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

Fri 27 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Fri 27 Dec

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (103) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (113) Entry Tickets (47) Sporting Events (1) Good for Small Groups (6) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (41) Walking Tours (697) Outdoor Activities (20) Limitied Availability Tours (6) LGBT Friendly Tours (4) Family-friendly Activities (7) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (27) Travelers recommend (73) Good for Groups (8) Top Activities (18) Guided Audio Tours (3) Art, Culture & History (135) Attractions to explore (38)

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)

jh19772018

Jun 2022

The captains and Lauren, the naturalist were very friendly and knowledgeable. The ride out and back was wet but the gear provided was so nice to have to keep us dry and warm. I would highly recommend this whale watching tour. I can’t wait to come back for a visit!

C2304WCkeitht

May 2022

Great experience! We got to see sea lions and orcas. Our guide and ship captains were knowledgeable, experienced, and were very kind. We initially booked for whale watching tour on a bigger vessel but the day before, they notified us that the minimum for passengers was not met so they updated our reservation to a 2pm for the same day. It was a smaller vessel and exposure suits were required (open air boat) but we still had a good time.

Galeda

May 2022

My friends and I were visiting Friday Harbor, and they treated me to a whale-watching expedition with San Juan Safaris. It was an AMAZING experience—one I’ll truly remember for the rest of my life! Something to know about San Juan Safaris: The crew are all naturalists, not tour guides. They are highly educated in marine biology and ecology (they each shared with us their course of study in college and prior work in the field) and completely committed to the care of the marine ecosystem. Our captain was Eric, our two naturalists were Olivia and Lauren, and all three were excellent! They were very knowledgeable and love their jobs. They gave us all sorts of information about the Salish Sea and the wildlife we might encounter. They are very familiar with the orcas in the area and are able to identify each individual orca (by the dorsal fin, the saddleback marking behind the fin, and the eye patch). Whenever there was a quiet moment, one of the crew would give us brief informative talks on some aspect of the Salish Sea ecosystem. They were fascinating! Before starting out, the crew briefed us regarding our vessel and the amount of time we might spend on the water. They explained they’d been in touch with Orca Network’s Whale Sighting Network and a group of orcas had been spotted up near Vancouver, CA. So, they were expecting we would have a long ride out to find the whales. They were very thorough in making sure we knew the estimated length of our voyage (four hours) and that everyone on board was okay with the time commitment. As we sailed out to find the whales, we stopped close to several islands to see other wildlife in the area. We ended up seeing LOTS of harbor seals, bald eagles (adult and juvenile), cormorants, harbor porpoises, and even a couple of sea otters! The crew taught us how to spot each of the animals, and (using the “clock” method) how to alert other passengers and crew about the location of the animals. When we found the whales, we were in sight of the Vancouver skyline. There were two family groups of four orcas each; as we stopped at a respectful distance, the groups were on either side of the boat. We stayed for a while watching them, and the whales weren't leaving. Then Eric asked us if we wanted to extend the time of our voyage, because we'd be getting back later than expected. Whatever decision we made, it had to be unanimous. Thankfully, everyone said YES, stay! The whales started to move away and so we turned to head back to Friday Harbor. Just as we did, an orca surfaced very close to us. The captain spun the boat around and stopped, and one family group of whales came up SO close to us!! Everyone got very quiet, and we could hear them exhale when they surfaced. Everyone was on one side of the boat, and it was listing, and it was so exciting! They stayed for at least 10 more minutes, and then started heading north, so we turned around and headed back to port. We finally returned to Friday Harbor after more than 5 ½ hours out on the water. What a GREAT expedition!!! Many, MANY thanks to Eric, Olivia and Lauren for their commitment to providing every passenger such a memorable experience, and even more for their care and concern for the Salish Sea ecosystem. I’m glad that San Juan Safaris has such integrity and dedication to conservation and education. Thank you for your great work!