(Last Updated On: June 26, 2022)If you really want to see wildlife, A Whale’s Song Expeditions offers the best wildlife cruise in Sitka, Alaska.
All Whale’s Song tours include a comfortable and well-equipped boat with a knowledgeable and personable captain, a professional naturalist/photographer, and a hydrophone (so you can hear the whales communicate with each other). That sets the stage for a fabulous day out on the water — even without whales.
But let me back up for a moment.
I was pretty apprehensive as I waited to board Cat Daddy (a boat equipped for whale watching) for a morning whale and wildlife tour on Alaska’s Sitka Sound. Wildlife sightseeing cruises in Alaska are not cheap, and the day before a tour with a different (much bigger) tour company (on a much larger boat) was a disappointment. Not horrible, just boring and uncomfortable.
Now I was back on the same dock, about to embark on an even more expensive tour in an area where I (now) knew there wasn’t a lot of whale activity at the moment. Despite my general belief that almost any day on the water is a good one, I feared this was going to be a significant waste of time and money.
But when it’s too late to back out, you have to hope for the best and move forward.
Which sometimes leads to unexpectedly wonderful things.
A spectacular tour even without whales
Spoiler alert: Rather than spending the morning observing just a few whales, we chose instead to watch birds and sea otters and enjoy the scenery. And we had a wonderful time. It was well worth our money and one of the highlights of this summer’s southeastern Alaska trip.
Touring Sitka Sound
Unlike tourist stops along the Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska, Sitka faces the open sea across Sitka Sound. Our wildlife tour with A Whale’s Song took us by a couple scenic islands along the coast near Sitka and then across the sound to the national wildlife refuge on Saint Lazaria Island. The route back took us along a slightly different (but equally scenic) part of the coast as we returned to Sitka.
We made our first stop not far from Sitka to look for eaglets in a nest high above the shore.
An adult bald eagle kept an eye on the nest from a nearby tree, but there were no baby birds yet.
Since we’d already seen so many eagles in Alaska, we didn’t linger long. Instead, we turned our attention to the gorgeous scenery (and a few very odd rocks) all around us.
Moving on, I spotted a humpback whale spouting in the distance and was rewarded with the flash of an almost totally white fluke.
At this point, we had a decision to make: Head toward the whale or focus on birds instead?
Knowing that few whales seemed particularly active at the moment and having seen lots of whales in Iceland, on our previous Alaska trip, and other places, we choose birdwatching with a side of sea otter spotting.
I was surprised by the number of sea otters we saw around Sitka floating together in large groups called rafts. There were many more than I saw on my previous Alaska trip.
18th century Russian and American fur traders all but hunted sea otters into extinction. In Alaska, the few survivors lived in very, very remote areas. But sea otters play an important role in the ecosystem and during the 1960s a few were reintroduced in Sitka Sound. The healthy population I saw is one of those rare good news wildlife stories.
Bird Island
Not surprisingly, the birdwatching is great along Saint Lazaria Island (Kanasx’ée in Tlingit), a designated wilderness area often referred to simply as “Bird Island.”
Saint Lazaria Island is a very small island. However, despite its diminutive size, it is home to about a half-million breeding seabirds.
Bird Island itself is likely a lava plug that formed in a side vent when nearby Mount Edgecombe was active long ago. Those volcanic origins are obvious in the island’s twisted rock formations.
As fascinating as the landscape looks, visitors should NOT step ashore to explore. Birds nest on or below pretty much every single bit of Saint Lazaria Island. Stepping on the island destroys those nests and any eggs or baby birds in them.
And there’s no need to go ashore to get a good look at the island and its many birds.
The birds of bird island
Of course, we started to see large numbers of birds we reached Saint Lazaria Island itself.
Being a puffin geek, I was thrilled to see tufted puffins almost everywhere I looked.
But puffins weren’t the only birds worth getting excited about.
Our naturalist reacted to rhinoceros auklets the same way I react to puffins. And with good reason.
(Unfortunately, auklets are both very small and very fast, making them particularly challenging to photograph.)
Pigeon guillemonts are easier to photograph. And their bright red feet provided an unexpected burst of color in the water.
Common murres were also everywhere.
As we got closer to the island, we saw even more birds. Among them, pelagic cormorants that seem to disappear into the dark volcanic rock and a few (much easier to spot) glaucous-winged gulls.
Caverns in the island’s rocky cliffs make excellent roosts for common murres, among other birds.
Basically, there are birds wherever you look.
A bit more wildlife as we return to Sitka
While it would have been great fun to spend the whole day out on the water (especially as the clouds began lifting), it was time to head back to Sitka.
