Google Reviews

An excellent trip! We saw a ton of wildlife- whales, otters, seals, Steller sea lions, puffins, and other amazing sea birds. Gary and his naturalist have a deep understanding of the region and provide an amazing experience.

An absolute highlight of our Alaska cruise! This whale watching excursion was worth every single penny. Captain Gary and his assistant were incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating facts about the local marine life and ecosystem throughout the trip. They were able to provide details on the specific whales we saw and where they have been spotted previously. Most importantly, they truly knew where the whales were—we were treated to some unforgettable sightings!

As cruise passengers, we were naturally a bit anxious about timing, but the team took our ship's departure schedule very seriously. They managed the time perfectly, ensuring we had maximum viewing time on the water without ever making us feel rushed, and got us back to the port with time to spare. If you want a stress-free adventure with guides who genuinely know their stuff, look no further!

If you want to see the most whales and learn the most about them, go ahead and book Captain Gary!

Comfy, clean boat with bathroom. Room to be inside and outside. Friendly staff. Beautiful whales, eagle and sea otters.

We had a fantastic whale watching tour with Captain Gary's Sitka Adventures! We saw an incredible number of whales and sea otters, along with several majestic bald eagles. Unfortunately, we didn't spot any bears, but that didn't take away from what was an amazing adventure.
Captain Gary, the owner and operator, was incredibly friendly and made the entire experience enjoyable. His naturalist, Caitlin, was outstanding—her knowledge of the local wildlife and ecosystem made the tour even more interesting.
If you're visiting Sitka and looking for an unforgettable wildlife experience, I highly recommend Captain Gary's Sitka Adventures. We had an amazing time!

Absolutely fantastic time on the water with Captain Gary and Caitlyn. Our ship was running a little behind schedule and Gary reached out before we docked, coordinating a plan to get to the dock. When we got on the water, it was amazing. Gary and Caitlyn were engaging and explained so much. We saw coastal brown bears, sea otters, harbor seals, and more humpback whales than we could count. The boat was extremely comfortable too. Highly recommend Captain Gary if you find yourself in Sitka!

Awesome tour! Awesome guides!!! Gary and his wife did an amazing job with the information, sites, pictures, etc!!! Would recommend every time you visit Sitka!

Couldn’t ask for better! Cheaper than the cruise ship options and way better. Great vessel, comfortable but small enough to you get a close up view, and Gary and Catherine are absolutely an amazing duo. We saw orcas, humpbacks, puffers, sea lions and more - all in less than 3 hrs! Great tour

Such a great experience, we saw whales, sea otters , bears and sea lions! Friendly and informative.

Fantastic tour. We saw bears, whales, otters and more. Highly recommend

Captain Gary made our time in Sitka absolutely unforgettable! From the moment we stepped on board, he was welcoming, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what he does. He knew exactly where to go to give us the best experience and shared so many interesting facts about the area and its wildlife along the way.

His professionalism, friendly personality, and attention to detail made us feel comfortable and well taken care of the entire trip. If you're visiting Sitka and want an incredible experience with someone who truly knows these waters, Captain Gary is the one to book with. Highly recommend—we'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Wow what an amazing experience. Gary is an excellent captain who will have you experiencing new sightings and fun views the entire time. Kaitlyn the extremely knowledgeable and absolutely kind hearted deck hand will keep you informed and teach you all kinds of fun facts and awsome stories of the area...Highly recommend sitka adventures the morning glory was a beautiful boat that you can tell has had a lot of custom modifications and upgrades done for your comfort and experience 😀 Sure hope you book with them and get to experience this amazing experience would miss it if in Alaska....
Thank you again guys appreciate you
Ketra #7

We had an amazing experience with Captain Gary and Caitlyn. He picked us up promptly and showed us a great time. We saw a lot of whales, sea otters, harbor seals. There were only 6 of us on the boat. It was such a personal experience. Caitlyn was taking shots with her camera and she was so great at sharing the photos with us. She was very informative on the whales and the surrounding area. Sitka is beautiful. I would recommend booking with Captain Gary, he will take you where the whales are!

