Lighthouse Excursions

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Lighthouse Excursions Alaska’s Award-Winning Eagle Tour We are a small, family-run tour operation in Southeast Alaska.

Our 3 hour boat excursion - the Lighthouse, Totems, & Eagles Excursion - primarily serves guests visiting by cruise ship on their way through the Inside Passage May-September. Highlights of our tour include plentiful wildlife sighting, with our showcase being the American bald eagle. Treat yourself to the stunning, panoramic views of the Alaska Native totem poles and clan house at Totem Bight Stat

e Park, as well as the historic Guard Island Lighthouse, first built in 1904 and still in operation today. Keep an eye out for blue heron, pigeon guillemots, harbor seals, sea lions, and sometimes even humpback and orca whales! Enjoy complimentary beverages and a sampler plate of our favorite Alaskan nibbles while underway.

Lighthouse Excursions has been much quieter on our socials this year, but we’re happy to share just why! As a small busi...
03/08/2025

Lighthouse Excursions has been much quieter on our socials this year, but we’re happy to share just why!

As a small business, we (Capt Jeff and Rebekka) often find ourselves wearing all the hats, but we’ve recently donned the most important hat we’ll ever put on - the one made for parents. We welcomed our daughter, Mia, into our family this past December and it’s been a wild and wonderful ride learning how to juggle parenting with running a small business.

The good news is, we’ve never been in this venture alone, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have yet another amazing crew working alongside us this season. They’ve shown up with positivity, curiosity, and grit, and continue to show off our home to folks from all over the nation (and the world!) with genuine hospitality. We sure couldn’t do it without them.

Do you think we otter hire them as deckhands? 📷 Capt Tom
31/07/2025

Do you think we otter hire them as deckhands?

📷 Capt Tom

It’s been a rainy, rainy start to our July, but sunnier days are coming, and Deckhand Dylan is ready to show you the bea...
13/07/2025

It’s been a rainy, rainy start to our July, but sunnier days are coming, and Deckhand Dylan is ready to show you the beauty of Southeast Alaska from the deck of one of our tour boats. Raise your hand if you’d like to join him!

The American bald eagle was adopted as the emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, as proposed by Charles Thomson,...
04/07/2025

The American bald eagle was adopted as the emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, as proposed by Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress.

Since then, the American bald eagle survived near extinction, including spending almost 20 years on the endangered species list. Here in Alaska, we’re proud to be home to almost 30,000 American bald eagles, making them one of the top iconic wildlife sightings in the state.

📷 2025 Guest: Peter Esherick

One of the coolest parts about being on tour in the wild of our Alaskan front yard is every day is a surprise. You never...
10/06/2025

One of the coolest parts about being on tour in the wild of our Alaskan front yard is every day is a surprise. You never know what amazing wildlife show you might see…

….or exactly how epic your tour company can look when your buddies at are out there, too, and capture the moment.

Amidst last month’s record breaking torrent of rain, this shared experience watching a humpback whale was one of our favorites.

We’re proud to be a locally owned and operated Ketchikan business, with many of our crew living in our community year-ro...
10/06/2025

We’re proud to be a locally owned and operated Ketchikan business, with many of our crew living in our community year-round. Living on a remote island means many of us wear multiple hats, covering a wide range of different kinds of work and play.

While Owner & Operator Jeff Karlson serves
as tour boat captain and head of maintenance during our operational season, it may surprise you to know that he also studied music professionally and has a Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance. During our winter months, he’s able to share that passion with the community through directing the Ketchikan Community Concert Band (featured in this film) and the Ketchikan Chamber Orchestra.

04/06/2025

We're a locally owned and operated boat tour out of Ketchikan, Alaska. We welcome you and your traveling companions to join us on board our Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles Excursion on your visit to our community. We love sharing our home from the deck of a boat!

26/05/2025

Today we honor and remember those brave men and women who are no longer with us.

Video filmed in 2020, when Owner & Operator Capt Jeff joined trumpeters throughout the country in

If you’re hoping to see the iconic American bald eagle, we’re the tour for you!Alaska has approximately 15,000 pairs of ...
26/05/2025

If you’re hoping to see the iconic American bald eagle, we’re the tour for you!

Alaska has approximately 15,000 pairs of American bald eagles. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, these incredible raptors are a real sight to behold.

📷 2025 Guest: Peter Esherick

We are honored to be a part of this Tongass Historical Museum project, featuring Ketchikan’s waterfront. Special thanks ...
01/05/2025

We are honored to be a part of this Tongass Historical Museum project, featuring Ketchikan’s waterfront.

Special thanks to Brooke Ratzat Photography for facilitating our part in the storytelling through imagery and conversation.

Not bad for an office view, eh?
26/04/2025

Not bad for an office view, eh?

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+19072256919

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Our Story

Lighthouse Excursions is a locally owned & operated tour company in Ketchikan, Alaska. It was first established in 2001 by Capt Rob & Pamela Holston to run the Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles Excursion. At the time, the company only had one tour vessel and a lot of ambition, but it quickly grew to include two tour vessels and 15-20 crew.

Ketchikan born-and-raised Capt Jeff Karlson bought the company in April of 2018, and together with his wife, Shore Operations Manager Rebekka Esbjornson, they run the present day version of this tour operation. Our mission is to provide our customers with an authentic Alaskan experience showcasing Ketchikan’s history, culture, environment, and wildlife, while also providing the warm hospitality for which Alaskans are best known. We are committed to education, sustainability, and supporting our local economy. We are passionate about our home, and eager to share it with you. We hope you’ll leave our tour with some of that same passion for Ketchikan, and the beautiful wild state of Alaska!