Whales and Mendenhall Glacier

Hoping to be lucky enough to see a couple of Humpbacks, we actually saw 4 of them, three times each. We were also were crazily fortunate to see an Orca in an area where they are almost never seen. To add a little spice, a harbor seal popped up a few times. The glacier was somewhat disappointing. Yes, it was huge, but it looked like so much dirty ice. The professional photographs are lots prettier.

We saw lots of whales that day. Even caught two on camera doing full breeches!!! The Captain was careful and knew how to make that amazingly well made boat perform. I'm an avid fisherman/boat owner and that boat was nothing but a well made craft with plenty, of muscle! The first mate was nothing but fun and full of knowledge that he imparted in a very entertaining manner. Only 2 minor downsides. One was the "lunch" which was pretty skimpy but tasty! Second was time managment. When we were taken to the Mendenhall Glacier, there was not enough time to make the hike to the falls. All that said, was it worth it??? YES Do it and you won't regret it ;)

great time a whale flipped up right near our boat

Our day started out sunny and warm but very foggy. Thanks to the persistence of the crew we were able to see whales after the fog lifted. They were great at trying to get to where the whales were.Also very informative about the whales. Our bus driver John was fantastic and very funny. i would say he enhanced our experience by providing history combined with humour. Overall a great day

While it was extremely foggy, our guide was able to find some whales. One came up right next to the boat. It was fabulous. Also the glacier was beautiful. We had plenty of time to view everything and were back at the ship with time to spare.

Take a walk in the Tongas forest preserve all the way down the trailhead (about a mile). Incredible sights around the glacier as well as a close view. The second part, whale watching, was fun but the boat ride is rough and how much whale you see is iffy. Beautiful coastline though!

Great time. Definitely worth the price. Guides were terrific. Easy and comfortable. Would recommend to anybody.

What a great tour. Our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable and shared many stories about Juneau. The glacier was breathtaking. For the whale watching portion of the trip, our boat captain and guides (Bree and Olivia) were great fun. We saw several whales and even found a large group of harbor seals sunning on the beach. Would highly recommend this tour.

My sons and I had a wonderful time (despite the awful weather!) viewing the beautiful Mendenhall Glacier and lake with its cascading waterfall beside it! Also watching out for the Humpback whales and hoping for one - any one - that would breach! It was all very thrilling, exhilarating and humbling an experience and one that we will never forget!

It was cool and grey, with rain off and on. However, this tour was a highlight, from start to finish. Our bus driver was a local, who kept us informed and entertained en route to Mendenhall. The sun appeared just in time for us to see and experience the glacier. We spent some time in the visitors' center, and it was time well spent. Don't miss the movie! Our jet boat trip to see the whales was great. We zipped out to a spot where we were fortunate to see a humpback playing around. Lots of jumping and spinning, and we saw a full breech. Awe-inspiring. Good crew, god coffee, and I loved the salmon & bagel. All in all: excellent. Perfect way to brighten a grey day.

Staff friendly and approachable. Saw whales and glacier. Beautiful scenery.

The captain on the boat and the 2 young women associates knew a lot. I guess I was expecting to see more whales and more of the whales that we did see (primarily saw tails) but whales are far different in Alaska than in Hawaii. But the boat trip itself was fun. Mendenhall Glacier was beautiful! And the time given there was enough.

The whale watching was terrific. The guides and the pilot of the boat were knowledgeable. The shortchanged thike to the Glacier was not strenuous, I thought we would have gotten closer. but the waterfalls were fantastic

We were somewhat disappointed in the Mendenhall Glacier-so far away. But the whale watch made up for it. Our guide was very informative and not only did we see many individual whales, one large gam (similiar to a pod) leaped straight out of the water and flopped not 100 yards from our boat! Sight of a lifetime!

We took this excursion in perfect weather so it was hard to find fault. The rendezvous point was easy to find and they got us back to our ship with a half hour to spare before all aboard, so there was no worries about the two things that make it a bit risky to take a non-ship excursion. The bus was comfortable and the driver friendly and informative. The glacier visit was good as they gave a clear description of our choices of how to spend our time. We did not see much wildlife, just salmon in the river and a porcupine in a tree. The glacier was spectacular but it is concerning how much it has receded since we last visited in 2000. Then we took the bus to the harbor. The jet boat was fast and the ride really smooth. The scenery from the water was beautiful. The naturalist was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We watched one humpback whale for quite a while but that was the only one we spotted. We did watch a group of three Orca's one of which was a youngster.

The title states that we spent exactly the right time to view the Glacier, take pictures, walk around, then we were able to see two whales close up and get fabulous pictures!!!

Great experience and very friendly helpful crew. Enjoyed this excursion.

Take the trip.

