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

Wed 23 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Wed 23 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)

Kevin F

Aug 2014

By far the best thing we did in the PNW!! The boat was in great condition, and the crew were all very pleasant and informative. First we came upon 2 humpback whales and watched them for a bit. Then our crew were able to find all 3 pods of whales, and maneuver the boat for a spectacular view. It was a nice sunny day but while the boat was in motion it did get a little cool, the boat was equipped with perfect little blankets for each person. We saw so many different whales and groups, and our last and biggest surprise was having a whale breach the water 3 times in a row near the boat!! Thanks again, would recommend this company to anyone!

Texasippian

Aug 2014

My wife and I had just finished a cruise to Alaska and were staying in the Seattle area for a few extra days. We decided at the last minute to drive up to Anacortes, catch the ferry over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and go on a Orca Whale watching trip with San Juan Safaris. Turns out the resident orca population was active that day (August 19, 2014)! We got the opportunity to see a lot of orca whales surfacing and some came up close unexpectedly. We also saw eagles and sea lions up close (beached on a small island). It was a beautiful day and the guides did an excellent job. Be sure to bring jacket, sweater, etc as it gets very chilly even in August!

debbiehEverett_WA

Aug 2014

One of your employees recommended the last sunset cruise of the season after discovering our afternoon trip the next day may be cancelled. We had to do some very quick last minute rearranging of our schedule and make a dash to be there on time for check in, but we're so glad we went on this particular cruise. We headed south and were very soon with a group of transient orcas. We actually spent over 2 hours with this group watching from a distance and were surprised and delighted when they decided to surface right next to the boat--even more surprised when they went underneath us and surfaced again right next to us! We've been whale watching several times and like the other companies we've gone out with, San Juan Safaris is very professional and follows all whale watching guidelines--this just happened to be a time when the whales decided to come close to us, you never know what will happen, amazing every time we've been fortunate to see them. The naturalists were interesting and informative and having two on board made it nice. As an absolute bonus, we had a beautiful sunset all the way back with the whales along side us in the distance most of the way back. An absolutely magical trip that will be hard to top. Thanks San Juan Safaris (and the nice guy in Roche Harbor that politely pushed us into taking this particular trip), we'll definitely recommend you and continue to tell everyone we know that seeing these magnificent creatures in their own environment is the only way to see them.