Seattle to orcas island 4 ways to travel via train, ferry. Island adventures whale watching 1801 commercial ave. The island explorer 4 and island explorer 5 feature full walk around lower decks, upper viewing decks, sound systems, heated cabins, galley service, his and her restrooms, and a professional crew. The vessels are well suited for a variety of groups and individuals looking for that special wildlife encounter. Island adventure whale watching everett 2020 all you.
Flights leave seattle in the morning and return in the early evening, and vary slightly depending on the time of the year. We boast more than 100 years of combined experience in the islands and have led excursions for hundreds of thousands of satisfied guests over 24. Port townsend seattleedmonds whidbey island tour details seattle whale watching tours. Tour leaders have resources that help them know where the whales are hanging out each day, but that doesnt mean its the only way to go whale watching. Whale watching just 90 miles from seattle in friday harbor on san juan island.
Seattle whale watching tours, whale watching from friday harbor, san juan island washington, public tours and private boat charters with western prince. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to watch three resident pods of orca whales all fish eaters. Kayaking san juan islands seattle orca whale watching. Rare white whale spotted in puget sound over the weekend kirotv. Seattle whale watching tours maydecember port townsend 4hour whale watching tour mayoctober port townsend san juan island whale watching tour mayseptember port townsend to san juan island passenger ferry.
San juan safaris is pleased to offer military personnel, active or retired, and. Your support will go a long way in helping tour operators worldwide get back on their feet down the road. Although orcas island wasnt actually named after these beautiful animals, the orca whale watching is an absolute must do activity when visiting. Island adventures whale watching is based out of anacortes, washington, only 90 minutes north of seattle and 90 minutes south of vancouver, bc. In addition to whales, guests often see harbor seals, stellar and california sea lions, harbor and dalls porpoise, bald eagles and a wide. The height above the water gives you a much better vantage point. Whale watching trip is booked separately and must be paid at time of booking does not include shuttle service or packed lunch. San juan island is considered the best place to view orca whales because of the large salmon population, which is their primary food source. With some research and planning, you can go whale watching in seattle and other puget sound cities on your own. Travel with kenmore air, which has 60 years of flying experience, to the charming seaside village of friday harbor on san juan island, and tour with san juan safaris whale watching, in business since 1994. Orcas arent the only whales found in the waters of the san juan islands. The pacific northwest is home to a huge diversity of wildlife, incredible scenery and calm protected waters. Partnering with san juan safaris for an incredible orca whale watching tour youll never forget.
Coast guard approved whale watching vessels from san juan island near seattle, wa with 3 vessel sizes and 2 departure locations, there is sure to be a vessel that suites your needs. She is also incredibly quiet which will enhance your whale watching experience. The most common way to get to friday harbor on san juan island. Whale watching adventures in anacortes, washiington. With 12 marine naturalists on board, all your questions will be answered, and you will walk away with knowledge about the local wildlife, ecology, and geology of the san juans. Available march through october, this fullday whale watching tour package includes a scenic 45minute seaplane flight from seattle s lake union to friday harbor marina on san juan island.
Our luxurious, highspeed vessels for small groups of passengers can accommodate a more personal experience with the whales and our crew. Family tours often stop at a posey island, a small state park island, for tide pooling and exploring. About orcas island eclipse charters orcas island eclipse charters offers a high quality, unforgettable whale watching experience. From there, we continued our circumnavigation of lopez island, cruising east along the southern coastline. Joining a whale watching tour makes spotting whales of all sorts much more likely. Outer island excursions offer highquality, unforgettable whale watching, marine and fishing charter experiences in the san juan islands of washington state. Spend a day with orcas, humpback, minke whales and more as you cruise through the waters of the salish sea aboard five stars sleek, 40passenger vessel on a victoria whale watching adventure. Whale watching vancouver or seattle vancouver forum. There is no ferryspecific parking at colman dock, but many parking garages are located nearby. If you dont see a whale orca, humpback, minke, gray with island adventures, you can ride for free for life until you see a whale in the wild. The calm waters near the san juan islands are one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas.
