This was one of those trips where each day was filled with awe and wonder. During our five-day, four-night bucket-liststay at The Lodge at Whale Pass in Southeast Alaska, we experienced orcas swimming alongside our boat, watched rafts of sea otters float by, observed humpback whales bubble-net feeding, fished for salmon and halibut, explored caves hidden in the rainforest, flew over glaciers in a floatplane, watched a glacier calve, and saw both black and brown bears catching salmon. As a family that loves wildlife and the outdoors, it’s hard to imagine a trip that could have been more perfect for us. It was a trip of a lifetime!

We visited the first week in August, which was a wonderful time to experience Prince of Wales Island. Temperatures were comfortable, the landscape was lush and green, and the salmon (mostly pinks, and a few coho) were running. The fishing was epic and we caught more fish here than we have caught in all of our lives combined! But what makes The Lodge at Whale Pass standout among other luxury Alaskan experiences is that this isn’t simply a fishing lodge. It’s a place where you can fish AND experience bespoke Alaskan adventures based on your interests, weather, and wildlife conditions.

Getting to The Lodge at Whale Pass

Part of the adventure is simply getting there. We flew Alaska Airlines from Orange County, CA to Ketchikan, AK, with an overnight stop in Seattle. From Ketchikan, The Lodge at Whale Pass coordinated our floatplane transfer to Prince of Wales Island.

Arriving at the lodge by floatplane is a pretty epic way to begin an Alaska adventure! Once we landed, we were shown our rooms, given a quick tour and invited to come back downstairs for a snack before heading out on our first excursion!

Day 1: Sea Otters, Orcas and Bubble-Net Feeding Humpbacks

The meals are included here, and it’s all so delicious. Chefs Sara and Rhys prepared a beautiful Alaskan charcuterie spread with smoked fish, cheese and brined kelp.

After this warm welcome, we headed down to the dock. We thought we’d cruise around the waters near Whale Pass, get our bearings, and see what we might find. Within the next 2 hours, we probably said “Wow” a hundred times. Our Captain, James, was excellent at spotting wildlife!

First came the sea otters, and not just one or two. We saw entire rafts of them, floating together, diving and playing in the water.

Then we spotted orcas! This was our family’s first time seeing killer whales in the wild. We followed the pod as they moved through the water, periodically speeding ahead because they traveled so quickly. At one point, they surfaced close to our boat. Here is a video.

Seeing orcas in the wild had been on my bucket list for years. But there was another special sighting in store for us! Our final wildlife encounter was a group of humpback whales bubble-net feeding. We’d been lucky enough to see this behavior once before in Kenai Fjords, and I couldn’t believe we were witnessing it again!

Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative hunting technique used by some humpback whales. The whales dive beneath a school of fish and release curtains of bubbles that concentrate the fish into a tighter group, then surge upward together with their mouths open. Watching multiple whales suddenly erupt through the surface was the perfect finale to our first afternoon! Here is our video of the whales bubble feeding. After this Alaskan wildlife “safari,” We returned to the lodge for a delicious dinner and started planning the next day’s adventure.

Day 2: Caves, Rainforest hikes, and Freshwater Fishing

After breakfast, we stopped by the gear room to get outfitted with waders and boots, then took a boat across to the dock and transferred into a van with our local guide to explore Prince of Wales Island by land. You don’t need to pack waders, fishing boots, rubber boots or raincoats- they have all of that here!

One of the biggest surprises for me was the landscape. On previous Alaska trips, we had experienced glaciers, mountains and colder, tundra landscapes. Prince of Wales Island is a temperate rainforest! Everything was lush and green. Ferns covered the forest floor and moss hung from trees. Our local guide William took us around the island to some fun trails and to explore a couple of caves.

El Capitan Cave was a memorable and unique stop on Prince of Wales Island! We walked nearly 370 steep steps uphill to get to the mouth of the cave. Once inside, it was dark, wet and chilly (40F year round). Free guided tours take you about 500 feet into the cave. Sturdy shoes, warm layers, and a headlamp are recommended for this adventure! Note: Children under age 7 are not permitted, and tours are generally booked with the Thorne Bay Ranger District two days in advance, 907-828-3304.

