I went on a sunset tour in June that was amazing! We were on the Sea Lion, sailing from Friday Harbor. From beginning to end this was a top notch experience and well worth every penny. The person who took my reservation was very helpful in letting me know where to be and when. She also made recommendations on what to bring - like extra warm clothes since it's cooler out on the water.
The naturalists, Mike and Erik, greeted us on land and escorted us to the boat where we met Capt. Mike. All three were very professional, safety conscious, and excited about sharing the animals and scenery with us.
We saw eagles and seals as we cruised along hoping to see orcas. The naturalists were great in teaching us about what we were seeing - without being over powering.
The highlight for me was definitely seeing the orcas! One of the reasons I picked San Juan Safaris is there stated commitment to respecting the animals and the environment. I was very impressed. When we saw the orcas and they turned and started coming toward us, Capt. Mike immediately turned off the engine. They were still a good distance away but we could see them clearly. Evidently they could see us too. As we were siting there with the engine off one spy hopped to look at us - and then swam over to the boat and circled the boat to look at us!!! Capt. Mike, the two naturalists, and another naturalist from San Juan Safaris (Sarah) also on our boat just for the ride were just as excited as we were.
On the way back to the harbor all three naturalist were happy to answer our questions and share their wealth of knowledge. They were able to identify which whales we had seen and showed us the ID charts.
The boat is well equipped with safety gear, blankets, rain gear, whale / other animal guide books, binoculars. My family spent almost the whole time out on the front open deck. There is also a covered deck in the back with very good visibility and an enclosed cabin with windows where a couple of people went to stay out of the wind. The boat is big enough to feel sturdy and safe while small enough to be personal.
I hope to go back to San Juan Island again next year and will definitely make reservations for another trip with San Juan Safaris!! Thank you to everyone there for making this trip so great!