This excursion was excellent. We went to the Glacier first. The driver provided a lively commentary along the drive. Very well organized as to bus drop off and pick up times and location. We only had time - ~1hour - to do the shortest loop and take pictures. There is a visitor centre there with information and a gift shop. It was pouring rain so this area was well utilized. The weather cleared somewhat as we boarded the whale boat. It was very comfortable and heated with a back and observation deck available. Guides were young but very enthusiastic and did a great job of outlining both safety and describing what we could be seeing as far as whale activity. We saw lots of whales and there was no problem snapping shots from all areas of the boat. Also saw some sea lions posing on a buoy. A snack of coffee/hot chocolate and salmon on a bagel was served. Once again the knowledge and interest of the two young guides was most appreciated.

Fantastic tour. It made our entire trip. Loved being up close to watch Flame swim and dive.

We had a great experience on this excursion! Got up close and friendly with a pod of Orca's and saw a gray whale. Enjoyed our time at the glacier as well. Did the short hike to the lake/falls and still had 10 minutes to to go through the visitor center. Bus driver and ship crew were informative and fun!

Very cool!!! Able to see the Orca and the humpback whales! Wow! Once in a life time experience. My grand daughter loved. It did take longer than expected and was nervous getting back to the ship on time but we made it. The crew was great.

My husband and I booked this excursion for our bucket-list Alaskan cruise and it actually took place on my birthday. Not only did we see humpback whales, we saw a group of them bubblejet feeding! We loved the smaller boat with room for us to stand on the bow or stern to take photos, and both the captain and naturalist on board were fantastic. The trip to the Mendenhall Glacier after the boat ride was quick and the glacier was stunning! We wished we would have had more time to do a long hike to the waterfall, but were glad we took a little time to hit the visitor center and use the telescope, because we saw kayakers near the glacier that you could not see with the naked eye. Amazing! Overall the best birthday excursion I could possibly have hoped for!

The excursion was terrific. The guides were very personable and knowledgeable. We saw numerous whales as well as a possibility of 8 who bubble fed. Priceless!

Very knowledgeable. They Knew where to find numerous whale activity. They did a great job

Got some great whale pics. For some reason they split our group putting 5 people on another boat. Both boats didn't return at the same time resulting in having to wait for the 2'nd boat to return when everyone wanted to get back. Otherwise I would have rated this a 5 star.

This was my favorite excursion that we did while in Alaska! The whale watching part was so much fun and our guides made sure we saw as many whales as possible. After our boat ride we boarded a bus to visit the glacier. The guide was very informative as we were driving, pointing out various landmarks. Our hike to the waterfall at the glacier was beautiful!

Our family of 4 really enjoyed the trip to Mendenhall Glacier and the Whale Watching excursions! We were at Mendenhall Glacier for a little over an hour, but we were able to take a great hike out to Nuggett Falls for beautiful scenery! The guides on the whale watching trip were excellent! We saw several whales and were able to spot the whales on our own after a little instruction!

This excursion was excellent from start to finish! Our bus driver was the best. He was very knowledgeable and friendly,sharing much information as we traveled. The experience at Mendenhall Glacier was as we had hoped. There was plenty time to explore. The whale watching was beyond our expectations. The captain was experienced and very knowledgeable as was our naturalist. We were so fortunate to see humpbacks and orcas. So much information was given about the whales,glaciers and landscape. Many photo opportunities. An overall exceptional tour!

We enjoyed this very much. The glacier was great. If you are going to hike to the water fall do it right away upon your arrival. It will take all the time u have there. The whale watching was so great. We had a all girl crew who were great and knowledgeable. Saw lots of whales. They came up right next to our boat. We saw orcas too. Sea lions on the bouie floating so cool.

Very professional and knowledgeable.This tour was fun ,but safety conscious.The crew were very hospitable and friendly.They couldn't do enough for us, from getting us drinks to answering our questions, and yes we did see the whales.Not only did we see them but they actually have photos /charts of their tail which is how they I identify them by name.Highly recommend it.

Awesome experience. Highly recommend.

Great boat ride and whale hunting. Fun seeing these great animals.

This was a very nice excursion. The Mendenhall glacier was impressive and the glacier visitor center was informative. The highlight was of course the whale watching trip. The boat held about twenty-five people which was really nice. Some of the other whale watching boats we saw seemed rather large and crowded. Although we weren't real close to the whales, the blow hole spouts and whale tails were unforgettable. The drivers and guides were very friendly, helpful, and informative. We would certainly recommend this excursion.

The trip to the glacier was first and we had 70 minutes to explore. I walked to the waterfall and glacier and that was awesome! I wish we had a little more time to explore, to see the visitors center and not feel so rushed. The whale watching tour was awesome. The small boat -seating for 24- had a bathroom, huge windows that opened, a deck at the bow and aft to go outside and snap photos. Since the boat was smaller than the cruise line excursion boats was able to get so much closer to the whales and was really quite fast. We saw SO many whales, a mama and calf, and tons of tails. A recommendation - bring a small snack, as the 1/2 bagel with cream cheese is served at the very end of the 4-5 hr excursion. I highly recommend this, and will do it again if I return to Alaska!

