who will "perform" that day. Take in the beauty of the glaciers, snow-capped peaks of the mountains like Mount Roberts, and forest-covered hills.  

At the end of your kayaking adventure, you'll return to the beach to board the motorboat again to return to the dock and then back to your Juneau cruise terminal.

What is included?

• Air-conditioned and licensed round-trip transportation from your Juneau cruise pier area
  
• English-speaking certified guides
  
• Van transfer to the base camp
  
• Round-trip motorboat cruise to the Channel Islands State Marine Park
• Scenic Wildlife and Whale Watching Cruise
• Use of a two-person kayak, paddling gear, and dry bags
• Rain gear: hooded jacket, rubber boots, and pants
• State Marine Park permits
• Complimentary bottled water and a healthy snack
  
• Escape the cruise ship shore excursion crowds and enjoy the unique sights of Juneau and the surrounding area

Excursion Notes

• Excursion prices shown include all taxes and fees.
  
• Guests must be able to climb in/out of the kayak.
  
• Basic restrooms are available.
  
• Please be advised that whale or wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.
• The Marine Mammal regulations require anybody to remain at least 100 yards from wildlife.
• If a guest cannot keep up with the pace of the group, another employee will be dispatched to assist you. Additional cost for this is approximately $250.00 P/P and will need to be paid by guest(s) upon return to the base camp.
• We suggest bringing a zip-tight bag for cameras and other items that might get splashed during the paddling.
  
• We recommend wearing layers with the top layer being waterproof. 
• We suggest you have cash on hand for refreshments, excursion staff gratuities, shopping, etc.
  
• Please pay attention to the restrictions and requirements for this excursion, no refund will be granted if shore excursion requirements are not met.
  
• Please bring/wear a T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, an insulating layer (i.e. fleece jacket), gloves (fleece liner type), warm hat, sunglasses, long underwear (weather dependent), pair of socks (for wearing in rubber boots), sun hat (weather dependent), sunscreen, bug repellent, camera, extra snacks, and binoculars.
  
• There is a minimum of 2 participants needed to run the excursion.

Where we meet

For this Juneau Kayak with Whales Excursion, you will meet your local excursion guide close to all of the Juneau piers. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket.

Excursion Restrictions

• This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.
• Guests must be in good enough shape to paddle for up to 2 hours.
• The kayaks accommodate a maximum torso (waist-chest) diameter of 55in (140cm)
• The maximum weight per kayak is 600 lbs (272 kg).
• All guests must sign a waiver.
• Pregnant women and guests with any neck, back, or leg ailments, those who are not in very good physical condition may not participate in this excursion.
• This Juneau Kayaking with Whales Excursion may involve risks. We suggest you check with your elected person of choice to see if these possible risks might affect you.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.