Orcas Island Whale Watching

Overview

Small group whale watching tours on some of the fastest boats in the region with GUARANTEED WHALES! See whales with us or come again for FREE.

City: San Juan Islands

Mon 23 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $109.00

Make a reservation

Mon 23 Dec

Starting at $109.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

3-4 hour tour

Professional guide

High Speed Vessels

8.1% Washington State sales tax and applicable fees. The taxes and fees are required by the governing authority and not within local supplier's control

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
This tour departs from Orcas Island. The island can only be reached by the Washington State Ferry System. If your party is not already on island we recommend our Anacortes departure location.
Check in begins 30 minutes prior to departure.
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
We have limited the passenger loading to 50% of seat capacity and increased our sanitation measures.

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (297)

noblefun

Aug 2010

Outer Island Expeditions is the first class orca whale watching experience. If you are in the San Juans it is probably a good idea to go get a close up of some of the local Orcas. There are a few companies that can help you do this. But Outer Island Expeditions couldn't be better. It is smaller scale, super personalized, and filled with people who help you get the ultimate experience. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone and my whole family is super glad we went out with these guys.

mnevels7

Jul 2010

We were on Orcas Island for a week and booked a fishing trip as well as a whale watching trip with Outer Island Expeditions. For the fishing trip, we went out with Captain Paul. He put us on lots of fish almost right away. We caught lots of Ling Cod, Rockfish, and Dogfish. Tons of fun! For the whale watching trip, we went out with Captain Beau. He's a very personable and nice guy. He knew right where the pods were going to be and took us as close as is possible to the Orcas. We followed them into Canadian waters and got more photos than my camera can hold! Both trips were on smaller boats, which allowed the captains to tailor the trips to our desires. We had a blast, and would highly recommend this guide service! I know we'll be back when we are on Orcas again.

AusTexFam

Aug 2009

This was our first trip to Washington so I asked our inn-keeper on Orcas Island to recommend a whale watching guide. Without hesitation she said to call Beau with Outer Island Expeditions. We couldn't have been happier with our experience. When booking our trip, I discussed several options with Beau and decided that the whale watching / crabbing / dinner trip would be the best for our family of four. Our day started right on time and the boat was clean, comfortable and ready to go. Beau went over a few safety rules for the kids (ages 10 and 7) and cold drinks were offered. Then we were off on our adventure. On our way toward the whales, Beau and the kids threw prepared crab pots overboard. My children loved it. They got to put their names on the buoys and throw those over too. Beau was incredibly patient and kind with them the entire trip. Very soon into our trip we encountered the orca whales, which had been located earlier in the day about 6 miles from Orcas Island. Beau informed us it was a pod of transient whales, not one of the resident pods. The whales put on a nice show, gracefully appearing for several seconds at a time. Beau did a great job of getting us a clear view of the whales. We brought our own binoculars, but I noticed a few sets in the boat too. Also in the cabin were Washington wildlife guides and photo sheets of the resident orcas. Beau's immense knowledge of the San Juan Islands and the area's wildlife is a real added value. As I looked at all the other crowded whale watching boats in the area, I was so happy to not be squished on a big tour boat with blasting speakers or on an open speed boat wearing a protective jump suit (we saw several of those). Our experience was so much more personal and unique. I also noticed that we stayed with the whales longer than the large tour operators. Our trip continued with pulling up the crab pots. This was probably my kids' favorite part. Beau let them hook the buoys and pull the pots out of the deep water. We caught several Dungeness and red rock crabs. On the way to Sucia Island for dinner, we stopped by a tiny island nature preserve to see harbor seals and lots of birds. When we docked at Sucia Island State Park our dinner site was completely set up under a canopy. The setting was beautiful. We had a little time to explore the island while Beau cooked an amazing dinner which included the crab we just caught. The trip was timed perfectly so we were eating while the sun was setting over a beautiful little harbor. Several friendly folks at the park asked us about our special set up and how we found Outer Island Expeditions. We were more than happy to tell them all about our day. I knew our trip was a success when about halfway through the day my husband started saying, "When we come back next year..." I highly recommend Outer Island Expeditions. It was worth every penny for the incredible day my family and I will never forget.