FAQ's- Prince William Sound Eco-Charters, LLC

Can you tell me a bit about your sightseeing tours?
Tours can accommodate up to 12 people. We can tailor trips to the needs of a group (i.e. glaciers, remote areas, fish hatcheries, sea otters, sea lions, marine birds, whales, porpoise, etc.). Folks can also take one of our “pre-packaged” tours which are:

Blackstone Tour – 2 1⁄2 hours. Trip goes into Blackstone Bay for a look at mainly glaciers and sea otters. Kittiwake rookeries are seen both in Blackstone Bay and on the trip back along the north shore of Passage Canal opposite Whittier.
Harriman Fiord Tour – 4 hours. This trip heads north up through Port Wells into Harriman Fiord and affords the opportunity to see many glaciers, sea otters and kittiwakes. Other marine life and an occasional black bear are sporadically seen too.
Northwest Sound Tour – 6 hours. This trip essentially expands the Harriman Fiord Tour by traveling down beautiful Esther Passage and to either a large sea lion rookery or to the Esther Hatchery (Wally Noerenberg Hatchery). With enough notice, shore visits to the hatchery can be arranged.

What are the fishing trips like?
Fishing trips typically leave around 7 am, which means catching the 6:30 am tunnel opening into Whittier. We typically return to the docks by 6 pm. We primarily fish for halibut and, in July and August, offer silver salmon trips. Rockfish, ling cod and an assortment of other fish typically are caught on halibut charters.

For halibut trips, typical travel time is 2+ hours out and 2+ hours back. Weather is usually a significant factor in where we go. At some times of the year, however, good bottom fishing can be had much closer to Whittier.

Although our silver salmon charters target these acrobatic, energetic and good tasting fish, we occasionally pick up other types of salmon (kings, pinks, chums and even sockeye), free swimming rockfish and a few other species. Travel time is typically around an hour out and an hour back from mid July through August.

We use top of the line gear for our fishing charters and have electric reels for very deep fishing or for clients who need a bit of help.

Another important point to make is that your fishing trip will often be enhanced by sights, sounds and experiences typical of some of the best sightseeing tours (which is one of the reasons we encourage bringing your camera!). Typically we will slow down or stop to take advantage of these unique opportunities to view wildlife at a respectful distance in their natural environment.

What if I miss the tunnel opening?
If you’re on the road and something happens to delay your arrival in Whittier, please call Captain Dave directly at (907) 244-0234. We may be able to adjust our schedule by an hour to allow you time to make the next tunnel. Keep in mind that changing our schedule may negatively impact others. For those without cell service, there are phones at the Girdwood “T” turnoff, at the Portage Visitor Center and at the Portage Lodge. There is also a public phone at the staging area of the tunnel which may, or may not, be operational.

What happens to the fish after they are caught?
Usually my deckhand will filet and/or clean the fish for you while we are out so that you are ready to go when you return to the docks. You may then elect to have your catch further processed at Fee’s Custom Seafoods. They are experts at freezing, cutting into portions, vacuum sealing, storing and even sending them to your home or to friends and relatives. Of course, you can also just take the filets with you in your own coolers.

What is your business philosophy?
Our goal is to offer a top notch experience to all our customers, many of whom return year after year. We realize that you can take your business to many other companies. We always strive to keep our service standards high. We also appreciate your feedback after the charter has ended; this helps us monitor our performance.

Can you accommodate persons with disabilities?
We do all we can to accommodate the disabled.

What is there to do in Whittier?
Whittier is a very unique town, in many ways. All of our employees live in Whittier and we'll be happy to let you in on some of Whittier’s history, plans for Whittier’s future and opportunities for adventure around the area. There is an assortment of restaurants, shops, and activities to occupy your time. There are also several overnight accommodations for those wishing to spend some time in Whittier. We'll be happy to answer questions and give further explanation on our trip.

Can I bring a cooler? Should I bring food and drink?
You may bring a smaller cooler for lunch and drinks, but please leave your bigger coolers (for fish) onshore. We can order lunches or snacks for you, but we will need at least 24 hours notice. We usually have hot drinks on board.

What should I wear and bring?
Weather can vary significantly from day to day and even hour to hour around Prince William Sound. As a result of his past career in weather (35+ years with the National Weather Service, 29 of those in Alaska), Captain Dave can typically give customers an idea of what to expect on the day of their charter several days prior to the actual trip.

For fishing trips, we advise dressing in layers and recommend the top layer being water repellent. Wearing older clothes, like jeans, is probably a good idea. Bringing along rain gear is never a bad idea. Hats help keep sunburned heads to a minimum and also help with “heat loss” on cooler days. We recommend that you wear non-skid shoes. Sunglasses or other protective eyewear are recommended.

For sightseeing trips, wear comfortable clothing, again dressing in layers. Comfortable, recreational walking shoes are recommended too, especially when stopping for a tour of one of the hatcheries or for other shore-side stops.

It’s a good idea to bring gloves for cooler days out on the water. Another recommendation is to bring a camera to record some of the truly wondrous sights and experiences during the trip.

What about parking and the Anton Anderson Tunnel?
PWS Eco-Charters will provide parking tabs for your charter day and will also reimburse clients for the cost of a class “A” ticket through the tunnel (presently $12). These tickets will allow parking close to the harbor. Motor homes will typically need to park in the commercial lot, just south of the railroad tracks, and pay a fee. This lot is also available for general parking. Note: we make no profit on the parking tabs. These tabs are also available for sale at the harbor office and several other businesses around town.

Fishing licenses and Derby tickets?
You can purchase fishing licenses at a variety of locations around the State and at a few businesses in Whittier. You can also use our “Links” page to purchase a license “on line”. For those needing last minute licenses (which will be checked and recorded before heading out), we also sell these on board the “Eye of the Storm”. Here, too, we make no profit on selling these.

Derby tickets are available for halibut and also for silver salmon. It’s always fun to see our clients become “winners” and take pictures of their catches. In 2006, both the 1st and 2nd place winners were clients on our boat.

What is the “Eye of the Storm” like? I understand it is a new boat?
The “Eye of the Storm” is a brand new, tunnel hull, state-of-the-art boat. It is a fast, very stable and safe boat, powered by three 300 hp Suzuki outboards. It is a custom, aluminum boat , built by Dave Kindred and his staff at Heavy Weather Boats in Anchorage. It is also a sub-chapter “T” boat, better known as a USCG inspected boat. While nearly all charter boats in Whittier are “6 packs” (able to carry up to 6 passengers), the “Eye of the Storm” can take up to 12 passengers, along with its crew. The “Eye of the Storm” has the latest electronics (including the Furuno Navnet 3D, the Furuno MaxSea software and Maretron N2K View) along with a computer monitor screen in the passenger area, camera systems, redundant communications equipment, two 10 person life rafts, an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), type I PFDs for everyone and a whole host of other safety equipment. The boat also boasts a sonar system that looks underwater ahead of, and below, the boat. There is also a private head (bathroom). Visibility is excellent and sights and information will be pointed out during the trip over the onboard communications systems. Fishing is done from both the bow and stern.