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

Sun 27 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Sun 27 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)

Lana O

Jul 2016

Best whale watching trip ever. Saw about 10 whales from j pod. Nice boat. Fun day

421Anonymous

Jul 2016

Our evening Whale Watch trip was delightful. We left on time and the boat which held 40 only had 24 passengers, so there was plenty of room. There are no snacks or drinks on board, but you can bring a cooler and there are 4 tables inside where you can eat. I suggest you bring some snacks at least, as after standing in the wind and getting chilled watching the whales, it is nice to go in the cabin area to warm up and have a snack. I highly recommend dressing in layers and bringing a sun hat and a warm hat as it started out warm and sunny but it gets cool on the water and with the wind of the boats passage it became quite cool. They did have fleece lined blankets with a windproof shell, but not enough for everyone to have one. The Captain took us directly to where he felt the Orcas would be and we were able to spend an hour observing two males from the transient group. We saw them roll over, a couple of tail flips and lots of up and down motion. The sound of the whales breathing was amazing. We didn't see any of the great photo op behaviors, but the rarity is what makes them so special. My biggest rave is for the naturalist. Sarah had a comprehensive knowledge of the biology of the Salish Sea and was willing to answer any question. She knew flora and fauna and shared some of the history of the area. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Every time the whales broke the surface she was possibly one of the most excited people on the boat. Her love of the whales came through clearly and she truly wanted to educate all of us on the lives the whales lead and the challenges they face. On our trip out and the return we saw Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals, sea otters, and many other animals. Sarah was informative about these as well. She even told us about the kelp and the Madrone trees. I feel like all the boatsdo

seattletraveler012

Jun 2016

My friend and I went on a whale-watch tour with this company last weekend. The boat, the "Kestrel," was a brand-new high-speed Zodiac type boat that got us to where the whales were really fast. I've been on another whale watch tour in the San Juans, and this one was nice because we got to spend more time watching whales and less time traveling. The owner, Brian, was captain, and I appreciated that he kept a respectful distance from the pod of four transient whales, which we got to observe for quite some time. Some of the other whale watching boats, especially the ones from Canada, seemed to get too close to the whales for comfort. We also had a naturalist, Eric, on board who was engaging and could answer any question without chattering the whole time. Overall, a great experience and really cool to see these amazing creatures in their natural environment.