There are so many iconic things to do and places to see in Washington State. This experience should be on every Washingtonian's list. My wife and I have lived here for decades and have never made it out on a whale watching tour. I am so glad we finally did. We purchased our discounted ticket vouchers through Amazon Local and one thing to bear in mind is that, even though the website may show that there are seats available, you need to click through to another page that will show the number of "vouchered" seats available. Since, we live within about 2 hours of Anacortes, and were flexible for a tour date, we booked our spots about 2 weeks in advance.
We arrived at 12:30 for our 1 p.m. departure and had plenty of time to eat our picnic lunch before the boat departed. Our skipper, Matt, and naturalist Alyssa (sorry if I am spelling your name incorrectly, Miss) were excellent, informative guides. We rode on the newest boat in the fleet, the Blackfish III. We never felt rushed and the staff ensured that we all had a swell experience. It was a beautiful day and the Orcas were magnificent. We were mainly in the company of members of J pod, a female named Oreo and her offspring Cookie and Double Stuff. We had a few stops, on the way out to view the Orcas, to witness some Minke whales feeding on a bait ball. Also saw some cool water birds called Crested Puffins and a nesting rock for dozens of water birds.
I would not hesitate to recommend this tour operator to others and, by the way, wear sunscreen.