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

Sun 27 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Sun 27 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)

Mike B

Jul 2018

I highly recommend San Juan Safaris if you are looking for a great trip for whale watching! I had family in town from Philadelphia and wanted them to see some of the great things we have in the Pac Northwest. We took the Anacortes Ferry up to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands for a few days, and I looked for a whale watching tour. San Juan Safaris was highly recommended by our hotel and on almost every review site, so I booked them. We had 2 your children with us (1 & 3), so I was a bit nervous. After booking I received a call the next day confirming everything and asking if I had any questions. Nice touch! We showed up about 30 minutes early as requested for our 5:30 sailing. Were able to see a harbor seal in the marina as we waited which was great for the kids. They have an easy to find location close the ferry landing, and it has a nice little gift shop with a coffee bar and snacks as well as fun stuff to buy for the kids. I highly recommend taking some snacks along, and pack a jacket or blanket as the air was a bit chilly. Our tour began with a quick introduction of Alexandria and Mariana (not sure I spelled right). They were both highly qualified to describe the marine life we would see and gave us a lot of great facts as we toured. A plus..they spend a lot of time working with sea life rehab in their free time...and I found out afterward a percentage of the cost of our tour went to protecting the marine life we saw. The boat captain was friendly as well. We were on the vessel Sea Lion. He gave us some pointers about the trip, and the ship we wee on. It was big enough to give everyone space, but not too big. We almost immediately (within 30 mins) discovered a pod of Orcas. We counted 7 of them plus a big male named Onyx. This was one of the locals pods. We learned a lot on this trip about diets, local vs. transient pods, health of the Orca population here, etc. They stopped the boat for a beautiful photo of the Orcas with the mountain in the background, and with the silence you could hear them spouting very clearly. They even got playful and did a few tail slaps. We also were able to see some other marine life on the trip. Harbor seals and various types of porpoises were really close. We even saw a bald eagle perched on a rock. Overall this was a breathtaking trip. It could not have been more perfect. A few days later when I got home I had a handwritten thank you card from the crew. This is a family owned business that truly cares about the experience they provide. Choose San Juan Safaris...their team is incredibly friendly, the boat was great, and the whale watching was amazing!!

Advebture

Jul 2018

At one point in our trip, I thought about asking the boat staff if it ever got "old" seeing the beautiful orca whales; then I realized that it would be a ridiculous question. As excited and thrilled as every person on the boat was to see the whales (seals, eagles, and smaller porpoises!), our boat captain Gabe and boat naturalist Jordan were probably the most enthusiastic! They clearly love what they do, and that translated into a wonderful experience for everyone on board! I loved the speed of the Kestrel, too. Thank you San Juan Safaris!

collinsml

Jul 2018

My wife and I took their whale watch excursion. We weren’t sure what to expect, but were very pleasantly surprised: the tour was over three hours long and the weather was glorious; the staff of three (boat captain and two guides, both of which had masters degrees in marine biology or similar) were courteous and went out of their way to ensure a great time were had by all. They shared info willingly and gave as much detail as one could absorb. The island(s) and surrounding area are a must-see and well worth the ferry ride to get there.