Even we had a rainy day, we enjoyed very much both parts of this excursion. The whales’ part of the excursion was amazing and the people were very helpful and spent as much time as possible to allow us to see many whales. The bus we used for transportation had only a small problem with the sound system that made difficult to understand the comments. Great excursion

Excellent excursion! Saw more than enough whales both humpback and orca! Trip to the glacier was beautiful

This excursion was first class and we really enjoyed it.

This excursion was really good seeing the Mendenhall Glacier and seeing whales on the whale watching boat.

A little rushed and no time to walk over to the falls but was a nice tour. The whale watching was successful and they boat operator was very knowledgeable about the area. Would definitely recommend this tour

No whale watching experience can guarantee sightings, but the crew on this small boat was excellent as getting us near a group of humpbacks where we watched bubble net feeding. Then unexpectedly, one of the group swam under our boat and surfaced just a few yards away. Both scary and exciting and amazing. Then, we caught sight of several orcas on the way back in!!! Finally, Mendenhall Glacier was so very beautiful, although sad to see how it has been receding.

I was very impressed with this tour. First our bus driver was very friendly and informative. She also made sure we kept on time so everyone made it back to their ship. The whale watching was great. The captain knew right where to go and we were able to watch a young male humpback play. The whale did about 5 jumps out of the water and constantly was splashing with his fins and tail. I got some amazing photos. Mendenhall Glacier was great to visit. The park there is very clean and everyone is friendly and very informative. This tour was the highlight of our cruise.

The tour was excellent, the guides did their best however the whales were not too accommodating. We saw 3, but also sea lions and and other sea life.

Excellent, Our boat had a mechanical issue, While waiting the owner of the whale tour was very quick to give us all options to meet all of our schedules. While waiting for our boat he gave us an excellent tour guide info session on Juneau, good info from a local, info that takes years to gather. Just as the second boat arrived our boat was fixed, allowing our 40 person group to split into two twenty person groups on two boats, Excellent, lots of elbow room. Of course we saw many whales. Excellent. The Mendenhall Glacier was impressive, We did not see the presentation at the centre due to the one hour boat mechanical delay. Still very impressive and the young rangers working at the Mendenhall Glacier centre were very good with any and all questions.

This tour and two other tours we took from ashore Excursions Group were just absolutely perfect and enjoyed it very much. We definitely rcommend these tors from Shore Excursions and we plan to take all future Shore Excursions on our cruises from this group. Thanks for a great service, Shor Excursions Group.

Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable about o Orca & Humpback whales. The boat was comfortable & not too large. They made sure we saw several whales & got good pictures. The 1 hr. stop for Mendenhall Glacier was a bit rushed for those of us who did the mile hike to the falls near the glacier, but definitely worth it.

It was a rainy day but there was a warm cabin with seats and hot drinks and snacks provided, We saw several whales. Very satisfying.

Both of these adventures were off the charts cool! From the bus driver to the boat captain to the guide on the whale watching, each gave 200% to insure you had a great time. We saw about 10 whales+- and the glacier is beyond words.

Our guide on the boat was fantastic! He was very informative but not too chatty. We saw a beautiful rainbow. We took turns sitting inside & standing on the lower & upper outside decks. We saw several barely break the water. A bald eagle flew right past the boat while we were cruisin'! We were nearing the end of the boat tour, & we finally saw one whale completely show its tail. It was beautiful! Wish we would've seen more, or even a breach, but you can't control the whales! Mendenhall Glacier was awe-inspiring. The water surrounding it was so serene, w/a beautiful fog over the water. There was a walking trail that they said was a good place to spot bears. Unfortunately, my husband & I were in the wrong place at the wrong time & didn't see any, but others in our group did see some! We did get to see a porcupine, which was a 1st for me! Fantastic trip! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an excursion that's 1/2 relaxing, 1/2 on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting!

We were lucky that on the morning of our tour the captain of our boat knew of a location where Orcas could be seen that day. It was amazing to watch. We then headed back and were able to see Humpback whales also. The bus driver we had on our way to Mendenhall Glacier was very informative, with a great personality. Would highly recommend this tour.

This excursion was amazing. Saw so many humpback whales and sea lions. We even witnessed a humpback breach! What a sight to remember! Mendenhall Glacier was a great stop as well. It's worth the time to hike to Nugget Falls. The only downside is with only having 1 hour at the glacier, you can either hike to the falls or check out the visitor's center. Not enough time to do both. I could have spent an additional 1-1.5 hours there.

Our whale watching experience was great!! While we never got extremely close to the whales, we were pleased to actually see them. The Captain and the skipper worked very hard to get us a close as possible to the whales and also educated us about what to look for to help spot them. The boat was very comfortable and the salmon snack was great. The weather was pretty cloudy and drizzly, but they took care of us and helped us get the most out of our trip. Mendenhall was spectacular. The tour company pretty much just dropped us off, but gave excellent instructions and information about how to make the best use of our time.

