Trip Advisor Reviews

Best whale watching in Sitka!! All I can say is WOW! Captain Gary was the best. His boat was spotless and you can tell he takes pride in EVERYTHING he does. This was by far the best tour I’ve ever been on. He was on the hunt for wildlife and we saw it all. Sea lions, otters, bald eagles and a whales galore. We heard history and were educated on the lay of the land. Best part was a photographer onboard that was able to share the pictures captured on tour. Can’t wait to return to Sitka again and we will definitely spend the day with Captain Gary and his crew.

Unbelievably awesome tour Captain Gary is awesome. Our cruise ship arrived at port later than it had originally had been scheduled and Gary worked with us to get our full tour in despite me being skeptical, sorry Gary :). We saw so many Whales, Sea Otters, Sea Lions and much more. It was an awesome tour. The only thing I regret is we did not also do the land portion of the tour. If it is anything like the tour on the water it would be spectacular. Highly recommend Captain Gary to anyone visiting Sitka.

Gary Sitka adventures was the most thrilling excursion in Alaska! This was the best excursion I have ever been on. From the moment I called Gary to book until I got off his boat was a fascinating learning and wildlife adventure. Gary made us feel so comfortable and welcome and we laughed the whole time. It truly was such a thrilling experience to see all the ocean life. Had the best time ever!!! You can’t go with anybody else but Gary!!!! *****️

Ugh, too many whales But seriously, put this tour at the top of your list in Sitka. Captain Gary and Caitlin were excellent- knowledgeable, professional, hospitable, and friendly. Capt Gary knew exactly where to go to see the whales, otters, seals, sea lions, etc. We even contributed to scientific research that identifies and tracks whales. Caitlin shared her wonderful photos with passengers at the end via Airdrop. It was so fun to hear their stories and knowledge of the animals and the area. The tour boat,“Morning Glory,”was comfortable and smooth with indoor/outdoor viewing options, a heater indoors, snacks/drinks, and a small bathroom. Can’t say enough great things about Captain Gary’s Sitka Adventures- Thank you for the fantastic experience!

Great adventure and experience!! We had an amazing time today!!! Saw so many whales it was mind blowing! His boat is extremely comfortable and smooth. His assistant today was Caitlin and she was knowledgeable And a pleasure to listen to and communicate with. Communication with Gary was great and consistent. I would book with him again in a heartbeat!!!

Book it! Hands down the best part of our visit to Sitka! Capt. Gary was knowledgeable and lots of fun. A true top-notch operation! We were happy to support local highly, highly recommend Sitka Adventures!

Local knowledge, small group. Did the combo whale watching and land tour.
Communication with Capt Gary was excellent. The boat was very comfortable, snacks appreciated, and the group is small.
We did see whales which was very exciting but keep your expectations realistic, as Capt said. Local knowledge and access are important.
We thought the land portion was good but we’re disappointed to find out that afternoon that we weren’t going to the raptor center, as that was the main interest.
Having just been to see bears at the AWCC we thought the Fortress setting was less appealing but you definitely will see bears.

Whale watching with Capt. Gary Captain Gary is awesome! Leading up to our excursion, he kept us well informed of what we could expect. His boat is very comfortable with great sightlines throughout. Gary’s knowledge of Sitka and surrounding areas are second to none. He went above and beyond in his quest to find whales, seals and other wildlife. Gary and other boat captains share whale sightings over the radio in real time to know the areas to explore. Highly recommended!

Want to see a whale or two? Captain Gary and his crew know where to look for whales! And, Captain Gary over and over knew the seascape and the whales' behavior so well that he would be able to tell us where a whale would likely surface. We saw humpback whales, a gray whale and sea lions on our recent trip. When we returned to our ship, we discovered several fellow passengers saw no whales on their excursions. Captain Gary goes the distance Using technology like an online whale database to share information about whales even to specific individuals. He works cooperatively with fellow tour captains to share information in real time to locate whales for his passengers to see. The boat was very comfortable. We went out in a group of 14 and sat two by two in comfortable padded seats in a heated cabin and with clean and clear windows. There was opportunity to use the front and back outdoor decks when we slowed to watch the whales. Our experience with Captain Gary included excellent customer service. He followed up our initial inquiry with a personal call to secure our booking. Our cruise ship was late getting to Port and he and his team contacted all of us to secure a different tour time to accommodate our cruise ship itinerary change. It was a great trip! (And the snacks were really good too!)

