Hoonah: Icy Strait Whale Watch with Drone Filmography

The remarkable feature here is not simply finding humpback whales. It is seeing them from above through a powerful filmography drone, then taking the footage home. Captain Josh and crew search the inland waters around Hoonah for whales, orcas, sea lions, otters, bears, and birds.

I like the small boat, limited to 14 passengers, because you get a better view and a more personal outing than on a large cruise ship vessel. I also like the mix of live guiding, close observation from the water, and aerial video that shows the whole whale beneath the surface.

The main consideration is the price, $255 per person. That is not a casual shore excursion, and the boat cannot approach whales too closely. The drone adds a special view, but you still need patience, warm clothing, and a little luck with weather and animal behavior.

Key points to know before you book

• Drone footage is included: You receive a USB drive with aerial footage of the whales, other wildlife, and your group on the boat.
• Small-group setting: The private boat carries a maximum of 14 passengers, with outdoor viewing space and a warm, comfortable interior.
• Captain Josh leads the search: Josh and crew use their local knowledge to look for humpbacks, orcas, sea lions, otters, bears, porpoises, and eagles.
• Wildlife can be varied: Sightings have included bubble-net feeding, breaching whales, orcas, brown bears with cubs, and large groups of sea otters.
• Allow time for the dock transfer: The excursion includes transport between Icy Strait Point and the boat, with a 15-minute early check-in.
• Three hours on the water: This is long enough to spend meaningful time with a pod, but short enough to fit many cruise schedules.

Why the drone changes a standard whale watch

A normal whale watch gives you a memorable but often incomplete view. You may see a humpback’s back, a tail fluke, or a blow before the animal slips below the surface. The water-level view is exciting, but it can leave you guessing about what happened next.

The drone helps fill in that missing picture. From above, you may see the full whale swimming just below the surface, feeding, turning, or preparing to disappear. Bubble-net feeding is especially interesting from this angle, since the activity spreads across the water in a way that is hard to grasp from the side.

Captain Josh pilots the drone during the trip, and the crew shows footage while the boat moves from one area to another. That matters because you are not forced to choose between watching the sea and staring at a screen for the whole trip. You can keep your eyes on the water, then catch up with the aerial view between sightings.

The USB drive is a real benefit, not a throwaway extra. Your own camera may capture a blow or tail, but the drone footage can show the entire animal and the wider scene. It also includes video of passengers aboard the boat, so the keepsake is tied to your particular outing rather than being generic Alaska footage.

Leaving Icy Strait Point for Hoonah

The tour begins at Icy Strait Point, the cruise port near Hoonah. From the Adventure Dock, walk through the Adventure Center, exit through door number 2, and follow the signs along the gravel path to the Excursion Hub. The walk takes about six to eight minutes.

If your ship uses the Wilderness Dock, you have two choices. Walking to the Adventure Center takes about 25 minutes, or you can ride the Transporter Gondola, which takes about three minutes. From the Adventure Center, follow the signs to the Excursion Hub.

The included transfer is handled by Hoonah Travel Adventures. Look for their sign at the Excursion Hub and check in there. The bus ride to Hoonah takes about 15 minutes, followed by another 15-minute ride back after the boat trip.

Check in 15 minutes early. This is not the sort of excursion where arriving late only means waiting for the next group. The boat leaves on time, and cruise-port distances can be deceptive, especially if you are walking from the Wilderness Dock.

Three hours among Icy Strait wildlife

Once aboard, the focus shifts quickly to the water. Captain Josh searches the inland waters around Icy Strait for humpback whales and other wildlife. The trip is not limited to one target species, which gives the outing a broader feel than a simple whale-counting trip.

Humpbacks are the main attraction, and sightings have included groups of whales, breaches, tail slaps, and bubble-net feeding. Some outings have followed a pod for roughly 30 minutes, while others have begun slowly before the crew found more active animals.

