So we(me, wife and two children under 12) took this trip in late november, which is not in prime whale spotting season, hoping for the best but trying to check our expectations in check. Well I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when Capt. Brian and our naturalist Sarah stripped from their cold weather gear and donned snorkels and scuba gear and personally dove into the frigid waters of the pacific to search the depths for whales for us to spot.......ok i exaggerate a tad, but i believe if i had asked they would have. Simply put...THESE GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!!
Although wildlife is of course 'wild' and certainly unpredictable, Capt.Brian's knowledge put us in the best area for spotting and as luck would have it we spotted a duo of humpback whales. Capt. Brian expertly guided the boat along with the whales allowing for plenty of photo ops. Following plenty of time with the whales we moved on and Capt. Brian put us on some stellar sea lions, bald eagles, a seal or two and other local wildlife.
Our naturalist Sarah was amazing! Very friendly, very upbeat (despite the cold) and a fountain of knowledge. She's a walking talking wikipedia of whales!! odontocetes vs mysticetes? baleen vs toothed? flukes, blowholes, lengths, weights, how long they gonna stay under? sarah knows this! penniped?..seals vs sea lions? she's got that too! The heres and theres of the san juan islands and the surrounding landscape?..on it!
What makes the trip is having a captain like Brian who performs and knows his job as expertly as he does and a naturalist like Sarah who can inform you with every piece of information you want to know about what you are seeing.
Booking is easy and they are very informative and honest up front about you may and may not see on your trip. The boat itself is top notch and is basically yours to roam about and use during the trip. Small things like providing blankets and extra jackets on a cold day and even Sarah sharing the photos she personally took show they are more about it being a good experience for you rather than just running you out to the water and back and collecting a check.
If you're in Seattle go to San Juan Island. if you're on San Juan Island take a tour with San Juan Safaris. Get outside. Get some fresh air. See some wildlife
These guys are AWESOME.