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

Sat 10 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Sat 10 May

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)

Weenbug

Jun 2015

My best friend and I promised we would treat ourselves and go to see the whales and bop around Seattle for our 50th birthdays. Well, life gets in the way of things as we all know. But, we finally did it (age 52) last week. It was great and the technical staff could not have been kinder. They were very knowledgable and encouraging. It was a great experience. The first sea life we saw were sea lions. But, I also spotted an eagle in the tree right above! It was cool. Then, we saw lots of orcas after. Some breached, some played, some tail slapped:) Well done San Juan Safaris! We can't wait to come back to the west coast. Thanks! Colleen and Sharon Atlanta, Ga

Terry M

Jun 2015

Huge KUDOS to Captain Pete, Eric, Mike and Brendan, the wonderful crew for our whale watching tour on Thursday, June 18th, out of Friday Harbor. They were so friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the islands, the sea life, and the eco system, and they really made an otherwise disappointing trip a lot of fun. We learned a lot and although we did not see any Orcas, there were one or two sightings of Minke whales, a few harbor porpoises, a couple of bald eagles, & some seals. The morning had started out beautifully...so nice that my husband and I went out to explore the island (on foot) before our 1:00 pm boarding time. Unfortunately, I had a little mishap and badly sprained my ankle. The SJ Safaris staff was so awesome. They called our friends (who had booked the tour) when we had not arrived at the dock by 1:00. They just wanted to be sure we were okay! We let them know we were running behind as my husband and our friend were trying to find a drugstore to buy an Ace bandage and a cane for me. They assured us it was no problem and that they would help me if needed when we arrived at the dock...and true to their word, Eric even wrapped my ankle with the Ace bandage once we were on board!! I can't say enough good things about everyone on the crew, really a great bunch of guys who tried their very best to find the Orcas, but it just wasn't meant to be that afternoon (it could be the weather had something to do with it, within minutes of leaving the dock the skies darkened, the wind was blowing hard & eventually it even started to rain). It was pretty rough waters for awhile but all in all we still had a good time due to these great guys! I highly recommend this company - San Juan Safaris - for your whale watching tour. There are a lot of choices in Friday Harbor but I am so glad we chose SJ Safaris. Thanks again for a good time!! And thanks to ALL the staff!

Mary E

Jun 2015

We were SO very pleased with our whale watching experience! We saw a orcas, a humpback, seals and several different types of bird including eagles. The best part was how helpful the crew was from start to finish. They went above and beyond to help my older parents on board the ship and to be sure they were included in all of the sights! You truly made my parents day! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!