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)

Kuzmik

Oct 2017

My wife and I took a tour on the Kestrel in late September. We saw both the fish-eating resident orcas and the mammal-eating transient orcas! Not to mention a bunch of other wildlife, sea lions and minke whales included. Our guide, Rachel, was extremely knowledgeable and always eager to answer questions. Captain Mike was an expert navigator and very friendly as well. I would highly recommend San Juan Safaris; even if we hadn't been lucky enough to see the orcas, it still would have been a great experience.

anetapajskrova

Oct 2017

I had a great whale watching trips with San Juan Safaris on both of their boats Kestrel (speed boat) and Sea Lion. I was really excited to see orcas for the first time in my life and both trips really fulfilled my expectations. Thanks to the great crew, captain Gabe and the naturalists Sarah, Alexandria and Courtney I was able to admire those beautiful creatures and learn a lot about their life cycle and habits. The crew was very professional, friendly and knowledgeable and excited as much as their passengers. We followed the whales safely for maybe an hour on both trips, then on my first trip we saw humpback whale, bald eagle, harbor seals and on the second trip bald eagle nest and colony of sea lions who just arrived for their winter stay in San Juan Island. I highly recommend this company to everyone who is eager to spot first orcas in their life. You will see them! Aneta, Prague, Czech Republic

Kristine S

Oct 2017

Our Naturalist was Sarah and she was very informative and answered all of our questions. We were able to see one humpback and 3 transient orcas - not a lot of whales but enough to keep it fun. My only complaint is that the company did not tell me (and the others on the trip) that they really hadn't been seeing any orcas lately, and the chances of seeing them were slim (so we got lucky). I am sure telling people this would hurt business, but if I would have know how infrequent the resident orcas had been seen this year, and that finding any transients was hit or miss, I may not have planned this weekend get-away for my husband and I. To come all the way from Wisconsin to see orcas, and to get there and then be told they haven't been seen much, was disappointing.