About the Tour


Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's TourSM
Duration: 3 1/2 hours dock to dock

Tour Departure Times and Schedule:
Departure times vary. Most Cruise ships Calling in the Port of Ketchikan have a Tour departure that will accomodate their passengers.


Welcome to the Aleutian Ballad!

We will greet you on the Main Cruise Ships Dock and escort you the short distance to the Berth 3 - Tender Float. Seat yourself under the heated and sheltered amphitheater or on the upper Panoramic deck. When you are comfortably seated, the crew will "Tie Loose" and head out to the pristine fishing grounds.

  • During the run, you will be familiarized with the "AB" and her colorful history as a working boat.
  • You will be acquainted with the history of Alaska`s fisheries as well as the type of fishing vessels and gear you are likely to encounter during your cruise through Alaskan waters.


Our crew introduce themselves to our guests..... and some guests introduce themselves to the crew.



As the AB pulls up on the first station - you will watch as her crew goes to work.

  • Gear baited with salmon or squid will be set and hauled in.
  • Rockfish, shark, gray cod, ratfish are likely to come flinging over the side.
  • 700 pound Bering Sea king crab pots will be hauled up and landed on deck.
  • Dungeness crab, box crab, octopus and prawns, just to name a few, will be carefully retrieved as you observe the vessel and crew works its way through several types of fishing gear. Just about any creature that swims, crawls, or maneuvers its way through this underwater paradise could be our guest!

Local sea life such as whales, porpoises, and eagles are always curious. If they are in the area they are likely to investigate.

The animals brought to the surface will be placed in a live tank for your observation. Be prepared with your cameras to capture them before they are gently released back into the sea.

See and touch some of the animals in the live tank. Crab, salmon, prawns and octopus are likely candidates for a friendly photo opportunity. Others - such as the Wolf Eel will need to be approached only with the guidance of experienced crewmembers!

Local tribal vessels fishing for salmon work these waters.
A great photo opportunity!

After the crew has "run through the gear" you head back to town. When the equipment is stowed and secured, you are offered a tasty snack.

This is the crews favorite time. They can share their stories and visit with passengers. You may even be able to persuade the crew to gather for a few photographs.

You will find they are not exactly the shyest of folk!

"Tie Loose"

A short preview of what the Tour holds in store for you.


uicktime Format    PowerPoint Format    Windows Media Format

The PowerPoint presentation is HIGH quality and will take several minutes to download (28.2mb)*

Book your seats today!