Whale watching tours from seattle to the san juan islands. San juan excursions whale watching seattle seattle washington. The northern minke whale is the smallest of the baleen whales at approximately 2530 feet in length. San juan island outfitters offers this exclusive adventure day trip from downtown seattle featuring round trip seaplane ride and sea kayaking in the san juan islands. Island adventures runs premier orca whale watching tours out of washington state. 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. Because of the calm water and high concentration of whales this time of year, our everett gray whale tours have a 99. How to get to friday harbor, washington on san juan island. The island explorer 5 is simply the best whale watching vessel anywhere.
Six and a half football fields is quite a long distance, said erin gless, a naturalist with island adventures, an anacortesbased whale watch. Recent orca whale sightings near seattle island adventures. Its a 35minute trip from the colman dock on the seattle waterfront to the town of winslow via the bainbridge island ferry. Island adventures is so serious about finding whales for guests, they guarantee sightings on every whale watch tour from march through november. During peak season orcas are encountered on 90% or more of tours. Island adventures whale watching port angeles, port angeles, washington. Take the train from seattle king street station to mount vernon amtrak station. Because of our very high success rate, island adventures was one of the first and only companies to guarantee whale sightings on every tour but its our team of highly qualified crew that will make your trip unforgettable. Classic whale plane tour whale watching san juan islands. The adventure tour is 3 hours long and gives you the best chances to see all that the san juans have to offer. The san juans are the best place to see wild orca whales in the united states. The island explorer boats are not only the bestdesigned whale watch boats in the area, they are the best maintained. Get up close with the orca whales off the san juan islands near seattle on this 4hour whale watching cruise.
There are 6 ways to get from seattle to orcas island by train, ferry, bus, plane or shuttle. Whale watch tours the waterways surrounding the san juan islands are considered the best place in the world to observe orcas killer whales in the wild, and the best location in the islands to access those waters is san juan outfitters exclusive marine adventure center at roche harbor. Im completely unfamiliar with seattle whale watching companies, but in the end, wherever you depart from steveston, vancouver, seattle, victoria, the san juan islands all these tours go to see the same pods of orcas. This deal cannot be combined with promotion codes or other discounts and is valid on whale watching tours only. Anacortes is the perfect departure point for guaranteed whale watching and wildlife cruises. San juan island is where the southern resident killer whales live about six months out of the year, from midapril to october. Orca whale watching from seattle island adventures. Whale watch tours in the san juan islands island adventures. Whale watching seattle and whale watching washington are commonly associated with whale watching in the san juan islands.
Over 20,000 gray whales migrate north up the west coast and some find the rich feeding grounds near the south end of whidbey island. The island explorer is the perfect whale watch boat for the san juan islands. You can also charter any of the vessels for a private whale watch and wildlife tour or schedule a water taxi to one of the surrounding islands. Jul 28, 2017 whale watching tours are definitely popular so check one out or go out on a friends boat when the orcas come around you just gotta keep lookout for the crowds of whalewatching boats out there. The island explorer 4 and island explorer 5 feature full walk around lower decks, upper viewing decks, great sound systems, heated cabins, galley service, his and her restrooms, and the best crew in the area. Each spring, majestic gray whales migrate from the southern waters north to alaska. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Anacortes is our flagship location where island adventures first began back in 1996. Whale rocks and long island was the place to be if you were a bald eagle, with about ten raptors present. New zealand photographer sam kynmancole captured drone footage of a playful orca whale interacting with a kayaker in army bay, new zealand. Orca whale watching in the san juan islands island adventures. This daylong whale watching cruise in the san juan islands is also the official ferry route between port townsend and friday harbor.
Island adventures is known as the areas premier whale watching company, but we also offer private charters throughout the year. Ferries leave approximately once an hour from each side and are firstcome, firstserved. San juan excursions san juan islands whale watching. Whale watching island adventures anacortes, wa youtube. Tyson, the naturalist and guide, quickly located several groups of whales and kept us all informed and entertained for several hours. Island adventures guests should park in the marina village visitor parking stalls.
She is 98 long, 30 wide with a cruise speed of over 25 knots. Sometimes the orcas are located by victoria, sometimes theyre in the gulf islands or the san juan islands. Island adventures whale watching seattle southside visitor. Gray whale watching near seattle, washington island adventures.
