On the Water
3–4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$410
per adult
Ear Mountain Charters
Ear Mountain Charters
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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About
Fishing or Wildlife sightseeing Charter based in Icy Strait Point or Hoonah, Alaska
Hoonah, Alaska
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Ear Mountain Charters
Water Transfers
150–180 minutes
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$284
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
65 reviews
Excellent
58
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Mary O
12 contributions
Jun 2022
We booked a half day halibut excursion after our previous booking called and cancelled on our group of 3. I was able to get on Captain Eric's boat. While the fishing was slow, we caught one halibut and one type of rock fish, we saw soo many humpback whales, stellar sea lions, herring fluttering on the water, the tour was worth every penny even with the lack of fish reeled in. You cannot guarantee to catch fish. Definitely recommend.
Written June 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PDKDP
Buffalo, NY17 contributions
Jul 2022
We planned this excursion on our own while cruising Alaska and it was great! We had so much fun with Alice and Eric. They couldn't have been nicer. We even saw bears on the shoreline! They provided just the right amount of assistance and we caught (and released) lots of fish. It was a great time and I would highly recommend.
I had been worried about seasickness but it was not issue and the boat they use is great - almost brand new.
I had been worried about seasickness but it was not issue and the boat they use is great - almost brand new.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheTravler6
Nashville, TN231 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Short day, great experience. Like most, we had a cruise stop here. We try to stay away from the canned excursions. I started looking and found Eric's EMC. I called, we booked a 4 hour halibut fishing charter. Eric took care of everything. Picked us up at the excursion hub and off to his boat. Four hours later we had caught fish, spotted wildlife and gained a wealth of knowledge.
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trent R
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
We had an excellent time on Captain Eric's boat, catching lots of halibut as well as feeding our herring to plenty more. Eric knows his stuff and really wants his guests to catch fish. We caught our fish and had an amazing time.
Written July 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scottgretch27
40 contributions
Jun 2012 • Couples
We were on a cruise ship in AK, when we tendered for the day in Icy Straits. We had done our research and discovered that Ear Mountain Charters operated out of there and had great reviews. We scheduled our fishing charter about a week before we were there. We arrived and easily met up with Captain Eric, who is a very kind and knowledgable man. We were joining another couple from the cruise ship, who had also made reservations. They arrived shortly thereafter, and our adventure began. We were spoiled with a beautiful day, with sunshine, and no rain. We did not need our jackets, even on the water that day! It was a short ride to the dock, where we boarded his boat. Thankfully, the other couple we were with were kind, enjoyable people to share the boat with on our adventure. Cap'n Eric suggested we fish for halibut as the salmon had not yet begun their run. We went out about 30 minutes, and Cap'n Eric kept us entertained the whole way. Then as we neared our destination, Cap'n Eric pointed out a brown bear on the beach. The beach was some distance away, but we were still able to make out the bear! We spent a few minutes watching the bear, as Cap'n Eric prepared the fishing equipment for us. Then we began fishing. Within minutes, my husband had a bite and reeled in a 28 lb. halibut! The other couple also were able to catch a number of fish, none keepers, until near the end of our fishing trip when the wife reeled in a 10 lb halibut. My husband also continued to fish and caught some interesting fish, which we released. I, on the otherhand, did not catch one! But this did not take away from the experience for us! We were so happy to be fishing in Alaska! Captain Eric was knowledgeable and had the proper equipment. His boat was comfortable, and he had drinks for us when we got thirsty.
When we got back to the dock, we were met by Captain Eric's wife, who then drove us to a small place in Hoonah, which would fillet, freeze, and ship our fish home to us. She dropped us there, while she went back to get the next round of guests for the next charter. We were able to watch our fish get filleted which was also cool. The only area where we would give a negative to this cruise was with the shipping of the fish. We requested she ship it the next day, however, it did not get shipped for 22 days, after we made a number of phone calls. Maybe it was a fluke, but the women explained that things had been "crazy" for her as she got married a few days after we were there, and then her honeymoon, so things got backed up! When it did arrive, it was still frozen and packed appropriately.FYI: It cost about $150 to send home 13 lbs of halibut. We are looking forward to a yummy dinner of halibut as a reminder of the beautiful day in Icy Straits Point, Alaska!
Cap'n Eric's wife then returned to pick us up. She was willing to drop us off anywhere in Hoonah, or drive us back to the dock to return to the cruise ship. We choose to be dropped off at a restaurant in Hoonah, and to walk back from there, about a 1.5 mile walk. The restaurant was expensive, and the food was a typical fish fry. When my husband asked for a lemon for his fish, the waitress explained that they only get their food order every two weeks, and the previous order, instead of lemons, they had sent lemon juice, so no lemons were available fro the fish fry. The people were friendly, and we enjoyed talking to a few natives of Hoonah. Our walk back was beautiful, and then we had time to explore the Museum there in Icy Straits, and to sit on the beach at Icy Straits before returning to our cruise ship.
