San Juan Islands Whale Watching

On our recent trip to San Juan Island, there was ONE major to-do on my MUST SEE list…whales!! LUCKY for me, we were hosted by San Juan Safaris on a whale watching excursion and I got to cross one more item off of my bucket list…seeing a humpback whale. It was AMAZING!!

Why San Juan Safaris?

I have been on a few whale watching trips, and this one was BY FAR my favorite. We were hosted by San Juan Safaris and they were SPECTACULAR!! We had the MOST knowledgeable naturalists on the boat with us, which made ALL the difference to me. Our guide, Sarah, taught us all about sounthern r esident orcas, knew the local whales by name, explained the difficulties they are having with producing living offspring, and TRULY showed us into the lives of the animals. It was VERY evident that both of our guides LOVED the whales and their excitement was contagious. Living in Washington State, we hear about the Orcas, the salmon, and the dams, ALL THE TIME. but I learned more true information from our guide than I could EVER get from watching the news. I feel much more connected to the topic that is a BIG part of our state and am so grateful I had the opportunity to learn from the experts.

Our tour was aboard the SEA LION, which is NOT a huge boat and made it SOOO easy to talk to the naturalists one on one. There were only about 25 other passengers and we got a front row seat for the entire trip. There were both indoor and outdoor viewing areas, and even though it was a bit cold, I was outdoors the entire time JUST in CASE I might miss something. Indoors, however, they had maps, charts, and an entire library of books to use to learn about the local area and the whales. Since we went late in the season, it was QUITE cold, but the crew provided us with blankets and rain gear and the whole trip was pretty cozy (for being out on the water). We were out there 3-4 hours, and I would have happily stayed on the boat ALL DAY!! Even I can handle being cold for a few hours if I get to see a WHALE!!

When to go Whale Watching?

PNW whale watching is possible ALL year long, but the peak times are June-September. Even though we were a little late in the year, we saw all sorts of wildlife. The humpback was of course the highlight of the trip, but we also saw harbor seals, fallow deer, and porpoise. On our last trip we saw eagles and the cutest pod of Orcas. They swam all around and even under the boat. SOOO I guess in my opinion ANY time is a good time to go whale watching…because when you see the whales…you forget about the cold wind:)

How to go Whale Watching??

We chose to go on a family friendly whale watching trip, but there are other ways to see whales too. San Juan Safaris has kayaking tours that sound SO FUN, but that might be a trip for a warmer season for me:) They also have Adventure Tours where you put on an exposure suit, drive fast, and explore the area. I have not been brave enough to try this fast paced trip, but maybe someday. And the best part about the San Juan Islands, you can watch for whales WITHOUT even leaving dry land. We popped over to Lime Kiln lighthouse where there is an UN-BELIEVABLE view of the sea and oftentimes whales.

How to make the best of your Whale Watching excursion??

I say JUMP RIGHT IN!! You really have to embrace the journey when you head out onto a Whale watching boat. You really cannot go out with ANY expectation of what you want to see. For a split second I was bummed that we didn’t see orcas on this trip. BUTTT then I remembered that we got to see a humpback whale SWIMMING IN THE SEA!! That might not be something I EVER get a chance to see again and I am SOOO grateful I got to have that opportunity.

Also, take advantage of the knowledge of the naturalists on board. At first I was hesitant to bother them with questions. But once I got over THAT, they were SOOOO kind and so accommodating to me and all of the passengers. Take advantage of all of the riding time BETWEEN wildlife sightings to learn about the area, enjoy the scenery, and just TAKE IT ALL IN. We saw the most amazing lighthouse, peaked at Canada a few miles off, and swooned over the amazing trees and landscapes of the San Juan Islands. Honestly, I think that spotting whales is just the icing on the cake of a truly wonderful experience. I am a TOTAL nerd and want to learn ALL THE THINGS, so a trip like this, where they are just GIVING out free knowledge…I AM ALL IN!!

We had an absolute blast whale watching with San Juan Safaris in Friday Harbor!! I CANNOT wait to head back with the kiddos so that they can experience the magic for themselves. I feel so blessed to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and LOVE exploring all that there is to see here. Let’s chat soon!! Jess

You can see more of our trip to the San Juan Islands HERE and don’t forget to watch our WHOLE trip over on YouTube…and we would LOVE for you to hit that subscribe button…we have LOTS of fun travel videos coming up!!

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