Alaska Sea to Shore — Local services in Juneau

We were so thrilled and blessed to have spent time on the water with the Alaska Sea to Shore folks whose love of Alaska shines through! Renee met us at the port after we disembarked the Princess Sapphire and from the moment she welcomed us into the van, couldn't have wished for a more compassionate, informative, and nature-loving guide! We drove the short distance to the marina where their charter boat is located (named after Renee's daughter!) and were soon off an spotting our first humpback whale (after spying many bald eagles by land and by sea). Captain Luke was aboard that day and navigated the waters flawlessly, finding spot after spot for us to observe these majestic creatures in their home without disturbance. The comforts aboard are likely all Renee's touches, and were perfect. Cookies, binoculars, comfortable seating indoors and out. Both were top notch naturalists who didn't hesitate to help us learn more about the sea life in Alaska, the humpback whales in the area and even had a nice resource book with photo identification and short bios, even names! We had a family ranging from 13 to 75 and all really enjoyed the trip. We saw spouts, flipper flapping, full and partial breaches, even listened to their calls with a nifty speaker hook up! Many of the other reviews are spot on, the welcoming to Juneau, the ability to teach us so much about the wildlife and show us in a short period of time really made our trip to Alaska so special. (Yes, there is a loo on board for those who want to know!) Like their website touts, you will feel like you are on a boat trip with friends. In a heartbeat, you want to see whales in Juneau...

I thoroughly recommend booking a trip with Alaska Sea to Shore! I joined them on a 3-hr. excursion yesterday that included an unforgettable time with orcas and Dall’s porpoises, and a stunning rainforest walk on one of the many islands in the tour area. It was all magical! I have done a lot of whale and wildlife viewing trips in my life and the Alaska Sea to Shore vessel, Captain Winston, and Naturalist Renee, are truly the dream package. The vessel is spacious, offers easy viewing from inside, at the stern, and from the bow. The fact that the vessel also has a drop-down bow, and allows for shore explorations adds a whole new, special dimension to the trip. And, well, Winston and Renee are just fabulous. Their decades of experience working on boats (in Southeast Alaska and around the world) means they have a wealth of knowledge, passion, and stories to share. This is a perfect Juneau excursion for a small group of friends or a family. Book this trip now—you...

Renee picked our family group of 11 up right from the port. She communicated with us via text before the day of our arrival, so there would be no antsy confusion when we got to Juneau. Then she drove us all to the pier that Winston and their boat were docked at. The both of them were so informative about the whales, and it was an absolute joy watching Renee get so excited over which whales we were seeing. She was able to compare their tails in a book, so they could identify everyone. We were absolutely blessed to see 11 whales while they drove us around on the water, including 2 mamas and their calves (Bullethole& Sasha). On top of their incredible knowledge and generosity, Renee sent us the photos she captured of the whales with her professional camera after we left. What memories we made because of this awesome opportunity! Thanks...