For more information on things to do in san juan island, download our free. This reputation developed from a commitment to the highest level of guest service, and our 2 exclusive sea kayak and whale watch facilities at roche harbor and friday harbor on san juan island. Those of us who live here in the san juans know that the opportunity to see whales exists pretty much all year round, but there are definite seasons when the whales are more likely to be about. Our goal is to give our guests an enjoyable and exciting tour, while always practicing the highest level of respect for wildlife and boating safety. Its been a very bleak season for the whales, jeanne hyde with friday harbors whale museum said. Whale watching off the san juan islands life beyond borders. Take a whale watching tour aboard a boat seasonal with a member of the pacific. The day before, we embarked on a san juan island whale watching expedition from friday harbor with san juan excursions.
Download the watching whales in the san juan islands brochure. The calm waters near the san juan islands are one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas. Whale watching tour at friday harbor in san juan islands. Whale watching in the san juan islands the mandagies. Click here to download all 12 months of killer whale watching data and be. We set sail on the 65foot odyssey and made our way out into the salish sea. Visit the whale museum or the sculpture garden at westcott bay reserve.
There we found a humpback whale traveling south along the san juan island shoreline. When you are looking around you see the olympic mountains to the south, you see mt. With clipper vacations, whale and other sea life encounters are just a boat ride away from downtown seattle. San juan del sur nicaragua has a beautiful coastline, most of which can only be seen from the ocean. Go on a whale watch tour with mayas legacy whale watching, one of the few outfitters open year. You can also spot humpbacks, minkes, gray whales, steller sea lions, and many other underrated species. Come aboard for an adventure in the san juan islands or. Regular updates and photos from our san juan island whale watching and wildlife tours. Orca whale watching is a huge draw to the islands, but they have plenty more to offer visitors great food, outdoor activities and beautiful scenery. Transient or biggs, killer whales aka orca whales can often be seen yearround, as well as steller sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, bald eagles. San juan cruises has three whale watching tours a deluxe whale watch including a free salmon lunch and friday harbor visit, a halfday whale watching tour with a free lasagna lunch, and an evening whale watching tour that includes our delicious lasagna and caesar salad dinner. To start with, the san juan islands are the best place in the usa to spot orca or killer whales and bald eagles, after alaska.
Whale watching seattle and whale watching washington are commonly associated with whale watching in the san juan islands. Download our whale watching wildlife cruises, friday harbor, san juan island, washington brochure, download and print our full color brochure. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just around the corner. We started our trip at 7am, and returned to downtown seattle at 7pm the same day. San juan outfitters is best known for its high quality whale watch and wildlife tours, focusing not only on showing our guests orca killer whales, but a wider variety of wildlife as well. There are many opportunities to spot whales throughout the san juan islands. Our first whale watching tour from friday harbor is scheduled for saturday, march 4th and we cant wait to get back on the water. San juan island whale watching season update the best there. The victoria clipper ferry does daytrips to friday harbor and back, searching the sea for whales and other marine life around the san juan islands. Although they cant guarantee themmany boast a 90% viewing rate during the peak season of may through septemberthe captains are in constant communication with their spotting network in order to do their best at finding. We began our journey with a search through the inner san juan islands as we tried to locate an early morning report of whales in that region. For guided kayak tours, check out members of the san juan island kayak association and. Baleen whales completely lack teeth and filter small prey such as plankton, worms, and. Whale watching cruises san juan cruises bellingham.
Popping head up to have a look around whale watching off san juan island at sunset whale watching san juan islands facts. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low season take a scenic cruise from seattle to friday harbor, where you will embark on an exciting day of whale watching and sea life exploration. Our analysis focuses on boat and landbased whale watching in san juan county, the heart of. Whale watching in the san juan islands whale watching. Coastal cruising in a local panga boat or sailboat will take you along the shoreline, viewing the many small bays, inlets and beaches while coastal cruising you may see some of our marine wildlife and get to do some whale watching, and view some turtles swimming, dolphins cavorting, and rays. San juan island whale watching day trip from seattle, wa. Orca whales range through the san juan islands the most between march and october and you can expect to see them on the vast majority of our tours during that time, although we do have sightings throughout the year. Most of our trips along the west side of san juan island have resulted in whale sightings, but your best and most assured way would be to go on a whale watching tour boat, of which there are many. This website, san juan orcas, was established to help spread awareness of the endangered southern resident orcas and to arm people with the knowledge of how to help save these amazing marine mammals from extinction.
Whale watching tours in the san juan islands, washington. If youre in the area, one of them is sure to be convenient for your own whale watching plans. Discover san juan islands whale watching clipper magazine. We stayed with the t049as for about a half hour before receiving another report from one of our pacific whale watch association partners, a humpback whale in the area. Follow the whale trail san juan islands washington visitors. Our cruises offer a gaurantee that if you do not see whales on you cruise you can come again free of charge. Considered the premier location to view wild orca killer whales, the waters around san juan island are ideal for whale watching. San juan island is the center of whale watching in the pacific northwest and therefore friday harbor on san juan island is the best location for departing on a whale watch tour in washington state. In the afternoon, we got off the boat to explore friday harbor for a few hours. Because our trips start in friday harbor on san juan island, where 90% of the regions whale sightings occur, and because of our boats travel at minimum 18 knots with passengers, we are usually able to get to the whales, spend time with the whales, and spend time viewing other wildlife during the 3 to 4 hour time allotted per tour.
