About
We are proud of our team; each with a unique story about how they became Alaskans or whale ‘nerds’ or both! To learn more about each of our captains click on each of their names below:
Captain Jayleen
Jayleen is 33 years old and has worked in the whale watching industry for the last 21 years. Learning this trade at such a young age inspired her to start a whale watching company that could not only be personalized and fun but also show the intimate side of Alaska not many people get to see while visiting Juneau.
Jayleen grew up on a remote island where her home was an eight mile boat ride away from Auke Bay Harbor in Juneau, Alaska. Because of the remote nature of where her family lived she was homeschooled from 5th grade all of the way through high school. This allowed her to be crew on her dad’s whale watching boats during the summer, starting when she was 12. At that young age she decided being on a boat was one of the best experiences there was. By the age of 18, Jayleen had passed her USCG 50 ton license and started captaining a whale watching boat that summer at age 19.
Captain Jim
Moved from Oregon to Alaska in 1976 because I’ve always wanted to live in a little “wilder” place. After various jobs including working on the North Slope operating heavy equipment I knew I wanted to be on saltwater.
I started a halibut charter business out of Valdez, Ak., and ran that for seven seasons. But In order to get to Valdez I had to drive 350 miles from my home in Fairbanks. That got old quickly!
A family-owned business in Fairbanks, Greatland River Tours, owns a 65’, 150 passenger stern-wheeler riverboat and needed a captain. I signed on and ran their boat, the Tanana Chief, for five seasons before moving to Juneau in 2008.
Captain Luke
Luke has been local to Juneau for ten years. Originally from Reno, Nevada, the Pacific Ocean is not where this desert dweller saw himself at 35 years old. But if you ask him now, he’d have it no other way. Luke excels in marine life viewing and natural history. His area of specialties includes Humpback Whales, land predators, coastal geology, Alaska history, toponymy, and Alaska Native culture.
As a teenager, Luke spent several summers living in Alaska’s Brooks Range with his father, a prestigious Grizzly Bear guide and researcher. The desolation and wild moments of these summer expeditions led Luke back to Alaska in 2012 after serving three tours of service in the U.S. Army.
Captain Larry
Hi, I’m Larry! Born in Ketchikan Alaska, I lived in a float house in a logging camp near Ketchikan from ages three through fourteen. Our house was on a log float, moored a hundred yards or so offshore, in various sheltered bays. In some places we could walk a series of logs to reach the beach, but most of the time we had to take a boat or a floatplane to touch ground. Floating logging camps were used for timber sales that were too small to justify a permanent camp, so we moved frequently, and I got to live in a lot of remote sheltered bays within perhaps eighty miles of Ketchikan.
Later I worked as a deckhand on a small boat carrying freight to logging camps, on a tugboat, commercial fishing boats, and owned and operated a landing-craft for hire.
I also had a forty-year career as a computer programmer and bureaucrat for Alaska Department of Fish and Game and National Marine Fisheries Service. I spent a lot of time teaching computers to count fish.
After forty years behind a desk I’m now making up for lost time. I’ve been a whale-watch captain for one season, in my new career I’m just getting started, but I’m enjoying it immensely!
Captain Steve
Hello! I am Captain Steve, Jayleen’s uncle & previous owner of Alaska Humpback Adventures.
Water has always been an important part of my life. I grew up waterskiing and sailing on Lake Washington and the Puget Sound. I have boated for over 50 years, 37 of those in the waters of Southeast Alaska.
16 years ago I started working as a whale watching boat captain in Juneau for Jayleen’s dad, Jay Beedle. It is with great joy and a full circle that I now join Jayleen’s Alaska. I am excited to work for Jayleen and believe that Alaska Humpback Adventures could not be in better hands.
Captain Alana
Hello, I’m Alana and I’m excited to share with you an unforgettable whale-watching adventure, at home on the pristine waters of Southeast Alaska! Every day out here feels like a gift—humpback whales dipping, diving and feeding beneath the waves against the backdrop of glacial peaks, playful noisy sea lions with eagles soaring high overhead. These waters are my home year-round and there’s nothing I enjoy more than bringing others along for the ride!
