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| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q. What type of whales are near Juneau, Alaska?
A. Humpback and Orca Whales. We have seen Humpback Whales on
100% of our trips since 2004. We see Orca Whales about 15% of the time.
Q. What is the best time of the year to see whales around Juneau?
A. The best months are May through September for Humpback Whales.
Q. Do you have a whale sighting guarantee?
A. No, after four years and seeing whales on 100% of the trips, we have
decided not to use this as a means to get customers. We promise to do the best
we can to locate whales on each and every trip.
A. Humpback and Orca Whales. We have seen Humpback Whales on
100% of our trips since 2004. We see Orca Whales about 15% of the time.
Q. What is the best time of the year to see whales around Juneau?
A. The best months are May through September for Humpback Whales.
Q. Do you have a whale sighting guarantee?
A. No, after four years and seeing whales on 100% of the trips, we have
decided not to use this as a means to get customers. We promise to do the best
we can to locate whales on each and every trip.
Q. Can you see whales anytime of the day?
A. Yes. But during the evening (after 7:00 pm) the whales tend to be less
active. Humpback Whales surface + or - every 15 minutes to breathe.
Q. How close can we get to the whales?
A. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that
boats may not approach Humpback Whales closer than 100 yards (300 ft).
Occasionally they swim closer than 100 yards.
Q. Will you pick us up? How do we get to your boat?
A. Yes. We will pick you up in our courtesy van near your cruise ship and
drive you out to the boat and return you to your ship when we are done with
the tour.
Q. Is there a bathroom on board.
A. Yes, flush toilet and locking door.
Q. Are the boats covered and do they have heaters?
A. Yes. The boats have enclosed cabins with large windows and heaters if the
weather is cold.
A. Yes. But during the evening (after 7:00 pm) the whales tend to be less
active. Humpback Whales surface + or - every 15 minutes to breathe.
Q. How close can we get to the whales?
A. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that
boats may not approach Humpback Whales closer than 100 yards (300 ft).
Occasionally they swim closer than 100 yards.
Q. Will you pick us up? How do we get to your boat?
A. Yes. We will pick you up in our courtesy van near your cruise ship and
drive you out to the boat and return you to your ship when we are done with
the tour.
Q. Is there a bathroom on board.
A. Yes, flush toilet and locking door.
Q. Are the boats covered and do they have heaters?
A. Yes. The boats have enclosed cabins with large windows and heaters if the
weather is cold.
Q. Is the water rough around Juneau?
A. Juneau is located in - (the inside passage) there is no open ocean water
near Juneau. Between May and the end of August the water is usually pretty
calm. The wind is usually 15 mph or less. Although an occasional storm can
blow through.
Q. Do people get sea sick on your boats?
A. Almost never. 6 passengers in the last 4 years.
Q. If the water is too rough to go on the tour, can we get a refund?
A. Yes, full 100% refund.
Q. What is your cancellation policy?
A. 100%* refundable up to two weeks prior to tour date. Anytime after that the 20%
deposit is nonrefundable. If cancelled due to circumstances beyond your control,
full refund. Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction.
*!00% in the form of a check, if we credit your credit card, there will be a 4% charge.
Q. What happens if we miss our cruise ship because the boat breaks down?
A. First, we have never had anybody miss their cruise ship.
We guarantee we will get you back to your cruise ship before it departs.
If we fail.
1. You will receive a full refund for the whale watching tour.
2. Each passenger on board will receive $100.00.
3. We will pay the boat or plane fair to get you to your next port of call.
4. If needed, we will provide food and lodging.
Q. What other things of interest might we see on the whale watching tour.
A. Eagles, Sea lions, seals, lighthouses, mountain glaciers, remote islands and
beautiful mountains.
Q. Can I smoke or drink alcohol while on the whale watching tour?
A. For the safety and enjoyment of all passengers, smoking and drinking are not allowed.
Q. If we would like to go to the Mendenhall Glacier, how do we get there?
A. There are shuttle buses (MGT) that run from downtown Juneau to the glacier and
back every 1/2 hour, no reservations required. The cost is $7.00 each way per
person. Taxis are also available.
We can drop you off in our courtesy van at the Glacier after the whale watching tour
if you like, then you could take the shuttle or taxi back to your cruise ship or hotel.
Q. What if we have more than 6 passengers in our group?
A. We have two boats, so its possible to book both at the same time. The boats would
travel together making it even more of a fun adventure. You have an opportunity to take
pictures of the other group with a scenic background.
Q. Is there a discount for children?
A. Sorry because of our limited seating capacity, we are unable to offer any discounts.
To help keep all of our customs as happy as possible, we will only take children under the
age of thirteen (13) if it is an exclusive tour or groups of five our six.
Q. Why are you called Harv and Marv, when your names are Pete and Jay.
A. Pete and Jay have been friends since junior high school (1970's).
One day after Pete watched a movie which the only sane character was Harv. He started
calling Jay, Harv. Jay getting a little tired of this, replied by calling Pete, Harv or Marv.
They have called each other Harv and Marv for over twenty five years now.
Q. We see all these photos of whales, how many can we really expect to see on a
trip?
A. We have seen as many as 25 in one day, but we are happy if we get to see 2 to 3
different Humpback Whales per trip.
Q. You have lots of photos of whales breaching and bubble feeding, what can we
really expect to see on the tour?