Capt Gary and Kaitlin far exceeded our hopes and expectations. It was so easy to book with them and I appreciated that Gary reached out personally to explain and confirm. And our time on the water was spectacular - bears, whales, sea otters, eagles and great fun facts. Thanks for a magical day in the waters of Sitka!

Captain Gary and Caitlyn gave us the absolute BEST trip - we saw mama bears and cubs, tons of whales, and some otters. They are both so knowledgeable and answered all our questions.

An outstanding adventure. Capt. Gary is the best. Very clean and nice equipment. Can’t ask for a better experience.

Fantastic time, could not recommend more. Professional, knowledgeable, and so fun!

This was a great tour. Riley was a wonderful tour guide. the Fortress of the bear was very informative and loved seeing the bear up close. The Alaska Raptor Center was amazing as just after we got there we got to witness them releasing a Bald Eagle back into the wild. It was beautiful to see.

Thank you Captain Gary!! Our family loved getting out on the water with you and your crew in June. This was my second time in Sitka taking a local boat tour. I highly recommend your excursion to anyone looking to get out on the water for several hours for an immersive and unique experience. .

To those looking for a tour and have one day in Sitka as a cruise stop, get out on the water with a local expert like Captain Gary. The harbor is packed with wildlife and beautiful scenery that can only be viewed up close from a smaller craft. Born and raised in Sitka, Captain Gary delivers a true local’s perspective on the Sitka experience. He and his crew entertain their guests not only with up close wildlife encounters with an educated perspective, but also what it’s like to grow up in such a historical town.

The town of Sitka has much to offer. You will have plenty of time before or after the boat excursion to walk the streets, shop, and grab a bite to eat. But your stop is not complete without getting up close to what makes Sitka really magical… sea otter flotillas, nesting eagles, wandering breaching whales, curious seals, a volcanic island, bird sanctuaries, and elusive orcas (if you are lucky), and more….

10/10 experience with Captain Gary! We had more kids than adults and Gary was so kind and made it the best time ever for all the kids and all the adults. He was so easy to book and communicate with and was so accommodating to our group. We will definitely be recommending Captain Gary to all our family and friends who travel to Sitka! Book with him, you will not be disappointed!

I was squeezed in at the last minute and I was super glad that I made his tour. I had no clue what we signed up for and it truly did not disappoint. The amount of whales we saw was incredible. The seals were super cute and the mama bear with her three cubs were so cute to see. Captain Gary was a super nice guy and there was nothing but friendliness and professionalism out of them throughout our tour.

We had a fantastic time doing Gary’s sea tour in Sitka recently. The stars aligned and we had clear skies, sun, smooth water, and quite a show put on by whales, otters, seals, and eagles. Even if we had seen nothing, we would have been so pleased with the trip. Gary was funny, down to earth, and clearly passionate about Sitka and its wildlife. We had so much fun and could have spent several more hours sailing around with him and his assistant Katelyn. We learned so much and this tour was the highlight of our trip. Thank you for such a memorable day!

We visited Sitka this past week (July 2026), and we are so glad we picked Captain Gary’s whale watching tour as our Sitka adventure. Captain Gary and his assistant were wonderful. They really know the area and marine life well. You can tell they have a passion for what they do. We loved the smaller atmosphere of the boat. It was very comfortable and relaxing. We saw so many whales, sea otters, sea lions, and eagles. It was a great way to start our trip. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Excellent excursion and highly recommended! Gary and his team were professional, knowledgeable, and offered extra touches that made the trip special and memorable. It was evident they love what they do and it made all the difference!!!

Gary and cait are the coolest people on the water hands down. Had an epic time out on the ocean you really can’t get out in the Sitka sound with a better crew, I’ll put my life’s saving on that. The drive and passion to ID whales on the water is contagious. If I could give 100 stars I would. Would recommend this to anyone and everyone when visiting the area!!!