But there were a few more things to see along the way.
Like sea lions.
As in Petersburg, the sea lions’ preferred rest stop in Sitka seems to be bright red buoys. However, there’s never enough room for everyone, which leads to near constant jockeying for position.
From the buoy, we wove between islands along the shore of Baranof Island.
There was no place to look where you wouldn’t see a fishing boat — or four or five of them.
We noticed them moving into position the night before and learned there were more here than usual, as at midnight Alaska’s commercial fishing fleet gained access to areas beyond those assigned specifically to them.
Like Petersburg, Sitka has a very large fishing fleet and commercial fishing is a large component of the economy.
(Almost all the boats we saw were purse seiners. These fishing boats use a small boat to set a large net around a school of fish. They begin hauling the net in, closing it around the fish as they bring it in.)
But fishing boats weren’t the only things we saw along the shore. There were also a few more eagles and ducks.
And then it really was time to head back into Sitka.
Plan your Sitka whale and wildlife watching adventure
Sitka is located in southeast Alaska on Baranof Island. The city faces Sitka Sound and the open sea beyond, putting it on the outside edge of the Inside Passage. As such, it isn’t always included on cruises or other tours through the Alaska’s Inside Passage.
But Sitka is a great tourist destination. You really should go there and you should stay at least a couple of days.
When to visit Sitka
Sitka’s location in a temperate rain forest means the climate is generally wet (over 90 inches of rain a year) and cool (the average summer high is just over 60°F). But winter temperatures are also pretty moderate, with few days where they fall much below 20°F.
Not surprisingly, most visitors to Sitka arrive between June and August. And, while Sitka’s usual weather is cool and rainy, we had almost no rain and temperatures in the 70s during our late June/early July visit.
(But weather can change quickly here, so no matter when you decide to visit, bring layers and a good waterproof jacket!)
There are plenty of things to do year-round in Sitka. However, if your primary outdoor interest is whale and wildlife watching, some seasons are better than others.
Whale watching in Sitka
Humpbacks are the whales most often seen in Sitka Sound and the Inside Passage. They are seasonal visitors, arriving in Sitka in March and leaving as winter arrives in December.
Grey whales also visit Sitka Sound in April and May on their way farther north. A few remain through summer, but they aren’t seen as regularly as humpbacks.
Other whales, including orcas and minkes, also travel through Sitka Sound, but they too are not seen nearly as often as humpbacks.
While whale watching tours are by far the best way to get a good look at Sitka’s whales, land-based whale watching is also possible here.
The best time to see humpback whales
While you’re extremely likely see humpback whales at any time throughout Sitka’s summer tourist season, you need to come earlier in the year if you want to see one of nature’s truly amazing spectacles.
Sitka’s humpbacks winter in Hawaii, which makes for a very long trip. And, while humpbacks need warm water to breed and calve, warm water doesn’t have much for them to eat. That means they are really hungry when they return to Alaska.
To eat as much food as fast as possible on arrival, they gather in small groups to engage in “bubble net feeding.” This involves circling herring or other small fish and creating a swirling ring of bubbles around the fish. The whales then leap into the air with their mouths wide open to capture and eat the (very confused and frightened) fish they encircled.
While you can see humpback whales around Sitka all through the summer, if you want to see bubble feeding, visit between about March 20 and April 10. In recent years, this is when most bubble net feeding happens here. (It happens as late as June in other areas in Alaska.) Of course, you won’t be the only ones trying to get out on the water to see this, so reserve your spot far in advance!
Sometimes you can also see bubble feeding in fall and early winter as the whales prepare to head south. However, it isn’t as common or predictable as the spring feeding frenzy.
Birdwatching in Sitka
Birds fill the land, sea, and sky around Saint Lazaria Island each summer. But many of them, including puffins, use the island only while nesting and then head back out to sea once their chicks have fledged. Birdwatching tours around the island generally only operate during summer.
Many ducks, bald eagles, and a variety of other raptors can be seen around Sitka throughout the year.
Getting to Sitka
You cannot drive to Sitka and, once you are there, you can’t drive very far.
My original plan was to take the ferry to Sitka. However, we ended up flying there from Petersburg (via Ketchikan) on Alaska Air. This is not my recommended route, but I didn’t realize how limited the Alaska ferry schedule is these days. A commercial flight made it possible to make my planned stops in the time I had available without spending a fortune. It also gave me the chance to see some of southeast Alaska from the air.