A. By far, most of the time we just watch the whales swimming through the water, coming
up to breath every 7 to 15 minutes. We always enjoy seeing the fluke or tail, but they
don't always show their tail when they dive. Each trip, each day is different.
Q. We have heard lots of good things about your company, so what are some of
the negatives?
A. We run smaller boats, so if the water is rough a larger boat will give you a
smoother ride.
A. There are three big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks
about 300 yards away from our boat. If you can not walk 300 yards or up and
down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different boat.
A. If you have less than six (6) people in your group and do not pay for an
exclusive tour, you may end up with some people that are not so fun or enjoyable
to be around! We have no control over this.
Q. How soon do we need to make a reservation?
A. You can wait as long as you like, (we need about 1/2 hour notice if you are in town)
but its best to make the reservation as soon as you can to get the dates and times you
want, some dates are filling up already.
We have been getting a lot of reservations, so we wanted to let everyone know that the
first party that confirms a reservation with a deposit gets the reservation!
As an example: A person who has been e-mailing and asking questions for awhile may
lose the spot they were interested in because someone else called or emailed and put a
deposit for that date and time.
We hope this helps!
If you have other questions that are not answered here, please call
907-209-7288 or email us.
A. Juneau is located in - (the inside passage) there is no open ocean water
near Juneau. Between May and the end of August the water is usually pretty
calm. The wind is usually 15 mph or less. Although an occasional storm can
blow through.
Q. Do people get sea sick on your boats?
A. Almost never. 6 passengers in the last 4 years.
Q. If the water is too rough to go on the tour, can we get a refund?
A. Yes, full 100% refund.
Q. What is your cancellation policy?
A. 100%* refundable up to two weeks prior to tour date. Anytime after that the 20%
deposit is nonrefundable. If cancelled due to circumstances beyond your control,
full refund. Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction.
*!00% in the form of a check, if we credit your credit card, there will be a 4% charge.
Q. What happens if we miss our cruise ship because the boat breaks down?
A. First, we have never had anybody miss their cruise ship.
We guarantee we will get you back to your cruise ship before it departs.
If we fail.
1. You will receive a full refund for the whale watching tour.
2. Each passenger on board will receive $100.00.
3. We will pay the boat or plane fair to get you to your next port of call.
4. If needed, we will provide food and lodging.
Q. What other things of interest might we see on the whale watching tour.
A. Eagles, Sea lions, seals, lighthouses, mountain glaciers, remote islands and
beautiful mountains.
Q. Can I smoke or drink alcohol while on the whale watching tour?
A. For the safety and enjoyment of all passengers, smoking and drinking are not allowed.
Q. If we would like to go to the Mendenhall Glacier, how do we get there?
A. There are shuttle buses (MGT) that run from downtown Juneau to the glacier and
back every 1/2 hour, no reservations required. The cost is $7.00 each way per
person. Taxis are also available.
We can drop you off in our courtesy van at the Glacier after the whale watching tour
if you like, then you could take the shuttle or taxi back to your cruise ship or hotel.
Q. What if we have more than 6 passengers in our group?
A. We have two boats, so its possible to book both at the same time. The boats would
travel together making it even more of a fun adventure. You have an opportunity to take
pictures of the other group with a scenic background.
Q. Is there a discount for children?
A. Sorry because of our limited seating capacity, we are unable to offer any discounts.
To help keep all of our customs as happy as possible, we will only take children under the
age of thirteen (13) if it is an exclusive tour or groups of five our six.
Q. Why are you called Harv and Marv, when your names are Pete and Jay.
A. Pete and Jay have been friends since junior high school (1970's).
One day after Pete watched a movie which the only sane character was Harv. He started
calling Jay, Harv. Jay getting a little tired of this, replied by calling Pete, Harv or Marv.
They have called each other Harv and Marv for over twenty five years now.
Q. We see all these photos of whales, how many can we really expect to see on a
trip?
A. We have seen as many as 25 in one day, but we are happy if we get to see 2 to 3
different Humpback Whales per trip.
Q. You have lots of photos of whales breaching and bubble feeding, what can we
really expect to see on the tour?
A. By far, most of the time we just watch the whales swimming through the water, coming
up to breath every 7 to 15 minutes. We always enjoy seeing the fluke or tail, but they
don't always show their tail when they dive. Each trip, each day is different.
Q. We have heard lots of good things about your company, so what are some of
the negatives?
A. We run smaller boats, so if the water is rough a larger boat will give you a
smoother ride.
A. There are three big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks
about 300 yards away from our boat. If you can not walk 300 yards or up and
down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different boat.
A. If you have less than six (6) people in your group and do not pay for an
exclusive tour, you may end up with some people that are not so fun or enjoyable
to be around! We have no control over this.
Q. How soon do we need to make a reservation?
A. You can wait as long as you like, (we need about 1/2 hour notice if you are in town)
but its best to make the reservation as soon as you can to get the dates and times you
want, some dates are filling up already.
We have been getting a lot of reservations, so we wanted to let everyone know that the
first party that confirms a reservation with a deposit gets the reservation!
As an example: A person who has been e-mailing and asking questions for awhile may
lose the spot they were interested in because someone else called or emailed and put a
deposit for that date and time.
We hope this helps!
If you have other questions that are not answered here, please call
907-209-7288 or email us.
| 2008 Season: May 10 - September 19 |
| Alaska Whale Watching with Harv And Marv's |