A raft of steller sea lions was hanging out in the bull kelp, popping up for deep breaths at the surface. Whale watchers need to stay farther away from endangered. We are the only company on the olympic peninsula that offers a daylong tour combining whale watching with a port of call on san juan island. The orcas have been foraging throughout the weekend near seattle, their presence briefly delaying ferry service near elliot bay. The sound system allows our naturalist to turn the boat into a. Island adventures holds the industrys highest success rate and was the first company to guarantee whale sightings on every tour. Families especially enjoy their time aboard the comfortable, enclosed vessels. The early spring march, april, may provides one of the best whale watching opportunities in washington. Enjoy the experience of a lifetime with seattles only halfday, guaranteed whale watching tour. Complete information on island adventures in anacortes, washington boating, whale watching trips, rentals, outfitter. Sophisticated whale watch spotting technology is used to mark where island adventures has seen whales on each of its tours. Our 34 hour adventure whale watching tours depart from friday harbor, just steps from the ferry landing. See orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, gray whales and all the majestic wildlife in the salish sea on our tour departing from edmonds just minutes north of downtown seattle.
For more information on island adventures, visit their website. We pride ourselves as being one of the most experienced and dedicated whale watching companies in washington. Our team of highly qualified crew set us apart from the competition. Situated in the rain shadow of the olympic mountains, the san juan and canadian gulf islands provide calm waters seasickness is very rare. We occasionally will see minkes whales on our san juan islands whale watching and kayak tours. The worlds best opportunity to see wild orca whales is right here in the san juan islands, midapril through october. Orca whale watching from port angeles, washington on the olympic peninsula. Join our island adventures family for the best whale watching in the pacific northwest. Island adventures has been offering spring gray whale tours for over a decade. Enjoy the experience of a lifetime with seattle s only halfday, guaranteed whale watching tour. Port townsend seattle edmonds whidbey island tour details.
The seaplane base in seattle on lake union is a short taxi ride from any downtown seattle hotel. The legal viewing distance applies the same to all vessels lower profile boats cannot get you any closer, so they just cant see as well as you will from the island explorer. San juan island whale watching day trip from seattle, wa. This is to thank captain carl, first mate michael, naturalist kate, and penultimate coffee purveyor brooke for the whale watching cruise of a lifetime. Drive your own car, a rental, or take a shuttle to the washington state ferry terminal in anacortes, wa. Whale watch tours from anacortes wa island adventures.
When the tour finishes, the boat pulls back into the slip in friday harbor where the tour began. Island adventures whale watching package swinomish. Best orca whale watching in the san juan islands and puget sound off the coast of washington state, near seattle. 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. Were located in the san juan islands just 90 miles north of downtown seattle. That allows us to cover lots of ground so to speak and show you as many of the whales and other animals that call the san juan islands home as possible. Kayak with whales san juan islands outdoor odysseys. Puget sound express familyrun whale watching tours. Just a 90mile drive from downtown seattle, anacortes is a convenient starting point for your wildlife adventure no ferry required. These two waterways are whale superhighways where thousands of migrating humpback, orca, minke and gray whales travel each year between their summer feeding grounds and winter birthing areas. Times are tough for the travel community right now. Killer orca whale watching seattle to san juan islands. Island adventures whale watching in seattle, wa and san. Considered the premier location to view wild orca killer whales, the waters around san juan island are ideal for whale watching.
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. The family kayak tour is sure to be a vacation favorite. The island explorer 4 is docked directly behind anthonys homeport restaurant at the everett marina at 18th street. For the best whale watching in seattle, enjoy the beauty of san juan island on a whale watching cruise from friday harbor, a quaint town on the island. Port angeles is a premier whale watching destination located just outside the popular olympic. This unique package allows guests to fly via kenmore air seaplanes right into roche harbor, a historical seaside resort with direct access to the wildlife and whale rich waters. For our gray whale tours from everett, boarding time is 30 minutes prior to departure. Orca and kayaker encounter caught on drone video youtube. Island adventures whale watching 1801 commercial ave anacortes wa 98221. Washington states best whale watching value and best spot north of seattle to see gray whales in the wild. This was our second whale watching experience with island adventures of anacortes and they did not disappoint. From there, we continued our circumnavigation of lopez island, cruising east. The season runs from february 15, 2020 to november, 2020. Departing from everett our guests enjoy the calm protected waters of possession sound, saratoga passage and port gardner bay.
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