Amazing Wildlife and Fun! Sitka Whale Watching Tour- Amazing trip. Gary and 1st mate did an excellent job of showing us the area, including lots of wildlife (whales, otters, eagles, seals, etc) and sharing info about the area. Gary is a native and knows a lot. He was very energic (making it fun) and knowledgeable. I felt safe and well cared for. THANKS GARY!

Amazing whale interactions The tour was amazing!!! The boat was clean, well maintained, and warm. Captain Gary and Jac were knowledgeable, warm, and fantastic hosts. We saw so many whales and enjoyed the incredible views!

Came for a Whale, Got a Life Experience I went on this whale tour thinking, “Cool, maybe I’ll see some whales”.

What I got was front-row seats to multiple whales bubble net feeding in these amazing coordinated teams! Awe inspiring you ask? YES!

They would come up all at once—mouths wide open, water exploding everywhere—and I just stood there like, “WHAT IS MY LIFE RIGHT NOW??” There is even underwater equipment on the boat so you can hear them communicating with each other coordinating their attack! Absolute chills. Possibly some tears. Definitely no dignity left.

Captain Gary was amazing—super knowledgeable, hilarious, and clearly just as excited as the rest of us. His boat is beautiful! He kept it nice and toasty for us so we stayed nice and warm even though it was a little chilly out. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does (and probably enjoys watching grown adults lose their minds over whales).

10/10. Will most definitely have an existential crisis on the ocean again and will likely choose Gary’s tour every time. (And I live here).

The best tour money can buy We loved both land and sea! This was our first trip to AK, both of these provided an authentic feel to the rugged culture. Captain Gary's excursion was truly a once in a lifetime event. He is a seasoned captain, built his own boat, knows his area of the sea, and is familiar with the whales, personally. He knew when & where to be. We saw many whales and followed one that breached 8 times. For a land lover, we were secure and blown away. Of any AK tours to experience, this combination was the best!

He knows Sitka well We were so very pleased to find Captain Gary in Sitka. We had a wonderful day watching humpback whales dive for krill, brown bears eating salmon, sea otters and seals lounging in the sun. A great experience with a Boat Captain who knows the places to visit in Sitka. Highly recommend this excursion when cruising. Professional, personal and reliable.

AMAZING!!!!!! A group of 12 of us joined Captain Gary for the whale watching tour. It was AMAZING!

He has a newer style boat that seats 14. The seats are arranged like a bus so everyone is facing forward. The boat is immaculate.

Captain Gary is very knowledgeable about the area and the sealife. We saw multiple whales at the same time. Some just surfacing while others were playing. It was a great time.

We highly recommend this excursion, especially for small groups

Whales Spotted Here Captain Gary’s tripwaa amazing. Saw so many whales and bonus sea otters and seals.
Communication was great and it was a smooth experience. We went on HAL cruise but got this from great TA reviews. We took the noontoir but got into townearly enough so we could shop a bit.

Best Sitka excursions! We started with the land tour led by guide Chris who brought us to the raptor center as well as Fortress of the Bears for an unforgettable land experience and finished the day with an epic marine tour led by Captain Gary and Abbigale who was able to not only spot whales with her keen eye, but also knew all their names! Priceless experience. We were so lucky to see Star- Flames mom breach out of the water many many times in an epic display to not be forgotten! Thank you once again for sharing Sitka with us! And your boat is THE BEST!!
Crystal

An amazing Sitka experience!! I did the Land and Sea Tour on June 21st. We started out our day with the land portion and had a really great time. Our guide was very knowledgeable! The amount of time at each of the stops was perfect, about 30 minutes at each. Afterwords, we went on the water with Capt. Gary. He has an amazing network of people to know the best places to go to see whales. Immediately after boarding the boat, he was informed of a large pod of whales bubble net feeding. We went right out to where they were being spotted even though it was a ways out. I have never seen anything so incredible in my life! We were surrounded by about 12-15 humbacks, and watch them come up to bubble net feed 3 times! I had 2 children and my grandmother with me, and I know all of us will remember this experience for the rest of our lives!! It's evident how much Gary cares about what he does and the safety of the whales! He was so amazing with my children and it was like being out on the water with an old friend. I can't recommend this tour enough!