THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Head out from Icy Strait Point for a three-hour charter that targets feeding humpbacks and other coastal wildlife. Expect heated cabins, viewing decks, and frequent wildlife sightings from May through September.
Head out from Icy Strait Point for a three-hour charter that targets feeding humpbacks and other coastal wildlife. Expect heated cabins, viewing decks, and frequent wildlife sightings from May through September.
A cold salt wind tugs at your hood as the charter slips away from the Icy Strait Point docks and the island-studded channel opens wide.
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by My Holidays Online · Hoonah, Alaska
A cold salt wind tugs at your hood as the charter slips away from the Icy Strait Point docks and the island-studded channel opens wide.
Sea spray and the rumble of the engine set the tempo; gulls wheel and bald eagles watch from spruce-studded bluffs as the boat threads nutrient-rich waters leading toward feeding grounds. Within minutes the horizon punctuates with blows — white plumes rising and dissolving into the air — and the quiet urgency of humpbacks at work becomes the trip’s heartbeat.
This stretch of northern Chichagof Island sits at the edge of the Gulf of Alaska and benefits from glacially influenced currents that concentrate krill and schooling herring. Native Tlingit communities have fished and navigated these channels for generations; the seasonal arrival of humpbacks each May through September has long been part of the natural calendar that shaped local subsistence patterns.
Geology here is raw: steep, forested shorelines drop into deep, cold channels carved by Pleistocene glaciers; tidelines and kelp beds hint at rich underwater life. Culture and maritime history surface in small harbors and the restored cannery buildings at Icy Strait Point, now a gateway for sustainably-run excursions.
Practical guidance: expect a three-hour trip with heated cabins, viewing decks, restroom facilities, bottled water and a light snack provided. Dress in warm, windproof layers and bring binoculars and a camera with steady hands. If you’re prone to seasickness, take preventative meds and sit mid-boat where motion is least. Operators typically return with time to reboard your ship or explore downtown Hoonah, so plan re-embarkation times accordingly.
easy.
3 hours.
Suitable for most fitness levels; requires boarding small craft and short walks to/from the pickup point.
Humpbacks are most reliably present from May through September when they feed in the nutrient-rich waters around Icy Strait.
The excursion runs about three hours and the charter is equipped with onboard restrooms and heated cabins.
Yes—brown bears on shore, bald eagles, sea otters, seals, porpoises and occasionally orca are commonly seen from the boat or nearby coastline.
Yes; roundtrip transport from Icy Strait Point gates is included and the operator times returns to allow passengers to reboard their ship.
The area around Icy Strait and Hoonah is within traditional Tlingit territory; fishing and maritime travel have shaped local settlements and seasonal behaviors for centuries.
Operators follow marine mammal viewing guidelines to minimize disturbance; visitors are encouraged to pack out waste and respect shoreline habitats to protect fragile intertidal zones.
My Holidays Online operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
A cold salt wind tugs at your hood as the charter slips away from the Icy Strait Point docks and the island-studded channel opens wide.
A cold salt wind tugs at your hood as the charter slips away from the Icy Strait Point docks and the island-studded channel opens wide.
Sea spray and the rumble of the engine set the tempo; gulls wheel and bald eagles watch from spruce-studded bluffs as the boat threads nutrient-rich waters leading toward feeding grounds. Within minutes the horizon punctuates with blows — white plumes rising and dissolving into the air — and the quiet urgency of humpbacks at work becomes the trip’s heartbeat.
This stretch of northern Chichagof Island sits at the edge of the Gulf of Alaska and benefits from glacially influenced currents that concentrate krill and schooling herring. Native Tlingit communities have fished and navigated these channels for generations; the seasonal arrival of humpbacks each May through September has long been part of the natural calendar that shaped local subsistence patterns.
Geology here is raw: steep, forested shorelines drop into deep, cold channels carved by Pleistocene glaciers; tidelines and kelp beds hint at rich underwater life. Culture and maritime history surface in small harbors and the restored cannery buildings at Icy Strait Point, now a gateway for sustainably-run excursions.
Practical guidance: expect a three-hour trip with heated cabins, viewing decks, restroom facilities, bottled water and a light snack provided. Dress in warm, windproof layers and bring binoculars and a camera with steady hands. If you’re prone to seasickness, take preventative meds and sit mid-boat where motion is least. Operators typically return with time to reboard your ship or explore downtown Hoonah, so plan re-embarkation times accordingly.