Get up close with the killer whales off orcas island, the largest of the san juan islands near seattle, on this guided, 3. Find your own rocky bluff, explore beaches and tide pools, watch for whales, or picnic and play in the nearby meadows. Orca whale watching tours reservations san juan outfitters. Whether you book a roche harbor or friday harbor whale watching tour, you are all but guaranteed to see orcas, especially during the peak viewing season. Magnificent orca or killer whales live in the san juan islands yearround, and this is the best place in the world to see them in the wild.
Join captain hobbes who grew up on the water in england and has been operating whale watch tours and passenger vessels in the san juan islands for 12 years. Baker behind you and the san juans and vancouver island in front of you. San juan excursions san juan islands whale watching. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just. Whale watching and sunset sailing in san juan del sur. Posted by sherrie on thursday, june 7, 2012 2 comments.
This was june 4, 2016 on mayas legacy whale watching. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just around the corner our first whale watching tour from friday harbor is scheduled for saturday, march 4th and we cant wait to get back on the water. Selected by national geographic as one of the worlds top 3 destinations, the waters around the san juan islands are home to orcas killer whales, minke whales, gray whales, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, porpoise, otters, and a dizzying array of seabirds. Following the whale watching cruise, step off the boat and onto san juan island for some touring on your own. Soak in the natural beauty of the pacific northwest aboard the finest whale watching vessel on the entire west coast, the island explorer 5. Most of the san juan islands whale watching tours originate out of san juan island, with friday harbor and roche harbor being the primary points of embarkation. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor high season take a scenic cruise from seattle to friday harbor, where you will embark on an exciting day of whale watching and sea life exploration. Orca whale watching in the san juan islands island. Up to 51% off whalewatching tour san juan excursions.
Come aboard natsilane, named after an orca whale legend, a 30 albin fast express cruiser, and enjoy a comfortable heated cabin, with indoor and outdoor seating, restroom and snack bar. San juan islands whale watching friday harbor whale watching. In addition to hosting the worlds only whale museum the san juan islands are also home to washington states hidden treasure. Five whale watching tour companies are situated in various islands of the san juans, prime whale feeding and habitat. Whale watching is a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and appreciate killer whales and the other marine wildlife in this region. This is a day aboard the san juan clipper for a whale watching and sealife search trip. The salmoneating southern resident killer whales srkw primarily feed on a. With your complimentary guidebook in hand, youll have about two hours to explore the quaint town of friday harbor. The san juan islands of washington are famous as the top orca whale. Locals answer your frequently asked questions about the san juan islands. Join us on the new and fast, 55ft vessel sea lion for a naturalist guided tour. The ferries dont go where you have the best chances to see the orcas. A locals guide to whale watching in the san juan islands.
Whale watching in the san juan islands june 4th, 2016. We use the san juan clipper for our gray whale watching tours as well as our orca tours in the summer since the our three viewing decks provide 360 views and indoor and outdoor whale watching. During peak season orcas are encountered on 90% or more of tours. There have been more humpback sightings in our waters this winter than ever before. About san juan excursions which offers whale watching. During the peak season, we see whales on 90% of our tours, in addition to a variety of marine wildlife. To help make the most of your time on san juan island, we have produced a helpful map with information about our whale watch tours as well as points of interest around friday harbor and san juan island. The salmoneating southern resident killer whales srkw primarily feed on a diet that is more than 85% chinookspeciessalmon. San juan safaris, located in friday harbor on san juan island, is in the perfect location to provide you with the thrill of seeing orcas in their natural habitat. We want to set an example for other boaters on the water ensuring the continuation of wildlife viewing for years to come. Boatbased whale watching tours getting out on the water with a local whale watch tour operator will give you the best chance at seeing whales in their natural habitat. Peak season is from mayseptember, but that shouldnt stop you from visiting during the offpeak months. San juan islands whale watching from friday harbor low.
San juan outfitters is widely considered san juan islands premier sea kayak and whale watch tour company. Not only did we see several orcas, but also spotted a gray whale, a humpback whale, seals, and a cluster of stellar sea lions on a rock outcrop. These three orca whale families come to the san juan islands each year may through september in search of their primary food source, the chinook. Its drier, it smells different, it feels different, the geology is different. Riding the ferry is always a chance to see the whales, but not a huge one. San juan island 90 miles north of seattle is the best place for orca whale watching as we are located in the heart of salish sea. Best place for whale watching in the san juan islands. Whale rocks and long island was the place to be if you were a. Whale watching guidelines san juan safaris san juan. The waters of washingtons san juan islands support a great diversity of wildlife and baleen whales are the largest of all marine species we see on our san juan islands kayaking tours. We had an amazing whale watching tour our boat captain and guide were very knowledgeable.
Baleen whales of the san juan islands humpback whale, gray whale, and minke whale. We didnt find whales, but we did find wind, eagles and steller sea lions. Led by naturalist guides and captains, climb aboard a blackfish fleet vessel and travel through some of the most picturesque scenery in the pacific northwest searching for orca. More than 500,000 people annually go whale watching in the waters of washington and british columbia around the san juan islands. Kayak whale watching in the san juan islands, seattle, washington. Of all the activities to enjoy here in the san juan islands, whale watching is one of the most spectacular. If you ever go to san juan island, you must use them for whale watching, they are the bestt category. For the past 19 years, we have been offering whale watchingwildlife cruises in the san juan islands. Orcas island eclipse charters whale and wildlife tours.
Of all the times ive been on the ferry and out in the sound and san juans on my sailboat, ive seen orcas exactly twice in 15 years. Humpback whales, minke whales, and, gray whales also call the region home. San juan orcas was also established to offer help identifying individual orcas. Until then, we are working through the project list and getting everything ready to go.
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