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.

City: San Juan Islands

Tue 29 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Tue 29 Oct

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Whale Watching Cruise

Local taxes

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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
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
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
50% capacity on vessels

What To Expect

San Juan Island

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.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (660)

BlancheEnglewood

Oct 2017

We were thrilled that we were able to see these beautiful creatures in their natural environment. They even send you photos by email after the trip. The environmentalist was able to answer almost every question we asked. Friendly staff and very knowledgeable! HIghly recommend them.

Response from Host

Nov 2017

Wow! Thank you for sharing a testimonial of your San Juan Safaris tour experience. We work very hard for our guests, and that you for letting us know that we succeeded in making your San Juan Island whale watching trip extra special. Glad to hear that you received your naturalist's photos! Enjoy! Thanks again, Brian Goodremont Owner & Operator San Juan Safaris Friday Harbor, WA

Quirsten

Oct 2017

Such an amazing trip! We went on the "Adventure Whale Watching & Wildlife Tour" and it was totally worth it. If we hadn't gone on the Kestrel boat that day we wouldn't have seen the orcas as they were hanging out by Port Townsend. Luckily we were on the speedy Kestrel on calm water and were able to zip right out there. The San Juan Safaris team was very respectful of the Orcas which made me feel comfortable about catching a peek of these beautiful beings. The team was also very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge of the whales and their conservation! Shout out to our naturalist, Sarah M, and Captain Gabe for being awesome! We were also fortunate enough to cross paths with a couple Humpback Whales AND some big handsome Steller Sea Loins! San Juan Safaris provided us with what they called exposure suits for this trip which have built in PFDs and kept us warm and comfortable on our adventure - convenient as we didn't have to pack bulky jackets for our visit. BONUS - Part of your ticket fee is donated to Orca and Salmon Conservation Extra bonus - San Juan Safaris gave us souvenir posters to remember our trip and the swag they sell in their store is very stylish! I scored an Orca t-shirt which is very soft and fetches compliments all the time!

MSMcC319

Oct 2017

We made a trip to San Juan Island again this summer and had another excellent trip out with San Juan Safaris! This time they helped us arrange to fly out to Friday Harbor from Lake Union in Seattle on Kenmore Air. That was so easy - and so much fun! We had the first flight out of Lake Union in the morning arriving in time for a late breakfast in Friday Harbor at the cafe in the San Juan Safaris office/store, right on the waterfront. Our trip out on the water in their boat the Kestrel was great. I was glad to have the all weather suit they provided. Even though it was a warm sunny day on land, it was chilly out on the water. We were very comfortable with the weather suits. We saw so many different animals on this trip! Of course it was most exciting to see orcas, but I loved seeing everything else as well - seals, dolphins, sea lions, birds of all kinds and of course the beautiful scenery! Again this year I was most impressed with how respectful of the environment the captain and crew were. We had a great view of everything but did not interfere with the animals. Captain Gabe and Naturalist Sarah were professional, helpful, and did everything possible to make sure each passenger had a great experience. Once again - I enthusiastically recommend San Juan Safaris!!