Travel to Sitka by ferry
Sitka is on the Alaska Marine Highway System’s southeastern Alaska route. The ferry runs throughout the year and the scenery is gorgeous.
Ferry schedules changes seasonally and sometimes more often. When I traveled in June and July, only one ferry served southeast Alaska. Currently there are two. However, with the addition of a second ferry, it appears service to Sitka was reduced to a twice a month in each direction for the rest of this season.
If you traveled on Alaska ferries a decade or more ago, as I did, you’ll notice changes. And not changes for the better. Alaska’s ferry system hasn’t been adequately funded in years and lawmakers seem keen to dismantle it entirely after years of bad decisions and underfunding. (You can see here where this is leading.) Travelers see those decisions in higher ticket costs, but fewer onboard amenities and services. Unfortunately, they also show up in maintenance problems (including breakdowns) and schedule reductions. All of this makes planning travel via the (once lauded) Alaska ferry system challenging.
Both ferries currently running through southeast Alaska are large car ferries, so you can bring a vehicle. I sailed on the Matanuska, which has a café where made-to-order food is available, as are tiny cabins. It was clearly an old ferry and very basic, but comfortable enough. Just don’t expect anything fancy. And now, with two ferries operating in the southeast, you are less likely to find yourself stranded somewhere if (when) a ferry breaks down.
The entire ferry route has great scenery, but traveling by ferry is not fast. For example, the trip between Sitka and Juneau takes about 9 hours. Traveling by ferry from Petersburg to Sitka would have taken 10 hours. Even though my Alaska Airlines flight required flying from Petersburg all the way down to Ketchikan (with a stop along the way in Wrangell) and then back up to Sitka, the entire trip only took 3 ½ hours. And it would have been much shorter if I had booked a charter flight.
Travel to Sitka by air
The fastest way to reach Sitka from anywhere is by air. But it isn’t always the most direct way to get there if you are looking for a regular commercial flight.
Alaska Airlines (an American Airlines partner) offers the most flights to/from Sitka. They have direct flights from Seattle, but most go through either Ketchikan or Juneau. (Many of Alaska’s flights to Sitka from within southeast Alaska also require a connection in Juneau or Ketchikan.) For summer 2021, Delta also offered direct service between Seattle and Sitka. United only offers connecting service to Sitka.
There are also a few commuter and charter services serving Sitka.
I couldn’t find a commuter flight that made sense for my itinerary. Nor could I find a charter flight that wasn’t mind-blowingly expensive. But, having taken a charter flight on a very small plane on my previous trip to Alaska, I would highly recommend it if you can find an option that fits your budget.
Even if you are flying on a large commercial airline, be sure to book a window seat.
Choosing a whale and wildlife tour in Sitka
We did two whale and wildlife tours in Sitka. One was an standard evening tour with a larger group and other was the tour with A Whale’s Song Expeditions. While the tour with A Whale’s Song was more expensive, for us it was money well spent.
Wildlife tour options in Sitka (and southeast Alaska generally)
There are a number of regularly scheduled general whale and wildlife tours available out of Sitka, ranging from large group tours to very small group and private tours.
Larger group tours
In Alaska larger group tours seem to be designed with large groups of cruise passengers in mind, although independent travelers usually can book them as well. These tours take groups of at least 12 and often many, many more. They use boats with restrooms and large cabins that seat all passengers. Even within the same company, each boat may vary considerably in size, comfort, food and beverage service, and other amenities. However, all will provide information on the area and its wildlife. All will also have exterior deck space for viewing wildlife. Many will offer wine, beer, and snacks for sale, along with complimentary or very inexpensive water, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
If you are looking for a relaxing general tour and don’t really care where you go or what you see, a large group tour can be a good option. It’s certainly the cheapest option.
I’ve been on several tours like this over the years. Some were really good, especially those covering longer distances. But some were pretty bad.
Very small group and private tours
Tours designed for very small groups, including private tours, are on correspondingly smaller boats. Some will have a naturalist or other crew on board. Other captains handle everything themselves.
Boats used for these tours usually have at least a small enclosed cabin with a basic restroom. While their small size means these boats may be less comfortable at high speeds or in rough water, it also means they can visit places larger ones can’t reach. In addition, because the group is so small, passengers often have at least some input into the day’s activities, for example, how much time to spend whale watching vs birdwatching or whether to return to an area when the light is better for photography. But pretty much everything about these tours varies from one captain to another, including the comfort level, amenities, and the captain/crew’s knowledge of the area and its wildlife.
And personality is much more important on these tours than in a larger group, as you will be in very close contact with the captain, crew, and all other passengers throughout the cruise.