When we got back to the dock, we were met by Captain Eric's wife, who then drove us to a small place in Hoonah, which would fillet, freeze, and ship our fish home to us. She dropped us there, while she went back to get the next round of guests for the next charter. We were able to watch our fish get filleted which was also cool. The only area where we would give a negative to this cruise was with the shipping of the fish. We requested she ship it the next day, however, it did not get shipped for 22 days, after we made a number of phone calls. Maybe it was a fluke, but the women explained that things had been "crazy" for her as she got married a few days after we were there, and then her honeymoon, so things got backed up! When it did arrive, it was still frozen and packed appropriately.FYI: It cost about $150 to send home 13 lbs of halibut. We are looking forward to a yummy dinner of halibut as a reminder of the beautiful day in Icy Straits Point, Alaska!
Cap'n Eric's wife then returned to pick us up. She was willing to drop us off anywhere in Hoonah, or drive us back to the dock to return to the cruise ship. We choose to be dropped off at a restaurant in Hoonah, and to walk back from there, about a 1.5 mile walk. The restaurant was expensive, and the food was a typical fish fry. When my husband asked for a lemon for his fish, the waitress explained that they only get their food order every two weeks, and the previous order, instead of lemons, they had sent lemon juice, so no lemons were available fro the fish fry. The people were friendly, and we enjoyed talking to a few natives of Hoonah. Our walk back was beautiful, and then we had time to explore the Museum there in Icy Straits, and to sit on the beach at Icy Straits before returning to our cruise ship.
Written July 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Texasmom04
Arlington, Texas366 contributions
Aug 2011
We had a chance to book a last minute Alaskan cruise for August, but when I tried to book the Whale Watching trip for our Hoonah shore excursion with the top rated boat tours, they seemed to all be booked. I was disappointed but we were very pleased that we were able to go whale watching with Eric from Ear Mountain, and it was a great experience. He was very professional and took us right where all the whale pods were. It was so much cheaper and easier than booking a whale watching excursion through the cruise line as we had the boat just for our family of five. We were gone about four hours and took tons of photos of the whales. We were able to get very close to them and Eric said that we saw more whale pods that day than they'd seen all summer. He knows right where to go. He owns his boat and is very knowledgeable about the area. I would recommend bringing plenty of snacks, drinks, and rain gear. He picked us up by the dock and returned us there. Not much else to see or do in the area but the whale watching was outstanding.
Written October 17, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie C
DC area3 contributions
Sep 2011 • Couples
My husband and I went whale watching with Capt. Eric in Sept. 2011. This was the only excursion we booked and were really looking forward to it. The experience was fantastic. We saw numerous whales, a bald eagle, sea lions and sea otters. Capt. Eric was very accommodating and obviously knew the area very well. I would highly recommend booking a whale watch with Ear Mountain Charters versus the any whale watching offered by the cruises. We were the only two people on the boat (aside from Eric and he could take up to 6 people). We saw the cruise whale watch as we returned- about 150 people on it! We took crystal clear pictures of whales 15 feet from the boat- not going to get that on the cruise tour with someone's head in your way! ;)
Written September 22, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steveamsbry
Altoona, PA2 contributions
Jul 2011 • Friends
Just returned from our Alaskan cruise. Spent the day with Captain Eric on 7/4/11. Could not have asked for a better whale watching experience. He made our trip personal and exciting. His knowledge of the area and wildlife was great. His personal stories about the waters and the whales were interesting and fun. He gave us information about the small town of Hoonah and its people with a great recommendation for lunch. We ate at Chipper Fish in Hoonah. It was undoubtedly the best meal we had during our cruise. Salmon taco and clam chowder prepared by one of Captain Eric's former students. At one point, there were whales all around us. We weren't sure which way to look. Great experience. Highly recommend this tour.
Written July 11, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
668shellye
Lake Jackson, TX55 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
I found Captain Eric Williams online when it came time to consider excursions for our Alaskan cruise, he was responsive during our booking and when I followed up just prior to our cruise. I prefer finding excursions not tied to cruise lines and Ear Mountain Charters was an amazing choice for everyone on the boat that day. Eric picked us up at the meet up location earlier than planned as our ship arrived in port about an hour ahead of schedule and he was watching for the arrival. We had a short ride to the dock and he was able to share great information about the area during the drive. We quickly got onto the water and his extensive knowledge of these waters was apparent. My husband caught 2 halibut and I caught one, I lost count of how many the other folks caught on the boat - it was such an amazing experience and Eric was the best guide imaginable. Book a fishing or whale watching trip through this company and you will not be disappointed!
Written July 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MidAmericaMom
Tecumseh, KS22 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
We were visiting Hoonah as a cruise ship stop and decided to book our own private fishing excursion instead of with the cruise line and we are so glad we did! From the first contact months before our trip, Captain Eric was nothing but prompt, courteous, and professional. He picked us up at the visitor's center and drove us into town to his charter boat. He helped us spot whales as we were exiting the harbor and swiftly took us to our fishing spot and with a quick lesson we had our hooks in the water and it wasn't long before we were catching our halibut! My husband and I each caught and released about 6-7 halibut and we ended up keeping two to have processed and shipped home. Captain Eric was extremely helpful on board and stopped to look at an eagle's nest on the way back to the visitor center. He even delivered our kept fish to the processor and had a price sheet on board as well as a processing application so we weren't shocked by the cost (it's pricey so be prepared). Honestly one of the best days on our ten-day Alaskan cruise - thank you Captain Eric!
Written July 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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