That variation is worth understanding. Whales are wild animals, not performers on a schedule. The advertised success rate for finding whales is 100 percent, and the reported sightings are unusually strong, but no captain can promise a breach at a particular moment. The value of a good guide is not just finding animals. It is reading the conditions, explaining what you are seeing, and giving you the best chance to watch without rushing the moment.

Orcas are another major possibility. Sightings have included pods moving through the area alongside humpbacks. You might also see sea lions resting on a buoy or in the water, sea otters gathered in kelp, harbor seals, porpoises, bald eagles, kingfishers, jumping salmon, and brown bears along the shore.

Several outings have produced especially varied days, including a mother bear with cubs, an adult male bear, rare Risso’s dolphins, and a seal feeding on an octopus. You should not book expecting this entire list in one trip, but the range explains why the excursion feels like a general wildlife safari by boat rather than a single-species tour.

Captain Josh and the guiding style

Captain Josh is the central figure on the boat. He handles the search and explains the animals, the local ecosystem, and what the crew is watching for. Crew names have included Jamie, Andrew, Alex, Joel, and Josh’s family members, depending on the departure.

The strongest part of the guiding is the combination of practical information and enthusiasm. You learn why the crew is watching a particular patch of water, how they spot distant activity, and what clues suggest a whale may surface again. That context makes quiet stretches more interesting.

The crew also takes safety seriously. The boat does not approach whales too closely, and you should expect to view some animals from a respectful distance. The drone provides the closer visual connection without requiring the boat to crowd the wildlife.

That balance matters. A good wildlife trip should give you a thrilling view without treating animals like scenery arranged for a photograph. The guides work to give you time with the animals while keeping the boat at an appropriate distance.

A comfortable boat with room to watch

The boat is limited to 14 passengers, although one family outing reported a group of about 15. Other departures had only 10 people or a group of roughly 20 including crew, so the exact feel may vary. The stated passenger limit of 14 is the useful figure to plan around.

A smaller boat gives you a better chance of finding an open viewing spot. You can use the outdoor space to take your own pictures, while the interior provides shelter when the weather turns cold or wet. The boat has been described as warm and comfortable, an important detail in Southeast Alaska, where drizzle can arrive even during a successful wildlife outing.

You should still dress for a cool ride. The information provided does not specify a clothing list, so bring practical layers and rain protection rather than relying on a mild forecast at the dock. Three hours on open water can feel much colder than three hours ashore.

The boat setup has also worked for mixed-age groups. One family ranging from age seven to 70-plus enjoyed the outing, and the crew helped a passenger who uses a wheelchair get to and from the boat with assistance from the group. That is encouraging, but the tour does not provide a formal accessibility specification, so contact the operator before booking if mobility access is important.

What the price includes at $255

At $255 per person, this is more expensive than a basic sightseeing ride, but the comparison should not stop at the boat time. The price includes round-trip transport from the cruise dock, a three-hour private-boat wildlife trip, snacks and soft drinks, drone filming, and a USB drive with footage from that day.

The small group adds value. On a large vessel, you may spend much of the trip looking over several rows of heads or waiting for room at the rail. Here, a maximum of 14 passengers gives the outing a more personal feel and makes it easier to hear the guide.

The USB footage is the feature that most clearly separates this trip from a standard whale watch. You are paying for an unusual way to see the animals and for a record of your own departure. If the aerial film is important to you, the price is easier to justify.

If you mainly want to get on the water for the lowest possible cost, this may not be your best choice. The tour makes more sense for someone who values a small group, active guiding, a broad range of wildlife, and a lasting video souvenir.

Timing the excursion around your cruise

The total activity takes three hours, including the boat portion and the bus rides between Icy Strait Point and Hoonah. You need to add walking time within the port area and arrive 15 minutes before departure.

That makes the tour workable for many cruise schedules, but you should compare the start and return times carefully with your ship’s all-aboard time. The included transfer reduces the hassle, yet wildlife trips can sometimes spend extra time locating animals. Do not plan a tight independent activity immediately after this tour.

