I convinced my two grown children that this was one of the few tour excursions we didn't want to miss and I'm happy to say that none of us were disappointed. The tour was the best we did in 19 days in Alaska due, in large part, to the experiences and openness shared unstintingly by the three men of the Aleutian Ballard who felt like family by the time we disembarked. Not only was the catch hauled up and explained in detail but the pictures we took were the most interesting of our trip, including shots of bald eagles in flight.

Accolades also to the supporting crew.

Though the boat was heated and covered, the weather wasn't the greatest which only served to give us a tiny taste of the miserable conditions the Bering Sea Fisherman endure to bring all of us the "catch of the day". None of us will ever look at a crab in the same light again. Bravo!

And many many thanks to Capt. Dave, Dan and Kiwi for making this tour wheelchair- and scooter-accessible! If you are cruising with a wheelchair or scooter, this is a wonderful choice for a "shore excursion". It was absolutely the highpoint of our Alaska cruise.

I have to admit, I am a Deadliest Catch fanatic. So when I saw this tour and the great reviews, I did not think twice about booking. It was so much fun. It happened to be raining that day, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the fisherman who were so personable and fun to watch. Just read the other reviews...I cannot really say any more except do not miss this!

My wife and I took an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver to Whittier as well as the land tour portion from Whittier to Fairbanks (May 18 - May 31). Ketchikan, AK was our first port of call. The excursion lasted all day long so it was the only thing that we got to do other than walking around town before and after. The all-day investment of our time was well worth it.

The tour starts with a good introduction of the crew and the story of how the owner's dream became a reality of having a crab boat vessel. There was about a 30 to 40 minute boat trip out to where the "eagle show" and crab pots are pulled up.

First the crew explained some basic fishing techniques and they brought up some small pots which had rock fish in them. They were going to use these for bait later on. These pots also had some live starfish in them which we got to hold.

We then got to our destination which are protected waters used by an Native American reservation. This company has an exclusive agreement with the reservation that allows them to come in and out of the protected waters. That is why they are actually allowed to bring up the crab pots year-round. Otherwise, it would be illegal. Also, because they are no longer in U.S. waters, they are able to feed the eagles. Once again, otherwise this would be illegal.

The "eagle show" was awesome. They would throw fish and it was like seagulls at the beach. Probably twenty to thirty eagles would swoop down and take the fish right off the water.

After the eagle show, they moved on and brought up crab pots just like on the television show "The Deadliest Catch". Tons of crabs! Different types that they let you hold. Live Crabs!!!

Be sure to dress appropriately. It can get a little cold, but the crew provides you with extra jackets and you are sitting under heat lamps. But you are still outside ... we did not experience any rain, but I can see it getting cold if it is raining (we heard that it rains 300 days a year in Ketchikan).

DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!!! You are going to get some of the best shots of eagles that you'll ever get anywhere. Hands down!!!

This was well worth the time and money spent in Ketchikan.