The guides were nice our boat wasn't overloaded. They really worked at getting us to see some whales. We saw 7 whales and sea lions.

Great crew. We saw a good amount of whales that day. We even saw some seals. We were a family of 8 and enjoyed this tremendously.

The Whale watching was Awesome! We got to see Humpback whales, Orca's & Sea lions. The Orca's swam next to the boat, the captain put a microphone in the water so we could hear them talk. The glacier was really neat also. It was worth every penny.

The whale watching vessel was just the right size. I believe that there were about 20 people on the boat. It was not crowded and there was enough room for folks to be out on the bow or rear of boat. We witnessed a large group of humpbacks ""bubble feeding"" several times. The crew had a microphone that was dropped overboard and we could hear the whales. It was truly a spectacular site to see in real life. Mendenhall Glacier is beautiful. Very nice visitor center.

The excursion was amazing, it would have been much better if we could see more whales.

I would highly recommend this excursion. The crew of the boat had a great deal of knowledge about the whales. They positioned themselves just right so the whales swam in our direction and came within 20 yards of our boat.

It was a great excursion, saw a lot of whales, we even saw one breach. The only thing is I which we could get closer like the other boats. The Glacier park was great also we were able to see a momma bear with her three cubs made my 13 year old daughter day. Over all worth the money. Weather was a little wet but over all it was great.

Fabulous experience getting up close to group of humpback whales feeding. Crew was excellent and knowledgeable. Mendenhall Glacier o.k.....saw the bigger glacier closer up on the ship. Could do without this part of tour and cut cost slightly.

Meet up was easy and as described. Saw lots of wildlife on our drive to the boat. The small boat was great. we got out to the whale feeding area fast and were agile moving around to see the whales. the high light was when a group of humpbacks came up surprisingly within a few feet of our boat while bubble net feeding. then on the way back in, we saw several orcas. great information from crew, smooth ride, and nice to have a snack provided. Glacier was beautiful, but I wished we'd had about a half an hour more. we got out to the waterfall and back, but had to move quickly to make our scheduled ride back. Bus dropped us off in Juneau to do sight seeing and grab some local food.

Unbelievably humpback whale watch! The best in my life. We stopped at a few spots & saw many whales. One spot had about 11 of them feeding & moving together it was awesome. The crew was terrific & knowledgeable. The Mendenhall Glacier was breathtaking, there was so much to do & see there unfortunately we were only given an hour - we wanted to stay longer otherwise this was a solid 5 stars. You can hike to a waterfall which takes 45 minutes that would've been fun. We did see Salmon swimming upstream - very cool.

We really enjoyed the boat ride to find and enjoy the whales. The driver and tour guide worked well together and worked hard to make sure we saw whales.

Our excursion to see the whales was amazing; our on-board guide was well-informed and handled questions well. And we were able to see whales close at hand without feeling endangered. The timing of the trip to the glacier left us with less time than would be ideal - we had to choose between taking advantage of the information in the visitor's center and walking the trails. Since I may never be in Alaska again, I took the trails, which were excellent, but it would have been a distinct advantage to be able to get a little better oriented.

Excellent tour--knowledgeable and friendly and we actually saw the whales!

We had a great time on this trip, the staff on the boat for the whale watching were wonderful. Taylor was our guide and she was very knowledgeable. We saw many whales, towards the end when we were getting ready to head back, we came upon 4 whales. The captain stopped the boat and turned it so that we could have time to see them. I would highly recommend this tour, the staff is great and if the whales cooperate you'll have great show.

The crew of the boat was very knowledgeable and professional. They explained to us what they were doing and answered any question we had. When other boats in the area went one way to chase a whale that was leaving, we went the other direction because our crew insisted that's where the whales would be. A few minutes later, we had one surface less than 10 yards from our boat and dive underneath us. So amazing!!!

Great excursion! We saw several humpback whales, sea lions, and Eagles. The glacier was superb! The area around the glacier lookout center was covered in flowers and the whole area was beautiful wilderness.

excellent and hilight of trip. whales were fantastic and to see them so close was awesome.glacier was impressive and enjoyed nature walk nearby. got chunk of ice from glacier waters and enjoyed sucking the pristine water from the ice.

Exciting whale watching

We enjoyed this tour very much. We were lucky to have a rare beautiful sunshine day, the view of the ocean surrounded by the glaciers were spectacular. Our captain and the guide were friendly and really tried to help us to get the best view of the whales (humpback). The bus driver/guide was also very helpful to provide us tips, so we were able to hike to the waterfall and see the glacier really close, althoughtthere was only one hour in the park.

This was an amazing 2 hours of watching humpbacks. They cooperated nicely for us and we were able to get some great photos. The time at the glacier was a little too long for us but we managed to fill the time by walking around. The tour guides on this excursion were very knowledgeable and fun...

