We went on San Juan Safaris Whale Watching on July 3rd leaving Friday's Harbor. We were on a large boat, I believe the Sea Lion. There was plenty of room on board even though the boat was full. They offered rain coats and blankets to anyone who wanted them. The two girls who worked as the crew were so amazing. They explained a lot of things to us about whales, and the area. They attended to all passengers continuously. They really worked hard.
The boat does get choppy because you are on open sea. At one point, I felt a little sea sickness coming on. One of the girls offered me ginger root, and was so concerned. It didn't ever really get sick. On the trip, they had reports that there were two pods of Orcas in the area, but that they were moving quickly and possible on the way out of the area. They instructed us that they would try to catch them, but if they were too far out, we would eventually have to turn back. We traveled about 2 1/2 to 3 hours but found the whales. It was an amazing site! What a thrill. There were two pods, and they figure about 48 whales in the area. We also had the rare experience of seeing a humpback whale, which we were told is unusual.
This is a once-in-a lifetime experience, and well worth the money. It was definately one of the highlights of our trip.
Please be aware that it gets cold on the boat so dress warm. You can also take food and drinks because they don't provide any with the tour.
One more thing, be careful you don't park in limited-time parking in Friday Harbor. We had a parking ticket on our vehicle when we got back to the town.