The pickup point is the Excursion Hub, not necessarily the place where your ship’s tender or gangway meets the port. From the Adventure Dock, the walk is simple. From the Wilderness Dock, allow more time or use the gondola.

The operator offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and allows you to reserve now and pay later. Those terms help if your cruise schedule is still changing, but the most important practical step is still checking the departure time before you commit.

Wildlife highlights you might see

Humpback whales are the main reason to book, and the area has produced repeated sightings of active pods. You might see a whale surface, show its tail, breach, or feed in a bubble net. From the boat, keep your camera ready, but do not spend the entire trip looking through a small screen.

Orcas can turn a good outing into a remarkable one. Several trips have followed pods, sometimes alongside humpbacks. Their appearance is never guaranteed as a specific part of your departure, so treat them as a valuable possibility rather than a promise.

Sea otters are often a delight at close viewing distance. Groups have been seen floating in kelp, including one report of around 100 animals. Sea lions may gather on buoys or in the water, and seals can appear near the boat or along the shore.

Bears are another possibility, especially around the edges of the water. The crew has found brown bears on the beach, including a mother with cubs and a male. You may need binoculars to see a bear clearly from the boat, but the drone footage can provide a much better record if the crew films it.

Birdlife adds interest during quieter whale periods. Bald eagles, kingfishers, and other birds have been seen, along with jumping salmon and porpoises. This wider mix is one reason I would choose the trip even if your main goal is humpbacks.

Who will get the most from this trip

I would recommend this tour most strongly to you if you want more than a quick photo of a whale’s tail. The aerial filming, small boat, and active guiding suit families, photographers, wildlife fans, and anyone marking a special Alaska trip.

It is also a good choice for a family group with different interests. Children can watch the drone view, adults can listen to the guide, and everyone has a chance to look for wildlife from the boat. The footage gives younger passengers a way to understand what the whale was doing below the surface.

You may prefer a larger cruise ship excursion if you want a more standardized operation, a larger cabin-like vessel, or the simplest possible boarding process. You may also want to skip it if you dislike cold boat rides or expect guaranteed close approaches.

Should you book the Hoonah whale watch?

I would book this tour if the $255 price fits your budget and the drone footage matters to you. The combination of Captain Josh’s searching, a maximum of 14 passengers, broad wildlife possibilities, and a USB keepsake gives you something more personal than a basic whale watch.

Go in with realistic expectations. The boat follows wildlife rules and cannot crowd whales, weather can change, and no one can control where an animal surfaces. But the drone helps solve the biggest weakness of water-level viewing, and the trip has produced whales, orcas, sea lions, otters, bears, eagles, and porpoises across the season.

For a cruise stop at Icy Strait Point, this is a strong choice for an intimate wildlife outing with a genuinely unusual visual feature. Arrive early, dress warmly, keep your schedule sensible, and let the crew do the searching.

FAQ

How long is the Hoonah whale-watching tour?

The excursion lasts three hours. It includes transport from Icy Strait Point to Hoonah, the boat trip, and transport back to Icy Strait Point. Each bus ride takes about 15 minutes.

Where do I meet the tour?

Meet at the Excursion Hub at Icy Strait Point. From the Adventure Dock, walk through the Adventure Center, exit through door number 2, and follow the signs along the gravel path. Check in with Hoonah Travel Adventures, which provides the round-trip transport.

How many people can ride on the boat?

The private boat has a maximum capacity of 14 passengers. The small group gives you more room to watch wildlife than a large vessel generally allows.

Is drone footage included?

Yes. The crew films whales, other wildlife, and passengers from above, then provides footage from that day on a USB drive at the end of the tour.

What animals might I see?

Possible sightings include humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, brown bears, porpoises, bald eagles, kingfishers, and salmon. Wildlife sightings are not individually guaranteed, although the tour states a 100 percent success rate at finding whales.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The booking option also allows you to reserve your place and pay later.