Seattle Orca Whale Watching departing from San Juan Island
Departing from Friday Harbor San Juan Island, just north of Seattle
See orca whales from San Juan Island, just 90 miles north of Seattle. San Juan Island is where the southern resident orca whales live about 5 months of the year
At this writing there are 87 resident orca whales. They are around San Juan Island from about mid-April to end of September.
San Juan Island is considered THE BEST place to view orca whales (so close to Seattle) because the 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.
We see orca whales, also called killer whales, on over 90% of our tours. If we had included minke and gray whales it would be even higher.
| Whale Watching Schedule and Rates |
Whale Watching Tours are 3 Hours
$79 Adults/$52 Children 2-12
under 2 Free
plus $1 port fee & sales tax
(fuel surcharge may apply) |
| Date |
Departs |
| April 7 & 8 Sat. |
Noon |
| April 14 & 15 Sat. |
Noon |
| April 21 to June 8 |
Noon |
| June 9 to October 7 |
1:30 pm |
| June 9 to August 18 |
5:30 pm |
| October 13 Sat |
Noon |
Check in is 30 minutes prior
What are the best months to see killer whales? Mid- April to October 1.
What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day, so morning, afternoon or evening- it doesn't really matter. We say go when it fits your schedule.
.We guarantee that you will see marine mammals and that you will come back with memories to last a lifetime!
Orca Whale Watching Tours Seattle
click here
May - September the island is generally sunny and warm. Because we are in what is known as the "rain shadow" created by the Olympic Mountains. While Seattle has about 30" of rain annually, we receive approximately 18". Most summer days are around 70, but bring a jacket because it is always a bit cooler on the water. This mild climate makes it great for outdoor activities both on and off the water.
We keep our guest count small. On the Sea Lion 40 or fewer guests. 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. In July and August we add our boat Kittiwake which takes 12 or 13 guests over 12 years of age.
Our tours and staff are so well loved that a good portion of our business is repeat customers. Guests tell us repeatedly that our staff is warm, friendly and how much they learned from them.
Our vessels, the Sea Lion and Kittiwake both are stocked with plenty of educational materials, field guides, maps, blankets, jackets and binoculars. We also have Cetacean Research hydrophones on each boat (yes, you can hear the whales communicate).Yes, there is a bathroom too. ( We get asked this a lot!)
Why you should go with US
We respect not only the legal distance from orca whales but the polite distance. This allows the orca time for foraging, resting and such.
Our staff is handpicked for both their scientific understanding of wildlife, their love of and dedication to wildlife and the environment. We also select staff that has an outgoing and warm personality
All of us at San Juan Safaris pride ourselves on attention to detail and follow through.
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★Professional naturalist on each trip
★Members of a whale spotting service
★ A 90+ % (per trip basis)sighting record!
★ Fast, safe, stable, new vessels
★ Emphasis on the entire ecosystem
★ FREE use of: Binoculars, blanket & jackets
★ Educational books, materials & maps
★ Hydrophone (hear the whales)
★ Equipped with bathroom
★ Member of the Whale Watch Operators Association North West ( aka Pacific Whale Watch Association)
★Member of the San Juan Island Whale Watch Association
★ Adhere to all Federal and Whale Watch Operators Association viewing guidelines. We enjoy an excellent reputation for respectful wildlife viewing.
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Ruffles- famous orca whale for his large wavy dorsal fin
Breaching Orca - photo contest winner Ernie Westle of Canada,
taken near San Juan Island
Our whale watching boat MV Sea Lion-
55 foot, new and fast with walk around deck and bathroom
2007 Orca Photo Contest Winner David Erlich
Orca Breaching by Dennis Anderson
2008 Photo contest winner
Hi guys,
I took my high school biology class out with you a couple of weeks ago
and had a fantastic time. The kids couldn't say enough about the
trip--the boat, the naturalists, and mostly the whales were really
great. Thanks! I wasn't sure where to send photos for your contest
(this is the only email that I found on the web site) so I've attached
them here. I had never seen breaching before (this is probably my
sixth or seventh trip), so when they did it over and over, I was
amazed. I hope it's OK to send fairly large photos. If you want the
whole series, I have six or seven in a row of a couple of different
breaches.
Here are the photos, and thanks again for a great trip. We'll
definitely use you guys again!
Dennis Anderson
Families and Whale Watching - a perfect outing
Patty Quales and her husband sent this in for the 2010 Photo Contest
. They are the winners for 'wildlife'.
This was taken on the southern end of San Juan Island of Stellar Sea Lions hauled out.
Note the lighthouse in the background.
Janet Holba 2010 photo contest winner in the whale category
We are proud members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, formerly known as Whale Watch Operaors Association Northwest. Both Colleen & Bill are board members for many years This logo assures you that a company is a member in good standing.
The "Association" has worked with scientists, NOAA and industry leaders to assist in writing the Whale Watching Guidelines and Best Practices
sanjuansafaris.com is the copyrighted intellectual property of
San Juan Safaris, Inc.,
Friday Harbor, WA, USA
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