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 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Wed 23 Jul

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

What To Expect

San Juan Island

San Juan Island is considered one of the best place to view wild orca whales because the surrounding nutrient rich water of the Salish Sea. These nutrients draw all types of marine animals, including large marine mammals like orcas. Take this Whale watching tour and see orca whales, during peak season we have a 90-95% success rate of spotting orca, minke, humpback and gray whales. What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day. Aside from whales, many other marine mammals like harbor seals and stellar sea lions, as well as various sea birds, bald eagles and some unique terrestrial mammals are all common sightings! You'll definitely 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 (728)

StLouisvacationer52

Jul 2015

We vacationed in Seattle for 1 week, but knowing how close were were to the San Juan Islands, we booked a seaplane for a day trip to take the Whale Watching Tour. A huge shout-out to Joan and Amanda, who were working the booth on the Friday Harbor dock. Joan was so welcoming and friendly. She told us exactly what time and where to meet, and offered to hold our jackets and a purchase we made for a few hours before the cruise, so we could explore Friday Harbor without lugging them around (it was a hot day!) While we were shopping and having lunch (at the Blue Water Grill - delish), we received a call from Kenmore Air letting us know that our seaplane had a mechanical problem and we would be rescheduled on a wheel-plane for our return flight to Seattle. Kenmore told us we just needed to make our way to the airport (a rep told us we could make the short walk, which we later learned was a good 2 miles, and hilly, at that!). It was all so convoluted and confusing, but Joan had the back number to Kenmore, and then Amanda took over and straightened out the whole mess - there would be a shuttle van at the harbor to pick us up and deliver us to the airport. There were a lot of back and forth calls and miscommunication, making us fear that we might get left behind. These 2 gals SAVED THE DAY - huge thanks to Joan and Amanda! You rock! The Whale Watching Tour: Captain Mike and Naturalists Mike and Rachel were awesome (yes, 2 Mike's.) They provided a lot of interesting information throughout the trip, and were available for questions at all times. Comfortable boat with plenty of room to get rail-side for viewing without crowding, bathroom on board, and they passed out blankets when it got chilly on board (bring your jacket - it DOES get cool and windy on the water, even on a sunny warm day!) We saw 2 pods, but I have to say they were at quite a distance. Remember, this company practices "respectful" wildlife viewing (that's a good thing), so unless you're extremely lucky, don't expect the brochure pictures of whales up close. I took over 100 pics with my camera and even with the zoom and cropping, they are small and far off. What you will hear and experience, however, is the majestic "snorting" sound they make when surfacing that carries through the wind right to you. That alone was worth the trip! Really cool. We also saw an eagle's nest, then later an eagle in another tree. A few people saw some seals, but we were on the wrong side of the boat, and by the time we ran to the other side, they were also at a distance and barely visible, camouflaged by the rocks. While our photo ops on this particular trip were limited, I would do it again! Wildlife viewing can never be guaranteed, and we had a wonderful time. San Juan Safari's - class act and good job! BTW, Friday Harbor was so picturesque, so clean and charming with friendly locals - a lovely place with a gorgeous harbor, especially if you happen to be a boater (we wish!) We want to live there!

Mark S

Jul 2015

No whale sightings and we were soaked with water and cold-staff did not hand out slickers in time and we're not helpful. Lady from wheelchair was left in a corner and not moved inside, not allowed to bring her chair on boat. Naturalist very dull and not informed , another passenger knew more about Eagles than she did. Company did not offer another trip for free even though they had room! They knew ahead of time waves were getting higher and whales would not be seen. They would not cancel and give back high fees-Paid way too much for a boat ride!

Response from Host

Jul 2015

Hi Mark, I'm sorry you did not have a good experience on July 20th. It was a challenging day on the water to say the least. I was on a trip that morning and saw whales, but conditions were clearly deteriorating towards the afternoon. I was driving sister ship to Sea Lion, the MV Sea Hawk. I communicated with your captain Peter and it's always our goal to provide you the best chance of seeing whales which is why they traveled where they did. Any number of small variables could have shifted that we have no control over, and you would have seen killer whales and perhaps written a 5* review instead of 1*. Those being the path of travel of the whales, and the sea conditions. Unfortunately neither cooperated and we were unable to find whales in other locations we searched. We do not have a whale guarantee policy because we think it's disingenuous to guarantee you will see whales. We do however guarantee you will have a great experience regardless of whales and we did not meet your expectations. We will be contacting everyone who traveled on that 1:30pm tour and offer a free tour during their next trip to the San Juan Islands without expiration and we hope you'll give us the opportunity to show you a great experience. Regarding the woman in the wheel chair. I've spoken with her and she had an amazing time, and despite being asked on at least 5 occasions if she'd like to move away from the salt spray said she was having a wonderful time and did not want to move. Regarding the implication we knew we were not going to see whales but went out anyway: This is simply not true. As I indicated previously a small change in the direction of the known whales or a small change in sea conditions and you would have seen those whales. One thing for sure is we were not going to see them without going out on the boat, so that is the attitude we take. We provide a safe experience and do the best that we can. If we fell short I apologize but you were not deceived. We made the best effort possible and I look forward to speaking with you about how we can get you to visit us again. Later that day the seas did calm down and our sunset tour was able to see whales. Sometimes wind/sea conditions pop up as they did and it's unfortunate. Thanks in advance for giving me the opportunity to speak with you. Sincerely, Brian Goodremont San Juan Safaris

Sharon W

Jul 2015

We had a great time on our whale watching tour. The staff was helpful from registration and throughout the whole activity. Our guides were very knowledgeable and were just as excited as we were to see the whales. The information regarding dress and food were right on target. I would recommend this to anyone who was traveling in the area. My family loved it!

Response from Host

Jul 2015

Hi Sharon, I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad you had such a great time. We'll be launching a new website and announcing new tours for 2016 so keep an eye out for our winter newsletter. Thanks again and enjoy the rest of the summer. Brian Goodremont Owner - San Juan Safaris