But if you really want to get close to nature, this is the way to go.
Touring with A Whale’s Song Expeditions
From the moment we stepped on board Cat Daddy, I was pretty sure I would enjoy the morning’s tour no matter what wildlife we came across. Not only was the boat well-equipped and comfortable, but it was immediately clear that Captain Neil McDermott would be a great traveling companion.
McDermott didn’t follow the typical path of Alaska-fisherman-turned-tour-boat-captain. Instead, he began as a recreational boater with a full career on land before turning his life-long interest in marine mammals into a business. He is knowledgeable and passionate about southeast Alaska’s natural environment and the creatures that live there.
He also has a naturalist/photographer on board. In our case, that was the talented and knowledgeable Lione Clare.
On board Cat Daddy
All of A Whale’s Song tours use Cat Daddy, McDermott’s 43-foot custom expedition-style catamaran. It’s the perfect boat for watching whales and other wildlife, as it is stable, maneuverable, offers great visibility in all weather, and keeps you close to eye level with the wildlife.
Cat Daddy, A Whale’s Song’s expedition boat (photo used with permission)
Cat Daddy can zip from one site to another if needed and there’s plenty of space outdoors on deck for photography. But the interior is so comfortable you might be tempted to watch for birds and whales without ever stepping outside! Large windows (and specially-designed windows in the restroom) offer views in all directions. A small galley ensures there are always warm beverages and snacks available. Marine binoculars are available for everyone too, along with comfortable seating and plenty of places to charge phones and cameras.
But the coolest thing on Cat Daddy is the hydrophone. This underwater recording system that allows passengers to listen to whales as they communicate with each other in surrounding water. The hydrophone was the reason I booked with A Whale’s Song in the first place. Of course, with my decision to focus on birdwatching, I never got to listen to any whales. 🙁 But that gives me a good reason to return someday.
Booking with A Whale’s Song Expeditions
I booked the morning whale and wildlife tour, but we turned it into a bird watching tour once we got going. Both whale and birdwatching options are offered as 3- or 4-hour tours. A range of other tours are offered as well. These tours are ideal for avid wildlife watchers and photographers, but are enjoyable for anyone. Tours range from 4-hour sunrise and sunset cruises to an 8-day Glacier Bay and Southeast Alaska tour. And yes, there is also a multi-day bubble-net humpback tour in spring.
All tours are limited to six guests. Our tour was supposed to have a minimum of four passengers. However, tourism was slow in southeast Alaska this summer and McDermott was willing to run the tour with just my husband and I rather than cancelling. I am grateful for that, as this was one of the best experiences on our entire 2021 trip to Alaska.
We also enjoyed a private tour for the price of a regular group tour on our excellent Seek Alaska Le Conte Glacier Tour out of Petersburg. While it was clear that both captains would rather be out on the water than anywhere else, I’m grateful they went ahead with tours that didn’t meet their usual minimum numbers. Thanks to them, we ended up with a couple of trip highlights.
Why A Whale’s Song is the best wildlife cruise in Sitka
Of course, A Whale’s Song is not the only tour operator in Sitka that does very small group and private tours. And, obviously, I haven’t tried the city’s other small boat options. (I’m open to invitations if someone wants me to give them a try!) However, there are a few things about A Whale’s Song that seem to make it stand out even among similar small tours.
- All tours are with Neil McDermott, a highly qualified, knowledgeable, and extremely personable captain with a real passion for whales and other wildlife.
- A professional photographer/naturalist is included on every tour.
- Cat Daddy is a particularly good boat for this sort of touring, with an unusually well-designed, comfortable cabin that offers both great views and space to set up, change, store, and charge equipment. And, as a catamaran, its more stable than a similar-sized monohulled boat.
- Onboard sound equipment lets you hear the whales communicate with each other.
- McDermott is truly committed to marine conservation. The World Cetacean Alliance has certified A Whale’s Song as a responsible whale watching tour. A Whale’s Song is also a NOAA WhaleSENSE partner and donates 5% of profits to the Alaska Raptor Center and the Alaska Whale Foundation.
Additional resources
The Sitka Wildlife Viewing Guide (PDF) published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has tips for wildlife watching and a map of prime wildlife watching spots.
A Whale’s Song Expeditions has fact sheets on the wildlife you may see in and around Sitka Sound.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service timeline used to have a history of Saint Lazaria Island since the Russian period on their webpage, but it seems to have been removed.
The photographer/naturalist on my tour, Lione Clare, has published a story on Saint Lazaria Island.