The boat used for the whale watching was very comfortable and had large windows for whale watching. The outside decks were nice and elevated to give us better views of the whales. Because of the smaller size of the boats it was not crowded and allowed everyone a chance for a front row view. Excellent crew and very friendly and willing to talk and visit. The second part of the tour was a trip to Mendhenhall Glacier. The tour bus took us to a drop off point and allowed us time to walk either a shorter or a longer trail. Because of time constraints most people did not take the longer trail down to the waterfall. Too bad because up close it was a magnificent waterfall with a great view of the glacier. This tour is worth the time and money.

Nice and knowledgeable guides. Took us several places and we did spot whales. The glacier trip was beautiful. You are on your own, they just drop you off at the visitors center and pick you up later but the self tour is easy.

This was so amazing! The crew was knowledgeable and friendly. We consider this excursion one of the best parts of our whole trip.

This was an outstanding excursion!! I would recommend it to anyone who would prefer a small group so that you have excellent views of wildlife and information about the wildlife and surrounding area to book this excursion!

Well organised and efficiently coordinated between the two aspects of the tour. The young lady who presented the whale watching was very knowledgeable and her enthusiasm was most evident. We were very fortunate to watch the whales bubble feeding on a number of occasions as well as breaching. The boat manager obviously had a part to play in getting us into good position. It would have been good to have more time to walk further at the glacier but had to fit in with bus schedules etc.

Mendehall glacier and the nearby waterfall were beautiful. The walk to the glacier was easy. Whale watching was unreal. The whales were surfacing all around us for 20 to 30 minutes.

This was a great excursion. I would do it again. Had a great time viewing the whales. Captain John was a great handler of the boat. The bus driver was great too giving us information on what sites to see first at Mendonhall glacier. Don't miss the beautiful waterfall. This was a real experience.

This was really fun. The whales were easy to spot and we saw a bunch - even saw the 'bubble-net feeding' thing - very cool! The boat was super-comfortable, too - not as damp or cold as I'd feared. Would've liked to get closer to the whales, though. Mendenhall is quite impressive and combining the whales with the bus ride to the glacier works really well.

Finally for our 50th wedding anniversary we witnessed many humpback whales (including ""bubble netting"") - what a privledge!!! Tour guide, Ali, was outstanding. Seriously we could not have wanted more. Now we've been around enough to understand weather conditions play into everything so you need to ""go with the flow"". Our day the weather was PERFECT but either way whales are wet and don't care - neither should we if we encounter less than ideal conditions. Mendenhall Glacier was outstanding and what a wonderful learning center. Our group was aged 9-76 and we were all ""on the same page""!! Thanks again Shore Excursions!!

We were able to see lot of whales and glacier. Bus crew was awesome. They were kind and answered all of our questions. We enjoyed.

This was probably the best shore excursion with Mendanhall as well as Whale watching. This is a must do a Jenau. The bus/ boat was simply great and we had some great guides.

My husband and I booked the whales and Mendenhall Glacier trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything went smoothly. We met as arranged at 9:00am and were driven to the boat for our whale watching adventure and we weren't disappointed. we were lucky enough to see at least 10 humpback whales and they were ""bubblenet feeding/fishing, something that does not happen very often. We also got to hear them calling to one another as the captain put a special microphone into the water. Our guides were enthusiastic and explained everything very well. After that we drove to the Mendenhall Glacier which was beautiful. Our driver suggested going to the waterfall first which was good advice allowing us to make best use of our time. On the way back to Juneau he told us many details about life in Alaska which was very interesting. I would highly recommend this trip. I'm sorry I can't remember any names!

We loved the trip to see the Whales and Mendenhall Glacier. I was disappointed that we did not have enough time at the Glacier/Nugget Falls. We walked to Nugget Falls and had to almost run back to not miss our bus. I think a little time could be taken from the whale watching and added to the Mendenhall Glacier portion of this tour. I think there could be better signage and information regarding the pickup. Everyone was a bit unsure of who our excursion was with.

What a wonderful trip! Extremely happy!

excellent

Wow! We saw a total of 5 pods of Humpback whales feeding! It was beyond breathtaking! Our guides were courteous, knowledgable, and most importantly concerned for the health and well beings of those magnificent creatures! Mendenhall Glacier was gorgeous! I loved the opportunity to walk up close, see the glacier and a gorgeous waterfall were amazing!!

This was excellent! We saw humpback whales right close to the boat and the guides were wonderful, explaining about the whale behaviour. They have an underwater microphone so you can listen to the whales communications. We even had the rare privilege of seeing bubble netting by the whales, an awesome experience. The glacier addition took you to the Visitor Centre and a great view of the glacier.