For lunch, William took us to the beautiful Memorial Beach for a picnic. The kids explored the shoreline, tide pools, and skipped rocks.

Then it was time to fish. After driving to a different spot, we pulled on our waders and took a short hike to the river. We did a combination of fly-fishing and fishing with spinning rods. Fishing with kids was little bit of chaos and incredibly peaceful at the exact same time 🙂 Here is a video of this experience! Naturally, the kids showed us up. They each caught a Dolly Varden char. We kept these for dinner and released the others.

Day 3: Halibut, Salmon and Dinner at a Glacier

The next morning, we headed onto the water for some saltwater fishing. This was the most successful fishing day our family has ever had. We started with halibut – caught our daily limit of one per person, then switched gears and began trolling for salmon. We caught mostly pink salmon along with a coho, and the action was almost nonstop! Usually we’re thrilled if we catch one or two fish over an entire day. Here, everyone was catching fish! At one point, Jason hooked an enormous halibut. After an exhilarating fight, we got it up to the boat but released it because of the regulations surrounding retaining larger halibut. Even without that one, we’d caught more fish in a single morning than we had on all our previous fishing trips combined.

From there, our fishing trip transitioned into something completely different: glacier viewing. While the boat ride to and from the Le Conte glacier is part of your all-inclusive package, the lodge suggested we share a floatplane flight with other guests so that we could save a little time and appreciate the glacier from above. We were able to coordinate with another couple traveling in the opposite direction.

Seeing Southeast Alaska from the air was spectacular. After circling above the glacier, we descended and landed directly on the water—another first for our family!

From there, we transferred to our Lodge at Whale Pass boat and headed toward the glacier with Captain Chelsea. We passed some pretty cool icebergs along the way.

Because we were visiting later in the afternoon, the lodge had arranged as spectacular picnic dinner. They packed us a beautiful spread, which we enjoyed in front of the glacier, surrounded by mountains and ice. We even witnessed part of the glacier calving – watch the video here.

Day 4: Morning Kayak and Afternoon Bears at Anan Wildlife Observatory

Our final full day started quietly with pedal kayaking around the protected waters near the lodge. After several packed adventure days, it felt good to have a slower morning on the water. Here is a video of our peaceful kayak.

After this, we still had one major bucketlist Alaska experience left – Bears! The Anan Wildlife Observatory in the Tongass National Forest is incredibly remote and accessible only by boat or floatplane. Anan is particularly special because it’s one of the few places where both black and brown bears gather along the same creek to feed on salmon. July through mid-August is typically prime viewing, which meant our early August visit was perfectly timed. Once we arrived, we checked in with a U.S. Forest Service ranger and began the roughly half-mile walk through the rainforest to the observatory.

We saw bald eagles everywhere and spotted a couple of bears near the trail. It’s very important to stay with your guide and follow the bear-safety protocols. When we reached the creek, the water was teeming with salmon. Then, we headed to the viewing platform where we saw so many bears! The first bear we saw was a brown bear, Scuba Sue, who was so entertaining to watch. She would submerge herself underwater looking for fish. Here’s a fun video of her in action!

We also observed the hierarchy between the bears. When Scuba Sue moved into a section of the creek, the black bears gave her space. When she moved on, they gradually returned to that area to fish. We spent around two hours at Anan watching bears, bald eagles and an almost unbelievable number of salmon surrounded by rainforest. It was wild and magical – and my personal favorite highlight of the trip! Here is a longer video of this bear experience.

Notes for Visiting Anan Wildlife Observatory: Access to Anan is intentionally limited. During peak season, July 5 through August 25, visitors need a permit. Most visitors come with an authorized guide or outfitter who coordinates transportation and permits. Because we were staying at The Lodge at Whale Pass, they handled these logistics for us. Independent travelers should check current U.S. Forest Service and Recreation.gov requirements well in advance.

After Anan, we made the roughly two-hour journey back to Whale Pass by boat and enjoyed some fish and chips for dinner.

Departure Day: One Last Fishing Trip

On Saturday, it was time to head home. Lodge Host Lucas asked whether we’d like to take a later floatplane because some arriving guests were coming in later that afternoon. The later departure meant we had enough time for one more fishing trip! We headed back onto the water with Chelsea for another round of halibut and salmon fishing—a pretty perfect way to end our trip.

