Whales and Lunch

Whales and Lunch Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Whales and Lunch, Travel Company, Ketchikan, AK.
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We’re a local, family-run whale tour based in Ketchikan 🐋
We started Whales and Lunch to create a better experience—more time on the water and a meal included so you can actually enjoy your day
Small group tours with a fresh, locally catered lunch.

10/01/2026

Okay, we know you’re coming for the whales… but what’s for lunch again?

Apparently we’re not the only ones thinking about 2027 already — bookings have been coming in, and we’re getting excited to have everyone back onboard.

Lunch is included, the views come free, and you can pick your favorite spot to eat — outside with the scenery or tucked inside the heated cabin.

Whales, lunch, Alaska… sounds like a pretty good day to us.

Who’s joining us in 2027?
Save your seat at whalesandlunch.com

09/30/2026

Look who’s waiting right below the Arctic Bar.

Now all that’s left is for you to give us a call or send us an email, hop onboard, and enjoy the ride with us in 2027.

The boat will be ready. The wildlife is out there. We just need you onboard.

Ready to hop in? Book your seats at whalesandlunch.com


09/29/2026

Did you know humpback whales have some seriously strange superpowers?

A few things you might not know about these giants:

• The bumps covering a humpback’s head are called tubercles, and each contains a sensory hair connected to nerves. Scientists believe they help whales detect changes in the water around them—almost like giant underwater whiskers.

• Their enormous pectoral fins can reach roughly 16 feet long. Those “wings” help a 30–40-ton animal maneuver surprisingly well while feeding.

• The leading edges of those flippers are covered in bumps called tubercles, which can help control water flow and delay stalling—an adaptation so effective it has inspired research into human engineering.

• Every humpback has a unique pattern on the underside of its tail flukes. Researchers can photograph that pattern and use it almost like a fingerprint to recognize the same whale years—or even decades—later.

• Humpbacks don’t all feed the same way. Behaviors such as bubble-net feeding can be learned and spread socially, meaning whales can actually pick up feeding techniques from other whales.

• And those haunting songs? Primarily male humpbacks sing the long, complex songs associated with breeding grounds—and whales within the same population generally sing versions of the same song. That song also changes over time.

The longer you watch humpbacks, the more you realize there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface than we can see.

Want to meet them in the wild and learn what you’re watching along the way? Come explore Southeast Alaska with Whales & Lunch.

Book your adventure at whalesandlunch.com.

09/28/2026

Not all killer whales live the same lifestyle.

In Southeast Alaska, two ecotypes you may encounter are resident orcas and Bigg’s killer whales, historically called transients. They may look similar, but their cultures and diets are remarkably different.

Residents are fish specialists, with salmon—especially Chinook—playing an important role in their diet. They tend to live in stable family groups and can be quite vocal while traveling and foraging.

Bigg’s killer whales are marine-mammal hunters. They prey on animals such as seals, sea lions, porpoises and even other whales. Because their prey can hear them too, Bigg’s often hunt much more quietly and may travel in smaller groups.

They can even have different hunting techniques, vocal traditions and social structures—and young orcas learn these behaviors from their families.

Same species. Same ocean. Completely different ways of life.

That’s one of the coolest things about encountering orcas in the wild: you’re not simply seeing a killer whale. You’re getting a glimpse into a culture that’s been passed from one generation to the next.

Come search for orcas and other marine wildlife with us in Southeast Alaska. Book your Whales & Lunch adventure at whalesandlunch.com.

09/27/2026

Every year, humpback whales make one of the most incredible journeys in the animal kingdom.

They spend the productive months feeding in the cold, nutrient-rich waters of places like Alaska, packing on the energy reserves they’ll need for what comes next.

As the season changes, many begin a journey of thousands of miles to warmer tropical waters. Humpbacks that feed in Southeast Alaska may migrate to breeding areas around Hawaii, Mexico, or other parts of the Pacific.

And here’s the fascinating part: those warm waters aren’t where they go for the buffet.

Humpbacks do most of their serious feeding in their northern feeding grounds. Their winter migration is primarily about breeding and giving birth, with mothers relying heavily on stored energy while nursing their calves.

Then, when the season turns again, they make the long journey north—back to feeding grounds like ours.

Some of the whales we watch in Ketchikan may have traveled thousands of miles just to get back to these waters.

And next year? We’ll be watching for familiar flukes to see who returns.

Experience Southeast Alaska’s humpbacks for yourself at whalesandlunch.com.

09/26/2026

How old is this whale?

This humpback was covered in scars—each one evidence of a life spent traveling thousands of miles through a wild ocean. We can’t determine a humpback’s age just by looking at those scars, but seeing a whale like this certainly makes you wonder how much it has experienced.

Humpbacks grow quickly. Calves spend roughly their first year with their mothers, and females typically reach s*xual maturity around 5–10 years old, with males maturing in a similar general age range.

And adulthood can last a very long time.

Humpback whales are believed to commonly live around 80–90 years, and research suggests some individuals may live even longer.

Imagine the lifetime contained in an old whale: decades of migrations between feeding and breeding grounds, changing oceans, encounters with predators, vessels and fishing gear—and countless journeys we’ll never know about.

Those scars don’t tell us exactly how old this whale is.

But they do remind us that when we encounter a humpback, we may be looking at an animal whose story began decades before ours crossed its path.

Come meet the wild residents and visitors of Southeast Alaska with us.

Book your Whales & Lunch adventure at whalesandlunch.com.

09/24/2026

They’re called killer whales… so has one ever killed a human in the wild?

Despite being one of the ocean’s most powerful apex predators, there is no well-documented confirmed case of a wild orca deliberately killing a human.

There have been a small number of incidents where wild orcas have made physical contact with or injured people—but considering what these animals are capable of, their relationship with humans in the wild is pretty tame.

Orcas hunt seals, sea lions, sharks and even other whales. Different populations also have their own specialized diets, hunting techniques and cultures passed between generations.

Yet humans simply don’t appear to be normal prey.

And somehow knowing what these animals are capable of makes watching a wild orca surface beside you even more incredible.

Imagine seeing that dorsal fin break the surface with your own eyes.

Come search for orcas and other marine wildlife with us in Ketchikan at whalesandlunch.com.

09/24/2026

Think you can tell a male orca from a female at a glance? Look at the dorsal fin.

Adult males are hard to miss—their dorsal fins can grow up to around 6 feet tall and tend to be tall and more triangular. Adult females generally have shorter, more curved dorsal fins, often around 3 feet tall.

Body size can give you another clue. Mature males are typically noticeably larger and more robust than females, with much larger pectoral fins and tail flukes.

But there’s a catch: young males can look a lot like females. Their dorsal fins don’t develop that towering adult-male appearance until they mature, so you can’t always confidently determine s*x from a quick look at the fin alone.

Next time you see a pod, look at those dorsal fins and see who you can spot.

Want to put your new orca-identifying skills to the test? Come search for marine wildlife with us in Southeast Alaska.

Book your Whales & Lunch adventure at whalesandlunch.com.

09/23/2026

Slow mornings like this. A beautiful view, a comfortable boat, a nice lunch on the side, and orcas passing by—what a life.

Wondering if you’d like to experience this too? If you would, it might be time to make it happen.

Booking for 2027 is still open! Secure your spot and bring your family and friends along.

Book your tour at whalesandlunch.com

09/23/2026

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Ketchikan, AK
99901, 99950

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