Alaska - Whale Watching & Crab Lunch Recommendations

[LiZaArd]

Has anyone done the whale watching excursion(s) in Alaska and if so, do you recommend it? Which ones and what port? Also, did you see orcas and humpbacks or ??

Also, anyone had a really good crab luncheon and have some recommendations?

Thanks!!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

In 2018 we did the Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest. Excellent excursion. You start off with a boat ride (a small touring boat holds about 35 people) and travel to an area where there are crab cages in the water. They pull up one cage and show you actual crabs. They tell you all about the fishing/crabbing industry, point out eagle nests and other wildlife along the shoreline. Then you return to their boat dock and go into a dining area where you fest on crab legs. It's all you can eat. Everyone at your table competes with the other tables to see who can make the tallest crab shell tower (in the middle of your table). Really fun and would do it again.

 

[LiZaArd]

In 2018 we did the Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest. Excellent excursion. You start off with a boat ride (a small touring boat holds about 35 people) and travel to an area where there are crab cages in the water. They pull up one cage and show you actual crabs. They tell you all about the fishing/crabbing industry, point out eagle nests and other wildlife along the shoreline. Then you return to their boat dock and go into a dining area where you fest on crab legs. It's all you can eat. Everyone at your table competes with the other tables to see who can make the tallest crab shell tower (in the middle of your table). Really fun and would do it again.

This sounds fun!! Thank you for the info!

 

[anjuan]

Highly recommend Jayleen's Alaska out of Juneau for whale watching. She has smaller boats so it's a really personalized experience. Besides my daughter and I there was only one other family in the boat when we went. My daughter took an awesome picture of a humpback's tale with water dripping off of it that I have hanging above my couch.

 

[LiZaArd]

Highly recommend Jayleen's Alaska out of Juneau for whale watching. She has smaller boats so it's a really personalized experience. Besides my daughter and I there was only one other family in the boat when we went. My daughter took an awesome picture of a humpback's tale with water dripping off of it that I have hanging above my couch.

I’m going to check that out, I prefer smaller boats/group so appreciate the recommendation!! Sounds like that’s one great photo!

 

[MouseOfCards]

In 2018 we did the Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest. Excellent excursion. You start off with a boat ride (a small touring boat holds about 35 people) and travel to an area where there are crab cages in the water. They pull up one cage and show you actual crabs. They tell you all about the fishing/crabbing industry, point out eagle nests and other wildlife along the shoreline. Then you return to their boat dock and go into a dining area where you fest on crab legs. It's all you can eat. Everyone at your table competes with the other tables to see who can make the tallest crab shell tower (in the middle of your table). Really fun and would do it again.

We also did this excursion and loved it! We will be going back for this crab feast at the George Inlet Lodge on our coming return trip. Yummy!!!

 

[crazylady]

We enjoyed Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau

 

[LiZaArd]

We enjoyed Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau

I did see this place, was wondering how it was.

 

[LiZaArd]

We also did this excursion and loved it! We will be going back for this crab feast at the George Inlet Lodge on our coming return trip. Yummy!!!

I’m so craving crab legs now

 

[bcwife76]

In 2018 we did the Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest. Excellent excursion. You start off with a boat ride (a small touring boat holds about 35 people) and travel to an area where there are crab cages in the water. They pull up one cage and show you actual crabs. They tell you all about the fishing/crabbing industry, point out eagle nests and other wildlife along the shoreline. Then you return to their boat dock and go into a dining area where you fest on crab legs. It's all you can eat. Everyone at your table competes with the other tables to see who can make the tallest crab shell tower (in the middle of your table). Really fun and would do it again.

