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 28 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Sat 28 Dec

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)

abryant22

Sep 2013

Truly an amazing experience! The staff was very knowledgeable and went out of their way to make the experience everything it was. Our trip was very interesting, educational, and exciting. When we first spotted the group of transients, they were actively killing a porpoise, which was an amazing thing to see. They even breached, which is apparently very rare for transients to do. We got to watch these beautiful, wild orcas for about an hour. I simply cannot say enough about this experience. I highly recommend San Juan Safaris!!!

jeannyg1967

Sep 2013

We spent a couple of days in Seattle and wanted to get out of the city away from the crowds for at least one day of our vacation. I heard about the whale watching tours and the success the tour guides had finding them. Once the whales were spotted, we spent nearly an hour just watching these beautiful creatures. It was an awesome experience. Great job by the staff of San Juan Safaris!

gryn6

Sep 2013

When visiting San Juan, I almost gave up on seeing the whales (beginning of September), word had it that they already migrated away. I booked with Safari just to see the rest of local fauna - seals, bald eagles, etc. Surprise! Come the day, it turned out that a pod of transient orcas was just now swimming by the island. We found them and followed the group all the way for couple hours, they almost swam into Friday Harbour proper! The experience was beautiful and unforgettable. As to the ship, it suits its purpose - there's plenty of places to sit or stand, inside you can take coffee and snacks ($1 for anything), and there's a few binoculars to loan (too bad I didn't have one when we were told that there's a bald eagle - I just noticed one tree with a white dot). On "my" trip there was a big group from some kind of cruise; most weren't interested in orcas at all, just played cards and ate snacks inside. That was slightly weird, but nothing I'll complain about - it just meant more free place on a deck.