Alaska Wild Coast - Sitka, Alaska

Colin E.

If you only do one thing in Sitka you must take a private tour with captain John.
He took us on a 3+hr tour where he gave us first hand look and information of beautiful Sitka, told us stories of his life, kids, and his wonderful community. (Wouldn't get that on a regular tour)
We had snacks as we covered over 70 nautical miles. We really wanted to see bears or puffins and the weather was just right to cross the bay to see the protected island full of hundreds, if not thousands of birds including puffins. To top it all off we came within 200' of two whales. Breathtaking experience.
Thank you captain John for making Sitka amazing today!!

Alec R.

A must-do adventure if you find yourself in Sitka. This was our third stop in Alaska and with how great our time had been so far, our expectations were high. Beautiful scenery and Alaskan wildlife felt like the whole purpose of the trip and Captain John did not disappoint. He and his wife Alison met us at the ramp where our tender dropped us off. Alison drove my grandfather to the dock while John walked our family there along downtown, pointing out must stop locations after our trip and giving us a historical background of the town. Upon arrival at the dock we boarded his boat, the Peregrine, a 30-foot coastal landing craft. It was immediately clear the pride that Captain John takes not only in his craft but the comfort of his passengers. The vessel was extremely clean and spacious with comfortable seating, 360 views from inside and out cabin and stocked with snacks, hot and cold beverages , as well as plenty of quality binoculars and wildlife reading material for the trip. Before heading out, Captain John instructed us on safety procedures including the location and use of rescue materials and the radio, allowing us to focus all our energy on enjoying the trip but knowing we felt well prepared in an unlikely situation. We quickly set off and enjoyed several hours of what Alaska is all about. We saw all kinds of wildlife: harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, and of course whales; both humpback and grey, some coming within probably 25 yards of our boat. Captain John took great care in making sure that we were able to get up close while respecting the wildlife, keeping our distance or even relocating to other locations if he felt the wildlife was not comfortable, a skill only honed by decades of experience. The whole trip felt extremely dynamic and customized to us with Captain John finding the best views of what wildlife we wanted to see as well as having chances to go on shore and see native fishermen catch salmon. The entire time Captain John answered the countless questions we had and educated us on the rich history of Sitka and its ecosystem. When our trip ended, Captain John offered to drop us off closer to our ship and we had plenty of time to explore town, shop and get a bite to eat.

If you are looking to have a personal and educational encounter with Alaskan wildlife, we can not recommend Alaska Wild Coast enough. You will have the best views of the marine life that can’t be matched by larger excursions and will leave more educated on the wonderful ecosystem and community. We left Captain John feeling like we had taken a boat ride with a longtime friend and a couple that is as excited to show you Alaska as you are to see it. We absolutely plan on returning to Sitka and look forward to seeing John and Alison again.

Steven K.

We were blown away by our experience. This was the best excursion we’ve done in our 10+ years of cruising! Captain John was a true professional. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area and provided great insights only a local could. The boat was very comfortable and clean with a spacious cabin for our family of six. We had access to and saw eagles, whales, sea lions, seals, otters and more. The price was comparable to other similar excursions and given the quality, it was a bargain. We highly recommend going with Captain John.

Alex S.

Captain John might be the best kept secret in Sitka. My wife, mother and 3 friends were looking for an offshore expedition about 3 months before our cruise, and the experience we had on Captain John's private charter was the highlight of our whole trip. We even got to hangout within about 10 feet of a young humpback whale. Captain John knows the area better than just about anyone and is extremely knowledgeable about all of the wild life. The man loves what he does and the price is beyond reasonable for what you're going to experience.

Adam H.

Amazing! Best Alaska experience we've had. From start to finish Captain John was thorough, communicative, friendly, and accommodating. The Peregrine is the perfect vessel for your group of up to 6 people - enclosed cabin, bathroom, and outside viewing area. We had the whole ship with Captain John guiding us, and he showed us EVERYTHING! Otters, sea lions, ORCAS, and a grey whale that came *right up* to our boat - a rare treat! Captain John was always considerate of the animals and careful not to approach too close; they approached us. He also showed us interesting historic military sites along the coast, and explained the history of Sitka dating back to the Aleutian and Russian era. To top it all off, he dropped us right back at our cruise ship, saving us a bus ride back. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Alaska Wild Coast for your Sitka coastal exploration adventure.

David D.

We had a great time in Sitka, which is a beautiful place with many nice things to do. The highlight of our visit was the boat trip with Captain John to Goddard Hot Springs. You couldn’t ask for a better guide or a more comfortable vessel. He is friendly and very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and history. The vessel has nice seats, a great view of the water and Captain John thoughtfully provided several pairs of binoculars and some nice snacks on board. We saw lots of different wildlife en route to the hot springs, which were wonderful. It was an awesome trip with an awesome guide!

Tucson B.

We had an unforgettable experience on our private boat tour of the islands around Sitka with John and Allison. In addition to seeing jellyfish, sea lions and sea otters, we had one of the best meals of our lives cooked on the beach of a beautiful private island. John and Allison thought of every detail. My family is still talking about how wonderful it was.

Nathan F.

My wife and I had an amazing time with John on his tour. He asked us what we would like to see and he gave us an amazing tour full of exactly what we wanted! We saw whales up close, bears eating salmon, and otters and seals! Absolutely a great time and would definitely use John again!