Whale Watching from Friday Harbor
Overview
The best orca whale watching is from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, just an easy day trip adventure from downtown Seattle. The San Juan Islands are considered the "jewel" of the Pacific Northwest, located in the Puget Sound.
Inclusions
- Whale Watching Cruise
- Local taxes
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: San Juan Island, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Washington
San Juan Island is considered the best place to view orca whales because the salmon, which are their prime source of food (about 95% of what they eat), travel up and down the west coast of San Juan Island and outlying areas.
Take this Whale watching tour and see orca whales which has been viewed on over 90% of the tours with the possibility of spotting minke, humpback and gray whales to be higher. What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day. You will be guaranteed see marine mammals and come back with memories to last a lifetime!
Enjoy the beauty of San Juan Island on an exclusive Whale Watch Cruise from Friday Harbor. Sail aboard the fast, new 55 foot MV Sea Lion (with windowed, heated cabin, which seats up to 24 guests). 40 or fewer guest aboard this comfortable boat with walk around deck.
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: San Juan Island, San Juan Island, San Juan Islands, Washington
San Juan Island is considered the best place to view orca whales because the salmon, which are their prime source of food (about 95% of what they eat), travel up and down the west coast of San Juan Island and outlying areas.
Take this Whale watching tour and see orca whales which has been viewed on over 90% of the tours with the possibility of spotting minke, humpback and gray whales to be higher. What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day. You will be guaranteed see marine mammals and come back with memories to last a lifetime!
Enjoy the beauty of San Juan Island on an exclusive Whale Watch Cruise from Friday Harbor. Sail aboard the fast, new 55 foot MV Sea Lion (with windowed, heated cabin, which seats up to 24 guests). 40 or fewer guest aboard this comfortable boat with walk around deck.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- For maximum safety children under 2 should be in a harness carrier strapped to a parent and remain in the cabin
- "Special Limited" tour not recommended for child aged 13 and under
- Restrooms are available on board the boat
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- 50% capacity on vessels
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
jh19772018
June 2022
The captains and Lauren, the naturalist were very friendly and knowledgeable. The ride out and back was wet but the gear provided was so nice to have to keep us dry and warm. I would highly recommend this whale watching tour. I can’t wait to come back for a visit!
The captains and Lauren, the naturalist were very friendly and knowledgeable. The ride out and back was wet but the gear provided was so nice to have to keep us dry and warm. I would highly recommend this whale watching tour. I can’t wait to come back for a visit!Debra_G
March 2022
Just when we thought we might not see whales today, they came to us!! We saw every species described in the naturalists presentation
Just when we thought we might not see whales today, they came to us!! We saw every species described in the naturalists presentationC2304WCkeitht
May 2022
Great experience! We got to see sea lions and orcas. Our guide and ship captains were knowledgeable, experienced, and were very kind. We initially booked for whale watching tour on a bigger vessel but the day before, they notified us that the minimum for passengers was not met so they updated our...
Great experience! We got to see sea lions and orcas. Our guide and ship captains were knowledgeable, experienced, and were very kind. We initially booked for whale watching tour on a bigger vessel but the day before, they notified us that the minimum for passengers was not met so they updated our reservation to a 2pm for the same day. It was a smaller vessel and exposure suits were required (open air boat) but we still had a good time.Galeda
May 2022
My friends and I were visiting Friday Harbor, and they treated me to a whale-watching expedition with San Juan Safaris. It was an AMAZING experience—one I’ll truly remember for the rest of my life! Something to know about San Juan Safaris: The crew are all naturalists, not tour guides. They a...
My friends and I were visiting Friday Harbor, and they treated me to a whale-watching expedition with San Juan Safaris. It was an AMAZING experience—one I’ll truly remember for the rest of my life! Something to know about San Juan Safaris: The crew are all naturalists, not tour guides. They are highly educated in marine biology and ecology (they each shared with us their course of study in college and prior work in the field) and completely committed to the care of the marine ecosystem. Our captain was Eric, our two naturalists were Olivia and Lauren, and all three were excellent! They were very knowledgeable and love their jobs. They gave us all sorts of information about the Salish Sea and the wildlife we might encounter. They are very familiar with the orcas in the area and are able to identify each individual orca (by the dorsal fin, the saddleback marking behind the fin, and the eye patch). Whenever there was a quiet moment, one of the crew would give us brief informative talks on some aspect of the Salish Sea ecosystem. They were fascinating! Before starting out, the crew briefed us regarding our vessel and the amount of time we might spend on the water. They explained they’d been in touch with Orca Network’s Whale Sighting Network and a group of orcas had been spotted up near Vancouver, CA. So, they were expecting we would have a long ride out to find the whales. They were very thorough in making sure we knew the estimated length of our voyage (four hours) and that everyone on board was okay with the time commitment. As we sailed out to find the whales, we stopped close to several islands to see other wildlife in the area. We ended up seeing LOTS of harbor seals, bald eagles (adult and juvenile), cormorants, harbor porpoises, and even a couple of sea otters! The crew taught us how to spot each of the animals, and (using the “clock” method) how to alert other passengers and crew about the location of the animals. When we found the whales, we were in sight of the Vancouver skyline. There were two family groups of four orcas each; as we stopped at a respectful distance, the groups were on either side of the boat. We stayed for a while watching them, and the whales weren't leaving. Then Eric asked us if we wanted to extend the time of our voyage, because we'd be getting back later than expected. Whatever decision we made, it had to be unanimous. Thankfully, everyone said YES, stay! The whales started to move away and so we turned to head back to Friday Harbor. Just as we did, an orca surfaced very close to us. The captain spun the boat around and stopped, and one family group of whales came up SO close to us!! Everyone got very quiet, and we could hear them exhale when they surfaced. Everyone was on one side of the boat, and it was listing, and it was so exciting! They stayed for at least 10 more minutes, and then started heading north, so we turned around and headed back to port. We finally returned to Friday Harbor after more than 5 ½ hours out on the water. What a GREAT expedition!!! Many, MANY thanks to Eric, Olivia and Lauren for their commitment to providing every passenger such a memorable experience, and even more for their care and concern for the Salish Sea ecosystem. I’m glad that San Juan Safaris has such integrity and dedication to conservation and education. Thank you for your great work!594lyndem
May 2022
Max and the crew were GREAT! We saw 7 whales, seals, sea lions and a bald eagle! Very informational and we had a great time seeing the island and wildlife. East to book and they were organized, made the trip a great asset to our travels.
Max and the crew were GREAT! We saw 7 whales, seals, sea lions and a bald eagle! Very informational and we had a great time seeing the island and wildlife. East to book and they were organized, made the trip a great asset to our travels.W8463BRjudyt
May 2022
Well organized and very informative. We were lucky to find a pod of Orcas and didn't have to extend the trip to find whales. They did a really great job and I highly recommend this company!
Well organized and very informative. We were lucky to find a pod of Orcas and didn't have to extend the trip to find whales. They did a really great job and I highly recommend this company!