Orca Whale Watching Tour departs from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington where the best orca (killer) whale watching is near Seattle and Anacortes  40 or fewer guests on board Professional naturalist on each trip Members of a whale spotting service Whale sightings 95% of tours Fast, safe, stable, new vessels Emphasis on the entire ecosystem Binoculars, blankets, jackets on board Educational books, materials & maps on board Hydrophone with cabin and outdoor speakers Walk around deck Plenty of room at the rails & in the heated cabin Bow and stern seating
San Juans Resident Orca WhalesSan Juan Island is where the southern resident killer whales (SRKW) live about 6 months of the year. At this writing there are 88 resident orca whales. They are near San Juan Island from mid-April to the beginning of October.SIX babies were born between 2009 and January of 2010. Why Orcas Love San Juan IslandSan Juan Island is considered THE BEST place to view orca whales. Salmon, which are their prime source of food (about 95% of what they eat), travel up and down the west coast of San Juan Island and outlying areas.How Lack of Chinook Salmon Affects the Resident Orca Whale PopulationOrcas eat salmon, but not just any salmon. They LOVE Chinook salmon. 95% of their diet is Chinook Salmon. Click here to see graphs that show the correspondance of orca population to chinook population. Scroll 1/2 way down the page. Click here to see critical salmon habitat.Here is a link to how farmed fish in BC are affecting orca whales What's The Best Time To See Orca WhalesWe see orca whales on over 95% of our tours. The best months to see orca whales are: Mid-April through the first part of October.What is the best time of day to see orca whales? Anytime. Orcas are out and about all day, so morning, afternoon or evening- it doesn't really matter. We say go when it fits your schedule. Our GuaranteeWe guarantee that you will see marine mammals and that you will come back with memories to last a lifetime!What 'guaranteed' whales really means - click here Why YOU should go with USWe keep our guest count small. This gives you, our guest, the opportunity to converse on a one to one basis with your naturalist and captain.We pride ourselves on both personal attention and the insight that we bring to those viewing wildlife with us. 40 or fewer guests aboard the Sea Lion and 14 or few guests aboard the Kittiwake. Our tours and staff are so well loved that a good portion of our business is repeat customers. Guests frequently tell us that our staff is warm, friendly and how informative they are. We respect not only the legal distance from orca whales, but the polite distance. This allows the orca time for foraging, resting, playing and going about their lives. Our staff is handpicked for both their scientific understanding of wildlife, their love of and dedication to wildlife and their respect for the environment. We also select staff that have an outgoing and warm personality. All of us at San Juan Safaris pride ourselves on attention to detail and follow through.  |
Departing from Friday Harbor & Roche Harbor
San Juan Island, Washington