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 25 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Wed 25 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)

John Y

Jul 2013

We bought a combo package where we flew a Kenmore Air sea plane to and from Seattle that day, and rode on a San Juan Safari boat for the tour. The orcas ended up being out at sea p, but it was still a fantastic day out. We saw minke whales, porpoises, harbor seals, bald eagles, rams, and just plain had a blast out on the water. The staff went out of their way to make it a good day when it became evident that there would be no orcas in the offing, and the whole family very much appreciated the effort. The combo platter of the sea plane and boat tour very much stand out in what was a fabulous Seattle vacation, and we all highly recommend this. Definitely bring hats and coats; we did and were glad to have done so.

jared625

Jul 2013

We went on one of the evening whale watching trips and had a blast. The boat is of a nice size where you never felt like you had to push your way into a nice viewing area for anything. The captain did a great job of trying to set up side views for the best viewing experience while making sure not to get too close to the whales. There were two naturalist that were both very friendly and very informative in the information they provided about everything we saw on the trip. The scenery alone makes for a breathtaking trip, but the Orcas of course steal the show. The tour is much better than previous off-shore whale watching trips taken in California because the scenery is far better, the boat ride itself is less choppy, and the Orcas offer far more enjoyable viewing opportunities than most other whales.

Joe C

Jul 2013

This was a nice afternoon trip for our family (daughters 9 & 11) - we enjoyed watching the whales and even saw a bald eagle. The crew was very friendly and informative. The boat is a good size and not overcrowded. Windy the day we went and some people did get soaked, we opted to ride inside until we got to the whales. The provide blankets and rain gear, so those that opted to rain gear weren't as wet. I will note that the ride to where we found the whales was long - I ended up taking a 20-30 minute nap as we were just "driving" with not much to see. Our daughters were bored for a portion of the trip as well, but we expected that it would take some time to get to the right spot.