This was an amazing experience! Our tour guide Clare was amazing! He knew everything there was to know about Alaska! He had a great sense of humor and made the bus ride enjoyable. When you get to the Mendenhall glacier immediately start walking on the trail! Don't waste any time because it's a little bit of a hike. When you get the the glacier it is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see in nature. With a picture perfect waterfall. Next was the whale watching. I highly recommend this boat because it was small enough that we all had a place to see the whales. We saw both humpback and killer whales. Lots of other boats did not allow the passengers to be on the deck while this one allowed you the freedom to go out on the deck. It was awesome!!!

What a delightful experience. Our small group allowed an intimate and up close whale watching experience. Capt. Katt was an expert and she guided us to the most opportune spots. The best part was when a mother whale and her baby entertained us for almost 20 minutes. They were playing and practicing diving. The sea otter and sea lions on our return trip were an added bonus.

The whale watching was great. We saw eleven whales and we were fortunate to see the whales bubble netting. The smaller boat was an advantage..We would have enjoyed more time at the Mendenhall glacier. We barely had time to see the movie and walk to the glacier.

It is a must see. Very informative guides. We really enjoyed ourselves. We definitely would go again.

Excellent staff; terrific experience!

Knowledgeable and helpful

Great excursion. Saw 5 whales from 30yards away bubble feeding. Amazing. Staff and captain were tremendous. Highly recommend!

We loved the trip to see the Whales and Mendenhall Glacier. We had over 30 whale sightings and the boat ride itself was fun and exciting. It was well worth the money. The only thing I was disappointed about is that we did not have enough time at the Glacier/Nugget Falls. We walked to Nugget Falls and had to almost run back to not miss our bus. There needs to be more time added to the Mendenhall Glacier portion of this tour.

Experienced guides! Whales put on a show for us, Excellent time!

Great tour for travelers of all ages. Our group ranged from age 8 to 67.

We saw whales and a glacier. The captain of the whale watching boat and the naturalist were both very knowledgeable and friendly. As for the glacier, you go to a point where you can see the glacier, but you don't actually get to touch or get onto the glacier. Of course, glaciers are always changing, so I don't know how you could ever be guaranteed to step onto a glacier. That being said, there is a great waterfall you can hike too.

The guide on the whale excursion, tall, personable and very informed--think his name was Tony--on duty 7/5-- was excellent

boat operator knew where to find the whales The biologist could have spoken more about the Humpbacks. The Guide to the RainFores was terrific, knew her stuff!

The trip to mendenhall glacier and whale watching was well organised, comfortable and informative. The coaches and watercraft were in good order and felt reliable and safe. The whale watching was very successful and the glacier visit was excellent. If anything we could have done with an extra thirty minutes at the glacier to better complete the walks.

We had a great experience with whales coming up right at the end of out boat. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!

We were able to see the whales as promised and we thought the glacier was nice. Spent about 45 minutes there including the visitor center. Our guide on the whale watching was very nice, thanks Amy and she answered any questions we had. We were delivered safely back to the ship when we finished tour!

An open boat a much better way to watch whales.

Thoroughly enjoyed

Friendly guides and warm accommodations. We were very satisfied with our trip.

The whale watching was the first part of the trip. The crew of the boat where very nice and friendly. We saw two whales which where far away from the boat. The snack on the boat was a half of a bagel and tablespoon of cream cheese. The Mendenhall part of the tour- the bus driver dropped us off at the visitor's center and left with arrangements to pickup in one hr. The visitor center was very pretty and even educational.

This adventure was great as we were informed that we would see Humpback whales. did not realize we would experience Humpback whales bubble feeding on Crill. Then the guide announced we are going to see something special. We were able to experience a pod of Orcas swimming close. What a great experience. Guides were surprised as well to see so much activity with the Humpbacks and the Orcas.

This excursion was a highlight of our Alaska cruise. Naturalist Ashley Luck from Dolphin Jet Boat Tours led the trip, and answered all our questions well. We got some amazing photos of humpback whales, including a pack that was ""bubble net feeding"", which is apparently not very common. After the whale watching, we got to visit the Mendenhall Glacier as well, which was also very special.

Thrilling to see the ""bubble netting""!

They stand by their guarantee and more. Wish we had more time to spend at Mendenhall Glacier as I would've liked to take pictures, look at visitor center and be able to take a leisurely walk to the falls and back in time to catch the bus

Naturalist and captain of the boat informative

We were lucky enough to get multiple viewings of the humpback whales engaging in bubble net feeding. In most instances, the whales were only a few yards from the boat. Just incredible to watch! Our guide was knowledgeable and personable. The boat was just the right size ... It fit probably 30 people with plenty of room. Restroom on board was comfortable. Lunch was lacking ... Just a bagel with salmon flavored cream cheese. The glacier was also nice to see, but not enough time was allotted to explore.

The boat captain was very experienced at finding whales and we had numerous good sightings during the two hour trip. This in itself made my trip to Alaska. It was a wonderful experience. While the guides weren't overly experienced they knew enough, were friendly and told great stories of growing up in Juneau. The organization was quite confusing. While the meeting place was as communicated the tour company was called something totally different and seemed unaware of the name on our paperwork. The extra charge applied to my booking because I was booking within 3 days was ridiculous given the number of tour companies available to choose from, all happy to take last minute passengers. For this reason I would not recommend this tour.

