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)

volleyballtigger4

Jul 2017

This was my second experience with San Juan Safaris, the first being 8 years ago. While we did not see as many whales on this trip as we did last time, I also know my first experience was a bit of an anomaly. For this trip we booked our reservation on the M/V Kestrel, which is the only way I would do another whale watching trip. The open air boat was an absolute blast. Our naturalist and captain were well experienced and clearly excited about the excursions. Our captain strategically moved the boat twice to get the best view of the whales, including one time where the whale surfaced right by our boat. Of course, the goal of all captains is to give space to the whales, but in some cases, the whales make all the decisions! I would definitely recommend San Juan Safaris to anyone considering a whale watching excursion!!

Response from Host

Jul 2017

Thank you for sharing your testimonial! Kestrel is our brand new zodiac style vessel, which is very fast and lots of fun. We are glad to hear that you had an excellent experience on the Adventure Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour, and many thanks for your kinds words about your captain and crew. Thanks again for choosing San Juan Safaris once again for your San Juan Island whale watch experience, and we hope to see you again in the future! Brian Goodremont Owner & Captain San Juan Safaris

Lynette521

Jul 2017

OMG! Went on Kestrel yesterday and had the most amazing whale watching experience with San Juan Safaris! From the very beginning we were greeted friendly and enthusiastically by the ladies working front desk, and the kindness of the staff only continued throughout the trip! Not only did we see Humpbacks, Transients, Seal Pups and Bald Eagles, but the naturalist Rachel was so knowledgeable about everything that was going on during our trip and the Captain made sure we saw whales! This is my fourth time going whale watching with this company and I love their professionalism and the way they practice respectful whale watching by making sure we get to see these amazing wild animals, all while ensuring we do not encroach on them in their natural habitat. As always I am so impressed with the quality of equipment provided by this company. Since we were going out in the zodiak special suits were provided which kept us warm and toasty the whole time. This company truly goes above and beyond to take care of their guests! Thanks again Brian for another amazing Whale Watching Trip! San Juan Safaris Rocks! Lynette Southern California

Kevin J

Jul 2017

We had a blast! We saw orca from two different pods. About fifteen minutes into our trip we ran into a small pod of transient orca. They were fairly close to shore and we watched them for awhile. The real treat came when we saw the L Pod. Our captain took us about 200-300 yards away from the pod. We watched as the pod turned and swam toward our boat. The pod swam just 30 yards away. They were so close we could hear them breathing as they passed us. Everyone was so amazed Not a word was spoken, you could hear a pin drop on the boat. We also saw stellar sea lions, bald eagles, and a minke whale This was an amazing experience. The crew and staff were so nice. They made us feel welcome and they also taught us a lot about the area wildlife. It was a beautiful trip!

Response from Host

Jul 2017

Wow Kevin! Thank you for taking the time to share your review of your Adventure Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour. We are so happy to hear that you had an excellent experience. At the heart of what we do is strive to provide an excellent quality (and respectful!) wildlife viewing experience, and it sounds like we succeeded. We very much enjoyed having your family on the water, and many thanks again for sharing your testimonial. We hope to see your family in the San Juans again in the future! Brian Goodremont Owner & Captain San Juan Safaris