Whale Watching from Friday Harbor | 4 hours

730 Reviews | San Juan Islands
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Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Whale Watching Cruise
  • Local taxes
  • Transport to/from Friday Harbor from Seattle
  • Gratuities
  • Port Fee (USD1.00 per person)

Overview

The best orca whale watching is from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, just an easy day trip adventure from downtown Seattle. The San Juan Islands are considered the "jewel" of the Pacific Northwest, located in the Puget Sound.

Meeting points

San Juan Safaris' office is located on Front Street, to the right, in the lower level of the 2 story gray building. Downriggers Restaurant is on the top floor.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • San Juan Island

    San Juan Island is considered one of the best place to view wild orca whales because the surrounding nutrient rich water of the Salish Sea. These nutrients draw all types of marine animals, including large marine mammals like orcas. Take this Whale watching tour and see orca whales, during peak season we have a 90-95% success rate of spotting orca, minke, humpback and gray whales. What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day. Aside from whales, many other marine mammals like harbor seals and stellar sea lions, as well as various sea birds, bald eagles and some unique terrestrial mammals are all common sightings! You'll definitely come back with memories to last a lifetime! Enjoy the beauty of San Juan Island on an exclusive Whale Watch Cruise from Friday Harbor. Sail aboard the fast, new 55 foot MV Sea Lion (with windowed, heated cabin, which seats up to 24 guests). 40 or fewer guest aboard this comfortable boat with walk around deck.

    4 hours

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • For maximum safety children under 2 should be in a harness carrier strapped to a parent and remain in the cabin
  • "Special Limited" tour not recommended for child aged 13 and under
  • Restrooms are available on board the boat

Free Cancellation

June 18100% refund
June 19No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.8

730 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    664
  • 4 stars
    40
  • 3 stars
    11
  • 2 stars
    12
  • 1 star
    3

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 664 reviews with 5 stars

Amazing Day with Orcas!

Published on Sep, 2024

I had a magical day on the water! Captain Gabe successfully found us some Biggs Killer Whales along with other beautiful wildlife sightings like stellar sea lions, harbor seals, harbor porpoises, and even a puffin!! Naturalist Lauren was highly knowledgeable and answered all our questions without skipping a beat. We got extremely lucky with a mostly empty boat and great conditions that added to the special experience aboard Sea Lion. I would recommend this company and whale watch tour to anyone looking to visit Friday Harbor!

Epic whale watching adventure!

Published on Sep, 2024

Captain Gabe and Naturalist Max were wonderful guides! They were a great team and well suited in their respective roles. Gabe explained the safety rules well, and we felt comfortable during our whole experience. Max was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic when sharing about wildlife throughout our excursion. Both men displayed genuine pride in their jobs and had high expectations for an exciting adventure! Of course, we lucked out and spotted a pod of whales early on our trip! They continued to share highlights, facts and added to our experience as we dutifully followed the whales for the very best experience! The boat, gear and amenities met our expectations as well. We wholeheartedly recommend San Juan Safaris!!

Whale watching -San Juan Island

Published on Sep, 2024

We rode the Sea Lion with Vaun and Kelly. They put us at ease early on and provided very good information. We were so excited to get close to afamily of Orcas who came very close to the boat. The scenery of the Salish sea is breathtaking. We highly recommend San Juan Safari should you want to gonwhale watching.

Such a great tour,...

Published on Sep, 2024

Such a great tour, followed a group of 8 whales for aboit 45 minutes. Naturalist eas very informative and friendly. Boat accommodation was great.

Highly recommend

Published on Aug, 2024

Awesome experience! We lucked out by having a very small group so there was tons of room on the boat for everyone to walk around and have the best views. Apparently there hadn’t been orcas the past few days before our trip, but they got a hit for a family of orcas so we turned around and headed to a completely different area. The staff were knowledgeable and very nice. They showed us how they identify which orcas we’re looking at which was really cool. Would definitely go out with this company again.

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