My friend and I were in from Boston. This was my friend's first ever whale watch, while I had been on a couple east coast watches. What we really wanted to see were, obviously, killer whales and killer whales we saw! A small pod of Transient Orcas were hanging around while the Residents were out of town. It was great to see them, especially since three days before there hadn't been any Orcas. We also saw sea lions, harbor seals, Dall's porpoises and a distant humpback whale. I understand that these are wild animals and the crew can't promise anything, but they definitely met all of our expectations. The weather was perfect, the sea wasn't rocky (and I am seriously prone to seasickness...didn't feel it one bit!), the captain and crew were knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating...everything you could ask for. We lucked out and had ideal whale watching conditions.
This was a small boat, holding probably 30 people. On shore the temperature was high 60s, low 70s, but when the boat is going you will want extra layers. I had a shirt, sweater, sweatshirt, windbreaker, thick jeans, thick socks, warm boots, a hat and a scarf and I was still a bit chilly (granted I stayed outside almost the entire time...there is a warm, indoor area but I was afraid of missing something). Bring gloves...I didn't and should have. If you can get a telephoto lens for your fancy camera, bring it. The boats are required by law to stay a certain distance from the animals (which is a good thing...gotta keep them happy, safe and healthy) so the photos you get will be much better with a telephoto lens. I will invest in one for next time. They don't sell any food or water on board, so bring your own. You'll be happy you did. You don't realize how hungry you are until the boat ride back to the harbor. If you forget binoculars, they have some on board to use, along with some great reading material about the animals of the Salish Sea.
I would do this whale watch again in a heartbeat. Maybe next summer! I'll cross my fingers for Resident Orcas this time.