We just got back from a wonderful trip to Alaska . While in Juneau we went whale watching with Harv (at least that was his name that week; the week after he said it will probably be Marv). I had made the arrangements with Eileen over the internet before we left as I had read on tripadvisor about their company. Eileen picked us up from Mendenhall Glacier and took us to the pier where we boarded the boat. She picked us up afterwards and dropped us off at the pier where our cruise ship was docked. We did get to see some whales, however there was a salmon derby taking place that week and Harv said they had not been seeing as many whales as usual. We also got to see bald eagles and sea lions. Harv had binoculars,blankets, and snacks on the boat and made sure we were able to get good pictures of anything we wanted. We loved the personalized service and would definitely recommend this operation to anyone interested in whale watching.

Whales! Whales! Whales! I was overwhelmed and elated by this experience. It was an afternoon I will never forget. When I booked a whale watching tour, I knew we would see whales, but that a very common outcome was to see a few humps and spouts at a distance on a cloudy day. And believe me, that would have been fine. However, in my secret heart, I hoped that we would get a glimpse at a group of humpbacks bubble net feeding. Boy did I get my wish. It was a gorgeous day and we saw a group of approximately 15 humpbacks of all sizes feeding over and over. It was such a gorgeous day that I wore a t-shirt and got a little sunburned!

Let me back up to say that the Harv and Marv experience was top notch from start to finish. Their web site was informative, and I loved Jay’s photos. I was especially eager to do a whale tour with a pilot/guide who shared my interest in photography. I talked to Eileen (Mrs. Marv) a couple of times as I was working out the details of our itinerary and she was just lovely – helpful and informative. Eileen’s dad picked us up outside the Red Dog Saloon and drove us past the same tidal flats, this time at low tide. We saw tons of birds out there including dozens of eagles. Jay Beedle (aka Marv) greeted us at the pier, gave us a safety briefing, inquired about our priorities (max whales!), and we were off. The boat has a capacity of six, but our tour had only four. The two others were a pair of German photographers with Canon gear. That made four Canon shooters, including Jay and myself, on the trip. There was a lot of big white glass on that relatively small boat.

We zipped out to the part of Auke bay where whales had been observed feeding earlier in the day. Along the way Jay mentioned that he had taken a nap on the boat before our tour and had awoken to the sound of whale song. I asked if he had left his hydrophone on and he said no, he had been dreaming of whale song. I love this guy! We spot a group of whales, about 15 of them, near the shore. It’s amazing how close to shore the whales seem to go. But there are two things to remember: Distances are deceiving at sea, especially in Alaska where the scale of everything is very large, and the shorelines in this area are very steep, so the water is very deep right next to the land.

We watch with anticipation as the whales spout and do nothing in particular for about ten minutes. Was the feeding show over? But after they had all sounded for a few minutes, we noticed birds circling over the water and our hearts raced. It was the prelude to the great spectacle of humpbacks bubble net feeding. Wow! Wow! Wow! It was amazing to witness. The group, which included at least two babies and several very large adults, continued to feed for the remainder of our tour. Jay maneuvered the Haarvendam as the whales moved, always adhering to the 100 yard limit. He had an uncanny sense of when and where they would surface next, aided by hydrophones and years of experience.

I had heard the sound of whales exhaling before, that sort of wet, blowing sound that accompanies a spout. But I had never heard the kind of rapid inhaling, and grunts and groans associated with the extreme exertion of bubble net feeding. I wish I could describe it. It was powerful, loud and gripping.

There were several boats watching whales that afternoon, ranging from small like ours, to medium and large. They all seemed to be communicating and coordinating. When I looked at one of my photos of the whales feeding, I saw that some shots included one of the medium-large boats in the background. Looking closely, I saw that people were packed shoulder to shoulder on that boat. Strangely, most of the people were facing away from the feeding. I can’t imagine what they were looking at, since there was really only one group of whales out there. I’m so glad I went with the small, nimble, uncrowded Haarvendam.

As our tour comes to an end, I fantasize about ditching the cruise and spending a week in Juneau going out with Harv and Marv every day. On the way back, Eileen’s dad stops at a salmon hatchery and gives us a brief tour. I thought that was very generous.

I can’t recommend Harv and Marvs enough. Truth be told, I haven’t gone on a Juneau-based whale tour with any other group, but I can’t imagine anything else being better from my point of view. Whale watching conditions, and the number and behavior of whales vary from day to day. With Harv and Marv, I feel confident that I’ll get the best whale watching experience available at any given time.