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Check in is 30 minutes priorWhat are the best months to see killer whales? Mid- April to October 1.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 87 resident orca whales. They are in and about the San Juan Islands from traditionally 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. 90% 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 90% 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 tour 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.Guests frequently tell us that our staff is warm, friendly and how informative they are. 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. Our tours and staff are so well loved that a good portion of our business is repeat customers. 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. All of us at San Juan Safaris pride ourselves on attention to detail and follow-through. View Larger Map
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Eye patch of a resident orca whale - one of the identifying marks photo by Adam U
Two orca whales breaching near San Juan Island photo by whale watching guest Dawn Gentry
"Whale Tail" by French Chris as we called him a guest of several tours
Humpback Whale by whale watching guest Herb Hartmann - Humpbacks are not regularly seen in the San Juans but they do come through
Baby Orca doing what is know as a 'spy hop' by whale watching guest Janet Holba
Orca whale caught in a full breach
Smooth water as a resident orca whale dips back into the water by David Erlich a whale watching guest
Two resident orca whales by guest Adam U
Resident Orca Whale jumps and Venus Mauher clicks
Solitary and shy a Minke Whale one of about 18 that live in and around the San Juan Islands, rarly seen, by a guest from 