Although others on our cruise saw whales ship-side, this was the only time we saw them! The guides were very knowledgable and boat was perfect. They offered a drink and salmon and cream cheese bagel as the snack--a nice bit of hospitality! And finding an unusual group of feeding humpbacks was icing on the cake! Perhaps going out on the first boat enabled us to find hungry whales? We mistakenly thought we would be seeing whales constantly jumping out of the water, so don't be disappointed by expecting such dramatic activitiy, as they do this only to dive and then be underwater for 15+ minutes at a time! We saw a couple that dove, but didn't see them again! We were very happy with our whale-watching experience! As for the Mendenhall Glacier portion, this is where you choose your level of energy! We took a quick hike to see the falls and the glacier up close, and were so glad we did. But it took all our time and we were pushing it to get back to the bus. If you want a more relaxing visit here or can't walk briskly, you should skip the falls and stay at the visitation center and go only as far as the nearby viewing area to see the glacier.

Great staff for this excursion. Always informative and the driver of the jet boat seem to always be as close as possible to both the killer whale pod, and humpback whales. The killer whale pod was a rarity in these waters so mad excursion even better.

Saw 8 whales! Wow!

Enjoyed seeing 8 humpback whales, including their tales.

Great whale watching tour

saw plenty of whales and the guides aimed to get as near to the whales as possible. Unfortunately the tour is only as good as when the whales are around but on our trip you could not have asked for anything better

The whale watching was excellent. The bus driver was very entertaining. The boat crew equally entertaining and knowledgeable. The whales obliged by showing up on time and doing what whales do. The visit to the Mendenhall Glacier was too brief to fully enjoy and explore the location. An extra half hour to an hour would have been preferable.

Really like the jet boat and they seem to always produce on the whales. It's a much more intimate and fast trip than the cruise sponsored version. The glacier part is pretty much just the admission with bus drop-off and pickup. The glacier is certainly impressive and the visitor center does a nice program.

You will see whales and more!

went on a whale watch. Came upon a school of wha les. Had numerous sightings and they even came close to the boat right before we were about to leave. Fantastic!!

Due to strong winds we could not go out on sea as planned. Though we went as far as we could and we saw whales, we got full refund in a smooth way accoridng to their guarantee so VERY well handled and it left a postiive feeling!

We were allowed only an hour to walk closer to the falls/glacier, about 1.5 miles each way. Not enough time. 1.5 hours would be a better compromise with those who do not want to make the trip to the falls/glacier viewpoint.

The driver of the jet boat and the naturalist were great. Very knowledgeable and helpfull

The guide was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The boat was great and the captain was wonderful in taking us closer to the whales as we followed them.

The captain was informative.... funny and done his best to get us as close as possible

The whale excursion was very exciting and the whales were right there. They did bubble up feeding for about 30 minutes. The weather was perfect. Our guide and boat captain did everything to make sure we had great picture taking opportunities as well as were informed exactly what was happening. The glacier trip was informative and hey gave us enough time to get close to the glacier.

Glad we researched and found this package. Was less expensive than the cruise line offers and fit well in to our time available. The boat was very nice and we enjoyed seeing the beautiful landscape and animals. We were treated to seeing a bear, whales, sea lions and eagles. My daughter said my husband was like a four year old at Disney, he thoroughly enjoyed the excursion.

Very good crew. Exciting. Would recommend highly

Love the binoculars being on board so all could enjoy the experience. Bus driver from boat to the Glacier lacked the excitement and knowledge to enhance the trip. It was a job for him. But well worth the money.

It was a bit disorganized getting us on the van & to the boat -- not very clear instructions. We definitely saw whales, and boat driver made an effort to get us to locations. The girls who discussed what we might see were well-briefed & communicated well. Time at Mendenhall was a bit rushed. Visitor Center was very interesting.

The Mendenhall Glacier was breathtaking & this excursion provided excellent views. Our Naturalist on the whale watching tour was fabulous-very knowledgeable. We saw both Humpbacks and Orcas!

Over all tour was awesome we saw many whales, Glacier was beautiful only changes I would suggest is for some kind of snack stand at pier there was lite snacks on boat but I don't eat any seafood or fish so was hopeing and looking for food at dock. Tour was great

Our family took a cruise to the Inward passage of Alaska. Juneau was our 2nd stop. We did the whale watching specifically because our 10 year old daughter wanted to. We were so glad we did. Being residents of Central Florida SeaWorld is a frequent stop to see unique animals. But getting to see these huge whales and a large sea lion in their habitate was remarkable. There were many salmon as well in a river near the Mendenhall Glacier. The whole day was a treat. We were rained on pretty much all day and were cold, but we were served delicious cocoa cocoa and coffee to our hearts content on the whale watching tour. Also Cinnamon our naturalist shared lots of information about the animals, glaciers, and weather patterns of Juneau. While we enjoyed the delicious snacks of local smoked salmon, and chocolates. The only thing we were sad about is not having the time to hike to the huge waterfall near the Mendenhall Glacier. It would have been a very rushed hike. We opted instead to peruse the visitors center and touch/exam the chunk of glacier ice. Giving ourselves a few minutes of gazing at the salmon in the stream near the parking lot just before we had to leave. It was a wonderful trip.

