Located along the shores of Icy Strait, near Glacier Bay National Park, Hoonah offers privileged access to one of the richest wildlife regions in Southeast Alaska. The waters surrounding this area are regularly visited by humpback whales, orcas, Steller sea lions, sea otters, Dall’s porpoises, and many other iconic species of the North Pacific.

We selected this team for the quality of the experience they provide and their deep connection to this region. Many of their captains and crew members are part of the Tlingit community of Hoonah, whose ancestors have lived, navigated and passed down their knowledge of these waters for thousands of years.

Beyond whale watching, these excursions offer an opportunity to discover a place where human history remains closely connected to the ocean. The landscapes, wildlife, and traditions that have developed here reflect a long-standing relationship between the people and their environment, a relationship that continues to shape the identity of this region of Alaska today.

Each trip is therefore an opportunity not only to observe the richness of the living world, but also to better understand the territory that sustains it and the people who continue to carry its memory forward.

What We Particularly Appreciate Here

This territory reminds us that some relationships with the living world unfold over long periods of time. Long before modern whale watching existed, these waters were already known, navigated, and passed down from one generation to the next. A destination that invites us to observe whales, while also reflecting on the human history that has accompanied their presence for thousands of years.