san juan safaris

My goal in going on this safari was to see some orcas. Not that seeing humpbacks wouldn't have been enough, but there's just something so beautiful about orcas, and I refuse to go see them in captivity at Sea World. So I kept calling to make sure they were still seeing them before we committed to going. Understandably, they couldn't guarantee anything and it was near the end of the season for seeing orcas as well. So, keeping our fingers crossed, we went. It was a cold, blustery day on the water, but we did come upon a momma humpback with her baby. We spent quite a bit of time following them and then suddenly we were turning away from them and speeding across the water. A pod of transient orcas had been spotted a couple miles away. We made it and got to see them! It was so awesome! After spending time watching them, on our way back to port, we got to see some harbor seals laying around on the rocks. It was worth the numb fingers and toes to get to see these wonderful animals!

On Sat Oct 18 I was on the whale watching trip with Captain Mike, Kevin and Emily. I was hoping to see one Orca, and to my absolute delight we were "mugged" by a pod of ORCAS!! All I could and keep saying is WOW! It was absolutely magnificent, breathtaking, awesome, not enough adjectives to describe the experience. Was able to chat personally with Emily and Kevin, what great ambassadors they are for you; Captain Mike was busy piloting the boat but did get a photo of him. I haven't stopped talking about this since I returned to Chicago. Many, many thanks. I have told my friends they need to go to San Juan Islands and book a trip with you.Cordially,Nancy Chapman

My husband and I and our 10 year daughter really enjoyed our trip. We went in September and had beautiful weather. The crew was very informative and I appreciated the captain's knowledge and respect of the laws in place to protect the orcas. We saw several pods that day but bear in mind you are usually about 200 yards away unless the orcas happen to venture closer to the boats, not ideal as the idea is to stay further away so as not to stress the whales. If I did this again I would definitely take binoculars for optimal viewing. From Friday Harbor it takes a good hour to get to where the whales usually are so bring a sweatshirt! My daughter also spent some time sitting inside looking at the books available, in all the trip was around 3 hours and she was always occupied. It's a good idea to bring water and snacks too.

My sister and I were visiting the San Juan Islands for the first time. We were excited about going on a whale watch since it would be a new experience for both of us. It rained hard that morning but stopped before we got on the boat. We had two naturalists on board with us and they were very excited about the sightings. We saw a Humpback Whale, Orcas, Sea Lions and Pacific White-sided Dolphins. Sarah, one of the naturalists on board was excellent. Very knowledgeable and so excited about each whale we saw. I highly recommend taking this trip with San Juan Safaris.

I've wanted to go on a whale watching cruise since I was a teenager. I am now 54! It was important to me that this be a cruise well worth waiting for. There were four of us: My husband and I, our 19-year-old daughter, and our 7-year-old granddaughter. Let me tell you, it was amazing. They gave us binoculars which was great since we forgot ours. There were guides that talked to us, explaining that while we were not guaranteed a whale sighting there would be lots of wildlife to see. And that all the cruises keep in touch with each other and share sightings with one another . I was impressed by that. It didn't take long for us to see the whales...a family! It was amazing. My granddaughter walked around the boat talking to passengers, taking pictures and even talked to the captain who very kindly let her take his picture. What a great group of people. The whole experience was fantastic and I would do it again.

Capt Mike and our naturalist did a good job in getting the group to see Orcas during out outing. We had a long boat ride to get to them, but there was a transient pod (T-137) in British Columbia waters that we managed to get sightings of. On the way back, stopped at a rock outcropping with harbor seals.

6 September 2014 trip - Beautiful scenery; very professional staff; took 9 am ferry from Anacortes ~ 6:30 pm return same day. Saw a Tufted Puffin in a group of Gulls and Auklets; observed Stellar Sea Lions on two islands; saw many Orcas, sky-hopping, breech, etc.. Returning again for last day of watching for the season next month and planning now for 2015. Really like their MV Sea Lion for whale watching (have been Blue and Grey watching earlier this year in CA on larger vessels). The information the Naturalists shared about the individual whales (their catalog pod ID info, ages, behaviors, how the pods are structured, food sources of Resident vs Transient pods, and much more) was most informative. Highly recommend San Juan Safaris.

Even though it was pouring, thundering and lightening... the team went out and we had a GREAT trip seeing all 3 pods of whales. This could have turned out to be a terrible day but San Juan Safaris made it very memorable. THANKS!

We booked a combination float plane and whale watching excursion. The plane took us from Lake Union, basically down town Seattle to the marina. The staff on the boat were very friendly and accommodating and even went so far as to pull up to a different dock for some passengers that needed to get to the return flight and were worried about making it in time. We saw many orca whales and had a great time.

I have been on a number of whale watches from Alaska to Mexico, including 3 others in the San Juan Islands and I was extremely impressed by the skill of the skipper in positioning our boat for the best viewing. The other boats would end up tagging along because he could anticipate so expertly. The boat was big and comfy and had a head--one of my major requirements for a 3 hour trip. Highly recommend this company and would love to see them get some kind of PA system for the talks enroute to the whales so we could easily hear the Naturalists on such a big boat over the roar of the engines. During the actual close in viewing I can see that as little sound and possible would be needed. My friends from California were completely captivated.

I highly recommend whale watching with San Juan Safaris. The boat is the perfect size, not too big & not too small...meaning you are not on board with a huge crowd of people, yet the boat is big enough to have a bathroom! The naturalists are very friendly and well educated on the sights and area. You will not go wrong with choosing this tour!

I could not be more pleased with our whale watching trip run by San Juan Safaris. The staff was funny and really knowledgeable, and they did a great job of finding the orcas! We rented their smaller boat and had our own private party. Being able to bring our own food and drinks on the boat made it such a luxurious trip. Thanks!!

We had two superb trips with San Juan safaris. Great staff, amazing trips. Highlight of our trip to the Washington State & the San Juan islands!Looking forward to going back and trying the overnight camping and kayaking trip.

By far the best thing we did in the PNW!! The boat was in great condition, and the crew were all very pleasant and informative. First we came upon 2 humpback whales and watched them for a bit. Then our crew were able to find all 3 pods of whales, and maneuver the boat for a spectacular view. It was a nice sunny day but while the boat was in motion it did get a little cool, the boat was equipped with perfect little blankets for each person. We saw so many different whales and groups, and our last and biggest surprise was having a whale breach the water 3 times in a row near the boat!! Thanks again, would recommend this company to anyone!

My wife and I had just finished a cruise to Alaska and were staying in the Seattle area for a few extra days. We decided at the last minute to drive up to Anacortes, catch the ferry over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and go on a Orca Whale watching trip with San Juan Safaris. Turns out the resident orca population was active that day (August 19, 2014)! We got the opportunity to see a lot of orca whales surfacing and some came up close unexpectedly. We also saw eagles and sea lions up close (beached on a small island). It was a beautiful day and the guides did an excellent job. Be sure to bring jacket, sweater, etc as it gets very chilly even in August!