Glacier Wind Charters

"I have been asked multiple times what whale watching company in Icy Strait Point would I recommend. My answer is always the same: Glacier Wind Charters. Glacier Wind Charters is a client-focused, and well-run company owned and operated by Cpt. Shawn and his wife, Teresa McConnell. Upon meeting Teresa and Cpt. Shawn, you will immediately feel like you have known them for years. Both work very hard to ensure your whale watching experience is the best it can be. For our tour, we ventured out in search of whales and found them at a site under slightly foggy conditions. All of our past trips have been under sunny skies, so this was going to be a new experience for us. We must say, there was something very magical about suddenly hearing the blow of the whales and the sound of them emerging from the water and fog. During our tour, there were numerous whales encircling us enhancing the experience. At one point there were so many whales we did not know in which direction to look. This trip was one of a kind for us and will always be remembered as special. So far, we have taken eight whale watching trips with Glacier Wind Charters and have two more booked for 2024. Glacier Wind Charters is, and always will be, our choice for memorable whale watching experiences."

"We had an amazing time whale watching in Alaska on June 28, 2023! I don't usually post reviews, but I had to brag about our great time! It was the highlight of our Alaskan cruise! I agree with all the other reviews posted. Teresa and Casey were wonderful hosts and guides. This was our first time whale watching and we were fortunate to see so many whales. I expected to see a few whales, but we saw many groups of whales swimming together. Casey knew just where to take the boat. If you are hesitant to book an excursion outside of the cruise line, don't be. This excursion is so much better than being on a large boat with lots of people. Glacier Wind Charters is a personal experience with a wonderful family. If I ever visit Alaska again, I would book another excursion with them."

"Glacier Wind Charters provided an amazing afternoon of whale watching for our family! Prior to booking with them, I emailed to confirm that our cruise ship arrival in Icy Strait Point would allow us to work with their tour times. The size of the boat was perfect for our family and one other family. Theresa, the mom of the family, picked us up at the excursion hub and took us to the boat dock in Hoonah. We were met by her two adult sons, Casey and Kyle. Casey and Kyle were wonderful tour guides and extremely knowledgeable. We saw many humpback whales during our tour as well as sea otters and sea lions. We had been watching a group of about five whales for quite some time, which was amazing. We were getting ready to head back to Hoonah and Casey was waiting for them to surface before we headed in. They happened to surface right next to our boat, which was an incredible experience! They were so close you could smell the unique scent of the water as they expelled it out their blowhole. The hot cocoa and chips were a nice treat to have on the boat as we headed back to shore. I would highly recommend booking Glacier Wind Charters. They are an experienced family business that has been spending their summers in Hoonah for many years."

"On June 12, 2023 we went on a whale watching excursion with Glacier Wind. Words cannot describe how much we enjoyed this trip. I always try to book excursions outside of the the cruise ship because I find that they are less expensive and way more personal. And this was definitely the case with the family owned and operated Glacier Wind. Mom picked us up at the port and drove us to the dock. Her son Casey was the Captain and Kyle scanned the horizon looking for whales. Initially, we did not see alot of whales, but after another captain communicated the location of a large pod, we were off. Once we arrived, we saw approximately 10-15 whales. I took so many spouting and tail pictures, but the highlight was when we saw the whales bubble net feeding. It was absolutely spectacular. Glacier Wind provided us with one of the most memorable days of our Alaska cruise."

"If you’re going on an Alaska Cruise that stops at Icy Strait Point we urge you to book early for a whale watching tour with this family owned and run business! We were fortunate to have booked a whale watching tour with this business for our Icy Strait Point cruise ship port last week. We had gone on another whale watching tour in the previous port, a triple decker boat with so many people that it was difficult to take photos or sometimes to even see the whales. What a wonderful difference the Glacier Wind tour was! A fairly new, fast, yet very quiet smaller craft, eleven other passengers, a comfortable cabin and plenty of room outside to take pictures or just enjoy the whales while sipping great hot chocolate! Casey, our captain and a very personable and knowledgeable naturalist, aided by his brother Kyle scanning with binoculars took us to quite a few places where whales were active. They both answered questions and gave us a lot of information about the animals, other sea-life and birds in the area. Their mother Teresa expertly handled all of the excursion booking, was quick to respond to questions and was at the pickup site before meeting time. She drove us to the boat in their roomy new van and shared much information about the town of Hoonah the town they live in. We had never booked an excursion outside of the cruise line but after looking at their site and reading reviews on several sites we decided to book it. Casey was very observant of the time we needed to re-board and started back toward our ship, even stopping to let us see another whale, in plenty of time for us to stand in line to take the Transporter back to the wilderness port and re-board our ship with time to spare."