Pacific Northwest Activities
Whale Watching

San Juan Excursions San Juan Excursions

Orca sightings 90% of the time, Heated cabins, padded outdoor seating, Certified Naturalist Guides. 800-80-WHALE

Whale watching is popular April through September and usually focuses on the area around the San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf Islands. A number of charter boat companies run whale watching cruises and you can find such charters at various ports around Puget Sound and the coastal waters of British Columbia. In most cases it is a good idea to call ahead and make reservations in advance of the date you might want to join a whale watching cruise.

Companies running whale watching cruises are listed by state and province:


San Juan Excursions. #2 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA. 98250. Phone: 360-378-6636; Toll-free: 1-800-80-WHALE. E-mail

Our Guarantee: We see orca whales on over 90% of our tours. If you do not see orca whales on your tour, then your next tour is free of San Juan Excursionscharge. Cruise in comfort aboard the classic motor yacht "Odyssey" with certified Naturalist guides. Enjoy heated lounge style cabins and outside viewing decks with padded seating while viewing orca whales, sea lions, seals, porpoise, bald eagles and a variety of sea birds in their natural habitat. Two amazing certified Naturists will be on board to share information about the flora, fauna and Salish Sea region. Carbon neutral business and locally owned operated by second generation islanders. Established 1994.


Crystal Seas Kayaking. 70 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Phone: 360-378-4223; Toll-free: 1-877-SEAS-877. E-mail

Kayak the beautiful west-side of San Juan Island with our naturalist Crystal Seas Kayakingguides. Crystal Seas offers 3 hour, day (6 hour) and multi-day tours and provides free transportation from Friday Harbor to our kayak docks on Mitchell Bay. While kayaking be on the lookout for orca whales, harbor seals, sea lions, porpoise, bald eagles and a variety of sea birds. We specialize in small groups but can take large private groups as well. Book both your kayaking and a whale watching cruise though us and receive 10% off. Owner operated since 1994 by second generation islanders.

Related Web Sites

Coastal Research Foundation (CERF). Allison Harbour, PO Box 124, Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0. Phone: 604-202-9350; Toll-free: 1-877-223-2373; Fax: 815-327-0183. E-mail

CERF is a Canadian non-profit organization that funds research on whales, dolphins, and their environment through an eco-tourism program. Here you will find information on the whale research trips we offer, as well as on our research programs. You will also find some general whale & dolphin information.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. 115 East Railroad Avenue, Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362. Phone: 360-457-6622. E-mail

Covers 3,310-square miles of marine waters off the Olympic Peninsula coastline and provides habitat for one of the most diverse marine mammal faunas in North America and a critical link in the Pacific flyway. The sanctuary boasts a rich mix of cultures, preserved in contemporary lives of members of Quinault, Hoh, Quileute, and Makah tribes.

Pacific Orca Society. British Columbia. E-mail

Pacific Rim Whale Festival. PO Box 955, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0. Phone: 250-726-7798. E-mail

The Virtual Whale Project
3D Animation and sound environment for the visualization of the feeding behaviors of Pacific Humpback Whales.

The Whale Museum. 62 First Street North, PO Box 945, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA 98250. Phone: 360-378-4710.

Whale Net
An interactive educational project sponsored (whale, seal, dolphin, porpoise and turtle data) by Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts with support from the National Science Foundation.

Whales on the Net
Join us on a wonderful journey into the world of Cetaceans, those mysterious animals that spend their entire lives in water. Dive down to the greatest depths and discover the Blue whale, the Right whale, Sperm, Humpback, Sei, Gray, Bowhead, Fin, Minke, Orca, Dolphins and more. Pick your favorite whale or dolphin and find out what it is doing, what it looks like and where it lives.

Whalesong - An odyssey of sight, sound, and science by Ken McCann

"Whale Watching Spoken Here"®
A volunteer whale watching program during peak gray whale migration times coinciding with winter and spring breaks. Trained volunteers stationed at twenty-nine locations on or near the Oregon Coast provide information and assist spotting whales.

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