We saw many Orcas, it was nice, but we missed not to be able to see the humpback whales, the weather was wonderful and Mendenhall glacier was very pretty.

They did what they said they were going to do!

Enjoyable day!

The Captain was phenominal - he knew right where to go to show us Orcas and Humpbacks, Seals and Sealions. We saw the rare bubble netting of the humpbacks, which was quite a sight to see, as well as several Orcas which, I understand are a rarity. Exceptional and memorable day!

Wonderful tour. Excellent Captain and Naturalist. Comfortable number of people on the tour. We saw eagles, sea lions, many Humpback whales and even 3 Orcas. The Mendenhall Glacier and the park surrounding where great. Nice for both walkers and people who have some limitations. Beautiful views and nice walking trails. Excellent viewing area to see the salmon swimming upstream.

We had a very enjoyable tour. I took my entire family,with 6 children ages 25 to 9. Everyone enjoyed it.

The snack was one cracker with a small piece of smoked salmon. A couple of crackers would have been more appropriately considered a light snack.

We really enjoyed this. We never thought we would get so close to the whales

Loved all of it. Unless you can control the weather, our day couldn't have been better. We saw an orca calf that flipped and romped and splashed his tail for a constant 6-7 minutes!!

We were over whelmed with all the whales and additional wild life we seen on this trip.Loved it was a smaller group. Amazing experience for our retirement cruise vacation.When we returned to the cruise ship our friends on board were jealous and asked were did they go wrong as they took the cruise line tours and didn't get to have the same experience.They will book with Shore Excursions Group for their future tours.And so will we as this was our first time booking with an amazing patient shore excursion agent.

This was a great excursion. The whale watching portion was especially exciting. I had never seen a whale before. We saw a baby whale and its mom. The baby ""waved"" at us, and it was super cute. The mom popped her head up out of the water to eat, and that was pretty spectacular. Then we saw 3-4 more whales, and their tails as they dove deep down into the water. The jetboat ride was nice, and we saw several glaciers as we toured around Auke Bay looking for the whales. We also happened upon some sea lions vying for a spot to rest on a buoy. Our captain pulled around so we could get a fantastic shot of the sea lions on the buoy with a glacier in the background. The snacks provided on the boat included smoked salmon and crackers, and some coffee or soda. I think this is fairly typical of excursion snacks in Alaska. When we returned to the dock, a bus was waiting to take us to Mendenhall Glacier. We had about 45 minutes to walk around and take pictures and/or go to the visitor's center to learn about glacier formation. There was also a short video that my family said was nice to watch. The glacier is big and impressive, and the area around it is pretty. The bus returned at the appointed time to take us back to our ship. Our bus drivers and boat captain and naturalist guy were all nice. My family and I really enjoyed this excursion and thought that it was worth the expense and would happily do it again.

Captain Ben was a great guide and did a wonderful job showing us whales and other wildlife in the waters of Alaska. I highly recommend this excursion to anyone going to Juneau, Alaska. Dolphin Tours did a great job. Overall, the whole experience was fantastic!

Highly recommend the whale watch AND glacier tour. Guide and onboard naturalist were very knowledgable of the marine mammals - were able to see several whales at a distance (first cruise of the season, whales still making migration north). Spotted several stellar sealions ""sunning"" on a buoy and a couple of eagles. The Mendenhall Glacier is too much for words, a must see. Overall experience was excellent!

The whale watch portion was very good the guides were very knowledgeable and helped us see lots of whales, the Mendenhall glacier wasn't as good.

The captain was very dilligent in trying to find whales which resulted in an amazing number of whalws. The time for viewing was just right.

the directions were great to find the tour director. We were very concerned when the cruise ship staff did not know about this tour. But it turned out fine.

Ken & Ben were great. They played off of each other in way to humorously provide knowledge of the costal mammals.

Terrific experience with a great boat Captain and On Board Naturalist. The crew went out of their way to make our experience memorable. Saw lot's of whales, bald eagles and sea lions. All that I hoped for and more!

Enjoyed the boat trip to try to find whales. We were pretty successful at it! Then took a trip to the glacier. Dropped off and had about an hour to explore. A little confusion as to who was picking us up, but someone was there right on time! Everyone VERY friendly!

The staff was knowledgable & friendly. We were in a small group that made it like a personal tour.

We loved the excursion. The captain of the boat went out of his way to make sure we saw alot of whales!!