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

Mon 13 Jan

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Mon 13 Jan

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)

Marnie L

Dec 2014

My goal in going on this safari was to see some orcas. Not that seeing humpbacks wouldn't have been enough, but there's just something so beautiful about orcas, and I refuse to go see them in captivity at Sea World. So I kept calling to make sure they were still seeing them before we committed to going. Understandably, they couldn't guarantee anything and it was near the end of the season for seeing orcas as well. So, keeping our fingers crossed, we went. It was a cold, blustery day on the water, but we did come upon a momma humpback with her baby. We spent quite a bit of time following them and then suddenly we were turning away from them and speeding across the water. A pod of transient orcas had been spotted a couple miles away. We made it and got to see them! It was so awesome! After spending time watching them, on our way back to port, we got to see some harbor seals laying around on the rocks. It was worth the numb fingers and toes to get to see these wonderful animals!

Nancy C

Oct 2014

On Sat Oct 18 I was on the whale watching trip with Captain Mike, Kevin and Emily. I was hoping to see one Orca, and to my absolute delight we were "mugged" by a pod of ORCAS!! All I could and keep saying is WOW! It was absolutely magnificent, breathtaking, awesome, not enough adjectives to describe the experience. Was able to chat personally with Emily and Kevin, what great ambassadors they are for you; Captain Mike was busy piloting the boat but did get a photo of him. I haven't stopped talking about this since I returned to Chicago. Many, many thanks. I have told my friends they need to go to San Juan Islands and book a trip with you. Cordially, Nancy Chapman

Nancy R

Oct 2014

My husband and I and our 10 year daughter really enjoyed our trip. We went in September and had beautiful weather. The crew was very informative and I appreciated the captain's knowledge and respect of the laws in place to protect the orcas. We saw several pods that day but bear in mind you are usually about 200 yards away unless the orcas happen to venture closer to the boats, not ideal as the idea is to stay further away so as not to stress the whales. If I did this again I would definitely take binoculars for optimal viewing. From Friday Harbor it takes a good hour to get to where the whales usually are so bring a sweatshirt! My daughter also spent some time sitting inside looking at the books available, in all the trip was around 3 hours and she was always occupied. It's a good idea to bring water and snacks too.