Trip Advisor Reviews

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!

Best excursion of our Alaskan Cruise. We had the most amazing time booking direct with Gary for his best of land and sea excursion.
Gary went out of his way to call me when I made the initial enquiry and the amazing communication continued throughout.
We were lucky to see numerous whales, sea otters and a bear catching a salmon along the shore line.
Gary’s boat was a maximum of 6 and his local knowledge and relationships with other boats owners ensured that we wasted no time and headed straight to the most recent sightings.
Gary’s interaction and attention to detail was absolutely perfect.
You MUST book this trip as Sitka was the very first port on our 11 night Alaskan Cruise and by far was the best excursion of our whole holiday.
In the afternoon we visited the Raptor Centre, Fortress of the Bears and Totem pole centre and each of these stops were good to see but for me the whales and bear watching were the best.
Many thanks
Mark & Vicky (England)

When we come back, we are calling you! Spending time with Captain Gary on his boat was well worth it! We were in port on a cruise but I booked our excursions on my own. Cpt Gary was recommended to me by another Sitka vendor and I was very happy with the recommendation. On our boat ride, he took us over to the salmon hatchery. We weren't even there a minute and we saw a Momma Bear and her three cubs come out of the trees. We saw the Momma Bear dive in and catch a salmon to feed the cubs. As they were eating, another bear ventured down. She made it clear for the other bear to stay away. Off the other bear went. The boat only had my family of 4, Capt Gary, and two other tourists - super nice ladies, so it was nice not to be in a crowd. We also saw bald eagles, sea lions on a buoy, and a sea otter randomly floating in the middle of the water. Captain Gary - Thank you for being a wonderful tour guide!

Boat tour with Captain Gary and Niko Captain Gary was very friendly and warm he was knowledgeable and took us on an amazing adventure. We always felt safe he had good control of the environment around him and was able to take us to a pod of killer whales. Gary dropped us off at 7 fathoms Cabin, where we spent two days. He brought along three kayaks for our group on the top of his boat. The day he was due to pick us up the weather was pretty gnarly yet he still made it through to collect us. We met Koali and Niko as well , they teamed up well with captain Gary and altogether provided an extremely wonderful experience. We look forward to returning and would 100% recommend them for all your land and water tours.

AMAZING!! Bears, Eagles, Totem Poles, and WHALES We recently returned from our first cruise to Alaska with Celebrity. First port was Sitka. Cpt. Gary's Land and Sea Tour is the only way to get the full Sitka experience in a short amount of time! Koali lead the small group of about 10 around the town in a van and was friendly, knowledgeable, and most importantly, she kept us on schedule. We saw bears, eagles, hawks, owls, totem poles, and salmon. All key highlights of Sitka. Next was the whale watching with Gary. HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT. During our afternoon we saw sea lions, sea otters, more salmon, and yes, WHALES. I can not express how determined Gary was in finding whales, He was a man on a mission!! We saw about 12 whales throughout the afternoon. Exhilarating and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. BOOK NOW. Gary's team, including Nico, is top notch and worth every penny. Gary, thanks for starting our trip off on such a high. Good luck with the new boat and your future endeavors. Marc and Frank

Great Captain & Very Enjoyable Whale Watching Tour. A very enjoyable boat trip with lots of animals including Humpback whales, Sea otters, Bald eagles & more.
Captain Gary is very friendly, very knowledgable & an all round good guy.
His first mate Nico (the family dog) is definitely the “star of the show”
Communication with Gary prior to the trip was very good, the booking process was super straightforward.
Meeting Gary was simple, directions were perfect, so all good.
The boat trip was about 3 hours & Captain Gary is working the whole time for his guests maximum enjoyment.
He clearly loves his job, he is the boat owner & insists everyone has loads of fun.
A very enjoyable whale watching tour, we viewed at least 10 different Whales with one really cool interaction.
Definitely recommend Captain Gary & Nico Whale watching trips.
Thanks Gary, great job 👏

Living the Dream Cpt. Gary took us (3 locals, including myself and 3 from Florida) on a 2.5 hour wildlife cruise. We started out by watching a friend zip around us on her eFoil and that was amazing. Next we saw Stellar Sea Lions on a whistle buoy and then we headed toward St Lazarius on this sunny warm 4th of July with flat seas. Before long Cpt. Gary spotted a whale spout, we approached. The whale showed his tail and dove. Then there were several other whales and adorable sea otters floating on their backs. One of the whales was beating the water with his tail repeatedly. I'd never seen that behavior before. Following that we went a bit further to St. Lasarius. The island looks magical and is home to over 100,000 birds from at least 7 species. We saw many species and my favorite were the Tufted Puffins.
As amazing as the wildlife we encountered, Cpt. Gary was able to engage my 13 year old niece who did not appear to b e happy being there. It wasn't too long before she put down her phone and was engaged. You are a miracle worker Cpt. Gary.

There be whales here, Captain! We had a fantastic time with Captain Gary! Sea otters, a steller sea lion, and...a pod of 4 or 5 orca! We were originally scheduled with another group of three, but it ended up just the two of us which made the adventure so much more personal. Captain Gary was extra attentive with my husband (who does not enjoy being on the water) making him feel at ease as if he was watching a baseball game in our living room!

Book your tour with Capt Gary ASAP! He's a real Gem! We (4 adults and a 4 YO) booked a 5-hour adventure with Captain Gary. It was one of the most amazing experiences for all of us. We now call it the bucket list destination we didn't know we had. Capt Gary took us all the way to St. Lazaria, which we'd asked him to do when we booked and he said he'd be happy to if the weather was right. It was, and we did. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, otters, and a multitude of birds, including a Puffin, which was high on our list. Capt. Gary knew just where to take us to maximize the experience and told us cool stories along the way. He brought us into sea caves where starfish and sea anemones stuck to the walls in a colorful array that was breathtaking. I really can't say enough good things about Capt Gary and his tour and I highly recommend him.

