Ecofriendly whale-watching expeditions can range from less than a day to more than a week, and most tour operators guarantee whale sightings—or you get a free repeat trip. Before signing up, check out the company's safety record and the guides' qualifications, and make sure they adhere to whale-watching guidelines such as those recommended by the Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Services.

Our four-day lodge-based vacation through WeGo Kayaking (wegokayaking.com) in British Columbia cost about $900 a person. Alaska Discovery (akdiscovery.com) offers a three-day "Whales of Point Adolphus" camping expedition for $850 a person. Sea Quest expeditions operates in Washington's San Juan Islands, the Baja Peninsula, British Columbia, and Alaska (sea-quest-kayak.com), with itineraries ranging from $65 for a single day to close to $2,000 for eight-day kayak and camp treks.

Hey, Jonah, are you in there?