I’ve called Juneau my Home the last 7 years yet my journey to Alaska started far from here, off the coast of East Florida and the Keys. My boating experience started as a kid, sailing and snorkeling alongside my parents, dive masters, foraging and exploring our vast marine ecosystem. That early love of the ocean and marine wildlife lead to an extraordinary world, full of opportunities, exploring our seas as both a captain and science communicator.
Boats
Each one of our boats was hand picked by Jayleen and offer their own unique details that make them great for our 6-passenger whale watching tours! To learn more click on each one of the boat names below:
Glacier Girl
The Glacier Girl is a custom built 27’ Alaskan Hewescraft built in 2025 in Colville, Washington this is the first Jayleen’s Alaska boat that we special ordered for our fleet.
The sister ship to Salty Girl; Glacier Girl is ready for any weather that Alaska may throw at us. Rugged & sturdy while still being pristine & shiny – this boat is ready to watch whales!
Salty Girl
The Salty Girl is a custom-built 27’ Alaskan Hewescraft. Manufactured in 2020, the Salty Girl was built in Colville, Washington.
This boat was built with ALL the upgrades that Hewescraft offers. An individual had it custom-built for Tuna fishing off of New York — when life went back to ‘normal’ after COVID the previous owner decided to sell it in Sitka, Alaska — this is where Jayleen’s Alaska bought it in June of 2023.
Now the largest boat in our fleet – this lightly used fishing boat is perfect for its new life of whale watching in the Juneau area!
Island Girl
The Island Girl is a custom built 26’ Alaskan Hewescraft. Manufactured in 2017, the Island Girl was built in Colville, Washington.
She was made with an open bow area with space for passengers to sit and enjoy the front of the boat. The back deck is also large enough to allow viewing for all the passengers on board. Inside the boat the windows are large and low enough that, even while seated, there is a clear view of scenery and wildlife.
From a captain’s perspective, this boat handles rough water very well and with a single V8 300 Yamaha engine–this boat will fly!
Merlin
The Merlin is a 26’ Alaskan Sea Runner Hewescraft – build in Colville, Washington.
This original 6 passenger boat design is what started the personalized whale watching legacy for Jayleen’s family. This design features the open bow area for passengers to sit & enjoy while watching whales. And a back deck large enough for passengers to view comfortably.
Inside the boat there is large bench seating, enough for all 6 passengers to sit comfortably.
The Merlin has been tested in many waters – from the very roughest to the calmest and this boat handles like a dream.
Vans
We offer a courtesy shuttle to and from the cruise ship docks; to learn more about the vans we use for our transportation click on each of their names!
Raven
Raven is a standard Chevy Express Passenger van that seats up to 15 passengers—with four passengers in the very back, three passengers in the next three benches and one passenger in the front, next to the driver.
There is minimal room for extra storage in this van, please let us know if you have extra gear and we with make arrangements to accommodate
For children we offer a booster seat.
Please let us know before your tour if you have special requests and we will do our best to accommodate you!
Visual example of interior seating layout and design
Orca
Orca is a standard Ford Econo Wagon Passenger van that seats up to 10 passengers—with three passengers seated in each of the three benches and one passenger in the front, next to the driver.
There is minimal room for extra storage in this van, please let us know if you have extra gear and we with make arrangements to accommodate
For children we offer a booster seat.
Please let us know before your tour if you have special requests and we will do our best to accommodate you!
Fluke
Fluke is a standard Dodge Grand Caravan mini-van that seats 6 passengers at the maximum—with three passengers in the back, two passengers in the middle of the van (in bucket seats) and one passenger in the front, next to the driver.
There is plenty of room in the very back of the van for backpacks or purses that you are welcome to use for storage while we are driving.
For children we offer booster seats.
Please let us know before your tour if you have special requests and we will do our best to accommodate you!
Interior seating layout and design
Sasha
Sasha is a 2023 Honda Odyssey mini-van that seats 6 passengers at the maximum—with three passengers in the back, two passengers in the middle of the van (in bucket seats) and one passenger in the front, next to the driver.
There is plenty of room in the very back of the van for backpacks or purses that you are welcome to use for storage while we are driving.
For children we offer booster seats.
Please let us know before your tour if you have special requests and we will do our best to accommodate you!
Interior seating layout and design