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Marine Vessel

Sea Lion

Great for all ages
Set Sail Aboard Sea Lion

Sea Lion was built specifically for whale & wildlife viewing in the Pacific Northwest. This vessel is a staff favorite, as it provides an intimate experience while allowing for larger groups. 

Birds and Sea Lion

Sea Lion Quick Facts

  • 44 Passengers
  • No age restrictions
  • 1 comfortable restroom on board
  • Full wrap-around observation deck
  • Inside cabin area with bench seats and tables
  • Indoor and outdoor seating
  • Great for smaller groups and a more intimate experience

4-Hour Private Charters: $4,495 + taxes and fees

Tours Aboard Sea Lion
Classic Whale Watch from Roche Harbor

Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour @ Roche Harbor

  • 3-4 hours on the water 
  • Departs from Roche Harbor
  • Marine Naturalist(s) for questions
  • Heated inside the cabin area
  • Comfortable restroom(s)
  • Great for families and small kids

Adult: $125.00
Child: $89.00

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boarding kestrel

Private Charters & Groups

We offer custom private tour experiences for groups of 1 to 100 participants, focusing on seamless service, complimentary itinerary planning, and personalized attention to detail.  Arrange a private activity for a variety of groups and occasions!

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Tufted Puffin on the water

Birding Safari

Charter one of our boats for a Birding Safari which is 3 - 4 hours in search of birds and wildlife in obscure coves and backwaters of the San Juan Islands.  Come see all the wildlife that the great Pacific Northwest has to offer!

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  • Birds and Sea Lion
Whale Reports from Sea Lion
Read about our recent sightings aboard Sea Lion

Our naturalists love to share their exciting adventures on the water. These reports include photos and information about the wildlife encouters on recent tours!

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pc: Olivia Ellman, San Juan Safaris

Fun Fall Finds in the Salish Sea; A Humpback and the Cutest Bigg's Killer Whale Family!

Olivia Ellman | M/V Sea Lion | October 25th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

Today was full of surprises as we searched around the Salish Sea for all sorts of wildlife. By the time we were leaving the dock, there were no reports in our area yet so we joined the search heading north. Outside the harbor we spotted a Stellar Sea Lion swimming along the shoreline, which turned out to be an excellent omen for the rest of our day! We explored up San Juan Channel and along some of the Wasp Islands, before turning more...

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pc: Olivia Elman, San Juan Safaris

Braving the Rain for the T46 Bigg's Killer Whale Siblings, Fun Sea Lions, and Our Favorite Sea Otter!

Olivia Ellman | M/V Sea Lion | October 24th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

What started as a rainy fall day on San Juan Island ended up as a trip full of wildlife around the Salish Sea! We left Friday Harbor with a report of Bigg’s Killer Whales pretty far to the southeast, so we headed in that direction with hopes we could reach them or find other whales along the way. We trekked south across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and luckily we got out of the rain even as we reached Cattle Pass. Despite the cloudy...

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10/17/26 LV (BCX1675 "Strike")

Humpback Whales "Strike" and "Hornet" Splash Around in Boundary Pass

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Sea Lion | October 17th, 2026 | 12:30pm

This day had some windy conditions early in the morning, but they calmed down nicely for us just as our tour left the dock. We pointed North and travelled up San Juan Channel. We then wrapped around the top of Stuart Island and continued Northwest over the boarder and into Canadian waters. Shortly after this becoming an international tour, we arrived on scene with two Humpback Whales! The Eastern Pacific Humpback population is...

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10/16/26 LV (T35A1 Spyhop)

T35A Family of Bigg's Killer Whales Eat Lunch in Front of Mount Baker

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Sea Lion | October 16th, 2026 | 12:30pm

We left the dock on this tour and pointed South down San Juan Channel. It was stunningly beautiful weather, especially for mid October! We travelled into the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards a report of Bigg's Killer Whales. We admired wonderful views of Mount Baker and Cattle Point Lighthouse on our way there. We even got an awesome look at a Harbor Porpoise! Not long after that we arrived on scene with a family of six Bigg's Killer...

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pc: Olivia Ellman, San Juan Safaris

"Raptor" the Humpback Whale

Olivia Ellman | M/V Sea Lion | October 11th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

Today’s journey brought us all the way to Victoria, where we found a Humpback Whale! We departed the dock heading south with plans to head towards Vancouver Island after hearing a few rumors of whale reports in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We took our time scanning along San Juan Channel, finding a sea otter south of Turn Island. We meandered past Goose Island, aiming for Whale Rocks to see the many Stellar’s Sea Lions hauled out. From...

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pc: Olivia Ellman, San Juan Safaris

Three Whale Encounters, and My First Dall's Porpoise!

Olivia Ellman | M/V Sea Lion | October 4th, 2026 | 12:30 pm

What an unforgettable day on the M/V Sea Lion today! While the month has only just started, this trip is going to be hard to beat. When we departed Friday Harbor, we had some whale reports that were in the furthest areas of our range. We pointed north towards a humpback report, but decided to continue past it in the hopes of first catching up to a report of some killer whales heading south from the Gulf Islands. We journeyed past Stuart...

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pc: Olivia Elman, San Juan Safaris

The Cutest New Addition to the T36A1 Bigg's Killer Whale Family

Olivia Ellman | M/V Sea Lion October 3rd, 2026 | 12:30 pm 

Today’s stunning day on the water brought us all the way to Victoria to see some Bigg’s Killer Whales! We were hoping to reach this report in Canadian water when we left the dock, so we went south through Cattle Pass to reach the Juan de Fuca. We stopped at Turn Rock on the way to find the sea otter, and saw many birds including a Great Blue Heron by Goose Island. We scanned all across the Juan de Fuca, searching for any signs of whale...

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10/2/26 LV (T109A4)

A Playful Afternoon T109A Family of Bigg's Killer Whales!

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Sea Lion | October 2nd, 2026 | 12:30pm

We left the dock and turned North up San Juan Channel on this tour. We wrapped around the top of San Juan Island and entered Mosquito Pass. We wanted to follow up on a whale report that had been submitted from shore along the West side of San Juan about an hour earlier. After searching in the general area for a bit we decided to cross Haro Strait and follow up on a different report from a fellow PWWA vessel. Shortly after crossing into...

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9/28/26 LV (T109A4)

Bigg's Killer Whales Grab Lunch in Griffin Bay

Levi Vandebunte | M/V Sea Lion | September 28th, 2026 | 1:30pm

This tour left the dock and began moving South. We chose to turn and cruise around the West side of Turn Island and spotted some Harbor Seals and Cormorants while over there. We then continued down San Juan Channel and were treated to some views of black dorsal fins entering the bottom of the channel! We were already heading to this report of whales, but they had decided to travel North and come our way, how nice of them! We quickly...

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T049A2, T049C

Saturday’s are for the Boys! Bigg’s Killer Whales T049A2/Jude and his Uncle T049C/Neilson Hangout in Buoy Bay!

Lauren Tschirhart | September 26th, 2026 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:30 pm

Today our Classic Whale Watch and Wildlife Tour got to witness some family bonding in Buoy Bay! An early morning report alerted us that 19-year-old T049A2/Jude and 28-year-old T049C/Neilson were seen heading north in Rosario Strait. We left Friday Harbor and headed east in Upright Channel, eventually cruising through Obstruction Pass leading us into Rosario Strait. As we headed north along the Orcas Island shoreline, we started to...

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