After we got back to the lodge, it was time to leave. We weren’t able to bring this final batch home with us (the lodge can arrange shipping afterwards), but the lodge had already processed and packed fish from our previous fishing session. That fish box was checked luggage we brought home on Alaska Airlines. We boarded our floatplane for Ketchikan, where we spent the evening grabbing dinner and walking around to see the salmon ladder. We spent one night at the Landing Hotel (they have a freezer for your fish box but I recommend calling ahead to make sure there is space) before heading to the airport the next morning.

Is The Lodge at Whale Pass Worth the Splurge?

Let’s address the obvious: The Lodge at Whale Pass is expensive. You can see the current lodge package rates here. But this isn’t just a luxury hotel or traditional Alaskan fishing lodge – it’s an all-inclusive, personalized Alaska adventure. Your accommodations, meals and drinks, laundry, gear, guides, fishing, and most boat- and land-based adventures are included. Optional flyouts, like the ones we added to our trip, or early check-in/ check-out are an additional cost. If you prefer mixing adventure-packed days with slower days, an additional night without adventures can be added for $450 per room, subject to availability, plus food and beverage charges based on age.

For us, what made it worth the splurge was how much we were able to experience, and how little planning we had to do once we arrived. Each evening, we’d discuss with the lodge hosts what we wanted to do the next day, and they would put together a tailored adventure based on our interests, the weather, and where the wildlife was. We never really knew exactly what the next day would bring, but every single day was full of wonder and magic.

I also really appreciated that this family-owned lodge doesn’t just allow kids—they genuinely welcome families. As of 2026, children ages 5 and under stay FREE, while children ages 6–12 receive 50% off the lodge package rate. Kids still pay for floatplane transportation, and restrictions may apply, so check the current rates and policies when you book. Kids are encouraged to join their parents on most adventures, but there’s also a Kids Program if parents want some time on their own. Activities can include fishing off the dock, beachcombing, hiking, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, and even pizza-making.

Would I bring a very young child? I think that depends on your child and your family’s travel style. These are real Alaska wilderness adventures involving boats, floatplanes, wildlife, changing weather, and sometimes long days. But one of my favorite things about this trip was that our kids weren’t just tagging along on our bucket-list Alaska adventure. This was their adventure, too—and they LOVED it.

Tips for Planning a Trip to The Lodge at Whale Pass

What We Packed: Alaska weather can change quickly, and with days that included boating, fishing, hiking, floatplanes, and wildlife watching, having the right layers made a huge difference. I put together some of the things we packed for our trip—from rain gear and warm layers to clogs for around the lodge. → Shop our Alaska packing list here

When to go: The main season runs June through August, and each part of summer offers something different. We loved early August: comfortable temperatures, pink and coho salmon running, and prime bear-viewing season at Anan.

Build in a travel buffer. We overnighted in Seattle before flying to Ketchikan the next morning rather than relying on multiple same-day connections. On the way home, we spent a night in Ketchikan before flying out the following morning.

Pack for a rainforest. Prince of Wales Island is part of the Tongass temperate rainforest, so bring layers! You don’t need to bring all your adventure gear—the lodge provides waders, boots and equipment for excursions.

Stay flexible. Wildlife and weather don’t follow an itinerary. Some of our best experiences happened because the lodge could adjust our plans based on what was happening locally.

Bring home your fish! Ideally, plan your last fishing excursion the day before your depature. The lodge can process and flash freeze your fish so that you can fly home with it. Since I am an Atmos Card Holder – our fish box < 50lbs came home with us as a free checked bags.

If you’re looking for a bucket-list Alaska family adventure filled with wildlife, fishing, glaciers and unforgettable experiences, The Lodge at Whale Pass on Prince of Wales Island is truly something special.

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Disclosure:  The Lodge at Whale Pass hosted our accommodations and lodge experience. As always, all opinions and recommendations are our own. We only share destinations we genuinely love and would recommend to our own family and friends. We paid for our transportation to and from Ketchikan, as well as some additional experiences during our stay. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.