The shores and waterways of Washington State is filled with aquatic life like the Minke, Humpback and the California Grey whales. Whale Watching is one of those activities that bring you up close to the majesty of the Pacific Northwest and its wealth of natural wonders.
With the glacier capped peaks of the Olympic Peninsula or the Cascades in Eastern Washington contrasting against a blue sky, the sun reflects off the gleaming bodies of these enormous marine mammals that migrate through the waters of the Pacific Northwest. If you love nature, wildlife, and being outdoors, you should include Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands as part of your Washington State vacation.
Orcas are some of the most sighted species of whales in the San Juan Islands. 200 miles around the islands, there are almost a hundred orcas that live here permanently, making
San Juan Whale Watching a big reason tourists visit. On San Juan Island, there is an area where you are sure to sight one of the orcas. From the migrating birds to the harbor seal pups, there is an abundance of wildlife aside from the whale watching that is observable from the lookout point at Lime Kiln State Park.
While the San Juan Whale Watching is a year-round activity, there are some parts of the state that have different activities occurring at certain times of the year. Near Westport, there is an annual migration of whales in the springtime. You can learn about grey whales and other types of whales at the Westport Maritime Museum. These giants are headed north to the Bering Sea and the feeding grounds; so watching more than 20,000 of these large animals on the move is an impressive sight. On the Washington coast, there are dozens of species of birds to observe in addition to whale watching.
You can take the Victoria Clipper from pier 69 in Seattle to get to the San Juan Islands. The Washington State Ferry also has routes to the islands from the Seattle Cruise Terminal. There are lots of different options for transportation to get across the waterways of Washington State.
There are a number of companies in the San Juan Islands offering whale watching tours. San Juan Safaris offers Orca Whale Watching, Wildlife, and Birding Tours departing From Friday Harbor & Roche Harbor, San Juan Islands, Washington. With an over 90% sighting rate, you are almost guaranteed to see an orca on your whale watching tour off the west coast off San Juan Island. A 3-4 hour tour costs $59 for adults and $39 for children.
If you want to see the lovely coastlines of Washington State from the water and witness the incredible beauty of what is a quintessential Northwest experience, whale watching tours are sure to be a breathtaking part of any trip to the area
