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Safety Information

Safety is our main priority. As a family owned and operated business in Ketchikan, Alaska, we care deeply about our guests, crew, operation and local reputation.

How We Are Safe & Different

Owners and Management monitor and adjust tour operations at any time, for any reason, including weather and do not challenge any advisories. We have clear communication with all of our staff at all times during operations.

Vessels: We use the Modern State of the Art Hydra-Terra Amphibious vehicle. Please note these are not the old World War ll DUKWs.

Vessel Safety Features include:

  • Our vessels have been engineered, designed, and built specifically for tourism.
  • Modernly designed aluminum hull and Caterpillar engines.
  • Revolutionary positive buoyancy foam-filled compartments.
  • USCG tested for Alaska waters.
  • Strict oversight by USCG.
  • COI Certificate of Inspection by USCG. Yearly inspection.

The design is fully patented and unsinkable, even with the drain plugs removed and the full engine room flooded! The Hydra-Terra has been a proven performer with successful operations in 16 countries around the world and remains the safest amphibious vehicle for tourism.

*Our Captains have a minimum of a 25- ton masters license and a CDL. All captains also have VHF radios to communicate directly with the Coast Guard and other vessels.

*The vessels are also serviced and inspected daily by a certified master mechanic.

Our Weather Policy:

Our COI (Certificate of Inspection) from the USCG on the vessels states that we shall not operate in sustained 25 kn winds and a 2 1/2-foot sea or greater.

To achieve this we have implemented the following protocol:

Daily weather monitoring via NOAA by Operations/Dispatch. Operations/Dispatch is subscribed to the Accuweather alert system that sends forecasts twice a day and special weather statements immediately during our operational window.  Any weather warnings that predict winds stronger than 25 kn in our area of operation will trigger immediate cancellation of tours.

Captains have full authority to cancel or shorten the water portion of any tour when they observe that conditions have become unsafe due to weather when not predicted.

If there is less than a 1/4 mile of visibility, tours will be canceled.

In the event of cancellation of the water portion of the tour, passengers will proceed on the land tour route.

 

tour in water
Ketchikan duck tour
Duck tour in water
duck in water