Going on your first guided experience of the season is always an exciting adventure—even for our ABAK team! Each summer, we encourage our staff to join guided tours as guests, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in our spectacular wilderness adventures and see the experience through our guests’ eyes. Our Tour Coordinator, Sydney, had the chance to be a guest for the day on our Paddle with Whales tour. She explored the stunning beauty of the Channel Islands Marine Park and witnessed the magic of the water firsthand. Here’s what Sydney had to say about her unforgettable day with us!
Interacting with our Staff
I was really looking forward to interacting with more of the staff here at ABAK as well as seeing the tours we offer through the eyes of a tourist! The Kayaking with Whales adventure is one of our tours that offers a unique intimate experience with both marine life as well as our guides. The guides for this adventure were Kristin, the resident whale expert, and Julia, our very own Juneau native! Along with these two lovely ladies, we also got to meet Wade, the charge boat captain, and Matt, another boat captain on the motorboat. They were all super excited to get us out on the water and start our whale watching adventure.
Impressive Knowledge
I have to say that we were all blown away by the sheer amount of knowledge that Kristin has on humpback whales. She has such an interesting background that suits the work that she does here extremely well. It felt as though she was a never ending well of knowledge about all the marine life that we saw! She is a self-proclaimed “whale nerd”, she used to follow the same migration pattern as the whales. Meaning that she would follow them to Hawaii in the winter and then right back here to Juneau in the summer!
The group we had consisted of three guests, the two guides, two captains, and two staff; 10/10 group, if I’m being honest. The guests were very engaged with both Kristin and Julia and were wanting to hear more about Kristin’s experiences.
Welcome Aboard
The intimate six-passenger motorboat, and the personalized whale watching experience provided such an amazing atmosphere for viewing the wildlife. We saw a mind blowing number of whales right away! They were out and about in Auke Bay on the hunt for some good grub ☺ Wade and Matt were our awesome boat captains! They were dedicated to providing the best whale watching experience that they could. Wade was in communication with other captains throughout the tour and Kristin was also talking to other whale enthusiasts about different sightings to ensure that we were in the best area.
Experiencing Marine Life
We got to see some playful whales! It’s truly a unique experience to be able to view whales in their feeding grounds. One even breached the surface! There were many kinds of marine life as well: Stellar Sea Lions, a Harbor Seal, marine birds, and the rare sighting of a River Otter! As we were coming up to our launching point to begin our sea kayaking portion, there was a wee little river otter swimming by! You never know what sort of marine life you’ll experience on one of our tours ☺
Trip Highlights
As part of the staff here at ABAK, we thought it would be interesting to include our favorite parts of the tour with you!
Dakota: “What I liked most about the Kayaking with Whales experience was the motorboat and kayaking combination. I liked that we were able to experience two different aquatic facets of the Channel Islands State Marine Park. The motorboat allowed us to get to the whales faster, especially when they were further away.”
Sydney: “My favorite part of this experience was when we were pulling up to the private island to launch the Kayaks, we spotted a river otter making his way along the shoreline! I know that otters are a rare find, so it made my day being able to see one super close to us!”
