It can definitely be expensive! Maybe not as bad if you go in the summer time and camp... but from what I read campsites are charged person and still on the pricey end and the summer time it is a lot more crowded! Just find 4 other people to go with so you can slit the cost of a car and hotel! Most of the cool stuff to see if free! Glad you find my posts helpful! Let me know if there's some other info you would like that would make planning a trip easier for you :) And you're right, everyone thinks whales are cool.
Happy wandering!
~Amanda