Incredible sea tour! We went on the sea tour with another couple and it was truly magical. We not only saw huge, beautiful whales but sea otters and an incredible experience with a mama bear and her three cubs. Captain Gary knew all the great spots for the best views-it was everything we wanted and so much more. Seeing Sitka from the water was breathtaking and well worth the early wake up and money.

Incredible wildlife tour in Sitka Captain Gary epitomizes what a wildlife watching boat tour should be. He met us at the dock with a friendly face, helped us get on the boat (a small well-built six-seater for the personal touch). He was enthusiastic and you can tell he loves what he does. We saw multiples of whales, sea otters, sea lions, bears, eagles, etc. He was always concerned for our comfort and safety. We would recommend him to cruise ship passengers or independent travelers alike. He is a gem, as is his mascot, Niko.

Boat Charter's Sitka, Alaska, Captain Gary's We had such a blast with Gary. What a great personality!

He was accommodating and tailored our trip to our liking. We had so much fun. He showed us Sitka by the sea in ways that no one else ever has.

We watched whales, sea otters, eagles, and of course the beautiful scenery,

Gary exceeded in making us laugh and made sure we were having fun and enjoying ourselves on his boat charter.

His boat was kept up in immaculate and we felt very safe. There was plenty of room to move around and enjoy seating either indoor or outdoor.

We recommend Captain Gary's AWESOME charters to anyone that wants to enjoy a good time and see close up, first hand, Sitka By the Sea.

A Fun and Memorable Tour Experience My daughter and I joined Captain Gary and precious First Mate, Niko, on a tour around Sitka Sound on our recent visit. This was our first time out with Gary but it won't be our last! He was very fun and engaging and we thoroughly enjoyed, not only the tour, but also getting to know more about him and his life and history with this enchanting town. While out with him, despite the north winds making conditions less than ideal, we still saw eagles, otters, stellar sea lions, and humpbacks! He did a great job engaging everyone in conversation with himself and each other and also continually ensured that one rider prone to seasickness was doing well throughout the tour. The experience was incredibly fun and memorable! Thanks for everything, Gary! Looking forward to next time!

a MUST DO for your Sitka visit ... We so enjoyed our time with Capt Gary ... he was definitely a highlight of our visit to Sitka and while I'm sure there are other operations that offer whale watching and wildlife sightseeing ... I wouldn't book with anyone else, Capt Gary was outstanding and we got to see otters, sea lions, sockeyes running up stream and some humpbacks up close and personal. He's super knowledgeable about the area and makes sure that all his guests have an exceptional time. Gary is a MUST DO for your Sitka visit

Cpt. Gary's Sitka Adventure is EPIC! Captain Gary was recommended by John, at Sitka Sound Ocean Adventures, so we went kayaking, Goddard hot springs, and salmon fishing all in one day! Cap't Gary met us at the harbor after kayaking and was super excited about everything, which was contagious. He knew where the fish were, what they were hungry for, and experimented on the best presentation of bait to fish, so we reeled in our limit of beautiful King salmon. One was too close to 28", so had to put it back (very carefully by Gary so it could grow a little bit, and another one got away!) I think he has fish DNA! It was too late to take them to the processor, so he took them home, cleaned and filleted and vacuum sealed them for us. Far and above expectations. I won't go back to Sitka without a trip with Cap't Gary!

We LOVED our time with Captain Gary! We absolutely LOVED our whale watching trip with Gary (and his dog Niko)! Gary was gracious and accommodating to our largish group of 9 people. Due to less business because of COVID, Gary was willing to tailor his services to what we were looking for which was whale watching plus some transportation to Fortress of the Bear. I know next year when hopefully we are all vaccinated against this virus, he may not have the same ability to be so flexible but we were extremely grateful for how kind, communicative, and diligent he was in making sure we had a good time.
For the first hour or so of our whale watching expedition, we didn't see any whales. But Gary didn't give up! He kept searching and searching in all the locations he had seen whales this season. It helps that he was born and raised and Sitka, so he just KNOWS the area extremely well. He finally spotted a whale and man, we were treated to a show of a lifetime, including breaching. Sorry, there aren't any guarantees that Gary can duplicate that for future travelers but he stayed optimistic and determined to make sure he was getting to locations where whales are typically spotted.
I would highly recommend Captain Gary: kind, hard working, gracious, and knowledgeable. We'll definitely hit him up again when we're back in Alaska!

Looking forward to Summer 2021 with Captain Gary Due to Covid-19, I had to alter our family's travel plans this summer more than once, and ultimately, and so unfortunately, had to cancel with Captain Gary. Nevertheless, he has been exceptional with us throughout the mayhem at communication, flexibility, and understanding. He immediately offered to return our deposit and stayed warm and optimistic through all of our conversations, despite the ongoing uncertainty and stress the Sitka community is under with the unexpected loss of the cruise season. I have no doubt that he will experience even more success in the coming years from what I've seen of his quality character and fun-loving nature so far!! We are greatly looking forward to seeing Sitka Sound and beyond with him next season!! His wonderful reviews may have been what brought Captain Gary to our attention, but it will be his fun personality and professionalism that will bring us back year after year!! See you next summer, Gary!!

Whale watching during Corona We had more great trips with Captain Gary. We returned for the bubble net feeding. Unfortunately, Corona virus cut our vacation short in March 2020. We did get out and saw some full breaching but our timing was bad for bubble net feeding, which was happening every 2 days. The humpbacks were getting enough fish with sideways lunging. We would visit again. Captain Gary is very hospitable and flexible.