We did this excursion in 2019 and highly recommend it!!!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We have booked JU33 Alaska Whales and Science adventure for whale watching with Gastineau Guiding. It’s a smaller boat (when we went in 2014 it was my husband and I and another family of 5 on the boat) and we saw orcas, humpbacks and another kind of whale our guide had never seen before. It was a great tour and we have it booked again for 2 weeks from now

 

[LiZaArd]

We have booked JU33 Alaska Whales and Science adventure for whale watching with Gastineau Guiding. It’s a smaller boat (when we went in 2014 it was my husband and I and another family of 5 on the boat) and we saw orcas, humpbacks and another kind of whale our guide had never seen before. It was a great tour and we have it booked again for 2 weeks from now

Thanks! I’m going to check out that excursion too!

 

[jlynch924]

We also did Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest and it was terrific. We saw bald eagles and seals and ate SO. MUCH. CRAB. Two thumbs up - would highly recommend. We didn't do a whale watching excursion, but we did see several whales while we hung out on deck watching the scenery. Saw lots of Orcas, too, swimming alongside the ship.

 

[anricat]

We booked whale watching in Juneau with Rum Runners and they were amazing. It was a private excursion that we split with another family on our cruise and it was sooooo worth it. We saw so many humpbacks! It was an incredible day I'll never forget.

 

[Doingitagain]

In 2018 we did the Ketchikan KE31 Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest. Excellent excursion. You start off with a boat ride (a small touring boat holds about 35 people) and travel to an area where there are crab cages in the water. They pull up one cage and show you actual crabs. They tell you all about the fishing/crabbing industry, point out eagle nests and other wildlife along the shoreline. Then you return to their boat dock and go into a dining area where you fest on crab legs. It's all you can eat. Everyone at your table competes with the other tables to see who can make the tallest crab shell tower (in the middle of your table). Really fun and would do it again.

I got so excited when I read this since we have it booked. Then I thought about our three year old granddaughter and how she would react to seeing crab cages and then seeing us eat crabs. She lectured us at WDW when we ate fish -- Fish are our friends, not food! she said. Thanks, Nemo.

 

[POLY1985]

Love Tracy's Crab Shack!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I got so excited when I read this since we have it booked. Then I thought about our three year old granddaughter and how she would react to seeing crab cages and then seeing us eat crabs. She lectured us at WDW when we ate fish -- Fish are our friends, not food! she said. Thanks, Nemo.

To make her feel better - for a short period of time - they pull the cage up, take out a crab, let you see it, touch it, then put it back in the cage and put it back into the water. Then it's a boat ride back to their dock, pointing out eagles and wildlife.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I got so excited when I read this since we have it booked. Then I thought about our three year old granddaughter and how she would react to seeing crab cages and then seeing us eat crabs. She lectured us at WDW when we ate fish -- Fish are our friends, not food! she said. Thanks, Nemo.

This is the crab cage. Crabs eat dead fish, just in case, there is one in your presentation.

 

[belle032]

We cruised to Alaska in 2020, so everything was probably a bit "off" due to the pandemic.

We did whale watching in Juneau through a third party, I think it was Alaska Tales. and it was awesome. We were right at the end of the humpback season, so it was a little dicey to begin with, but we ended up seeing a bunch of whales, including a breaching calf!

We had lunch on our own at the Alaska Fish & Chips Company. Casual, sat outside, local place. I had the BEST salmon chowder in a bread bowl. To this day, it is probably the best soup I've ever had.

I know Tracy's King Crab Shack is the go to and it's right off the dock. From what we could see, be ready to wait in line and shell out some cash for crab. King crab legs were running $90ish a pound. I don't know what the normal going rate is, and I'm sure there was shortage from the pandemic, but be aware it's probably not going to be cheap. But it will be delicious!

 

[Sakura1017]

We have booked JU33 Alaska Whales and Science adventure for whale watching with Gastineau Guiding. It’s a smaller boat (when we went in 2014 it was my husband and I and another family of 5 on the boat) and we saw orcas, humpbacks and another kind of whale our guide had never seen before. It was a great tour and we have it booked again for 2 weeks from now

What trail do you hike on JU33?