Island Adventures Whale Watching

Ever since I watched Blackfish I’ve wanted to see wild orca. On my last birthday 4÷15÷16 my husband and I trekked up to Anancortes to depart on our sight seeing boat ride and it did not disappoint! The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly, the ship was very clean and comfortable. The views were spectacular and the orca’s took my breath away. This was by far the best birthday I’ve ever had. All I can say is GO, you will not regret it, oh and dress warm.

My friends and I went on ⁰⁸⁄₁₅ (morning departure trip) and it was great. The Captain & Crew were very informative and friendly, made my friends and I feel very welcome. We saw both K and L pod (they were feeding) and also saw a humpback. The highlight of the trip for me was when everyone was all on the right side of the boat looking at the orcas and then one orca pop out at the left side of the boat, had me in tears. All and All it was worth the money and the trip.
Be sure to dress in layers, they have decent food for purchase on the boat, and the boat departures from Anacortes so no need to worry about dealing with the schedules of the ferries. I Highly recommend this company if you want to see Orca whales.

They said we had «good whale karma» today. L2 Southern Resident Pod, 4 humpbacks, a minke whale, a fin whale, a fantastic show by a crowd-​hungry Stellar seal, and various other birds and marine mammalia… it was amazing! A bucket– list capture for sure, and we learned a lot from our guides, too. All in all, it was a beautiful day at sea.

Best boat tour we’ve ever done. And we done did this over 6 hour tour! Yes, we were on the boat for over 6 hours on a sunny Friday. Great three person crew… all super friendly and excited to do their job. They seriously acted like they’d never done the tour before, so great enthusiasm! You navigate the San Juan islands, passing by many-​a-​island going SW then NW to where you can see Canada. By the upper most point in the tour, we came upon some Orcas, and two even came right next to our boat! We tailed them for about 45 minutes, then headed back south. Then within 10 minutes we came across a humpback in the distance. Didn’t get too close, but it was still cool. Also along the way, you see sea lions, birds, and deer. The boat itself is great, easy to navigate and roam around. The on board food was above decent and way better than I expected. Overall, we wanted to go again after we were done. Excellent tour and well worth the price.

This is the 3^rd whale watching boat I’ve been on and it’s the best experience I had, mainly because of the crew. Location is conveniently across the street from a Starbucks. Parking was on a dirt lot.
The boat itself is decent — lots of seating and areas to move around in. The upper deck had plenty of benches and tables. There were also heat lamps in the covered table area which was very much needed on the chilly day we went.
Even though we lined up to get on the boat, there really wasn’t a «good seat». The captain encouraged everyone to move around and he would announce where to stand on the boat when wildlife sightings were anticipated. And it seemed like people did move around.
The naturalist on board periodically shared information on the islands and wildlife we saw and she was the most knowledgeable naturalist I’ve experienced on these whale watching boats. The captain was pretty laid back and seemed to really make an effort to give us a great experience.
It was bone-​chilling cold and I thought I had prepared for that, but I wished I had brought a scarf and wore an extra layer (or heavier jacket). Don’t underestimate the wind chill factor and the cold sea air.
I would not hesitate to go with this operation again.

Great customer service, great boat, saw whales, what else can you ask for? Our trip lasted about 6 hours. Saw two separate hump back whales and Orcas twice along the way along with few seals. Both Captain and crew were very knowledgable and spoke throughout the trip.
A few tips if you go: they have food for purchase but you can bring your own (it’s a long day). Definitely dress in layers — If it is cool at the docs, it will be much cooler out on the water.
We took the tour out of Anacortes and would definitely recommend this trip!

Highly recommend! We had an amazing day whale watching on the 3:30 afternoon trip on ⁸⁄₁₂. We saw three types of whales: Minke, Humpback, and Killer whales! And we saw members of all 3 resident orca pods (J, K, & L)! We also saw many sea birds, harbor seals, and harbor porpoise! The boat was comfortable and captain Carl got us as close as federal law allows and a few of the orcas came very close to the boat (25ft? I would guess)! Bart and Eli did a great job finding whales, pointing them out, discussing behavior, etc. I would absolutely come again!
And FYI there were some incredibly rude and impatient other passengers that were honestly just plain ridiculous. They were mad that we boarded the boat ~8 minutes late because they were finishing getting the boat prepped since they had gone out that morning… Not sure they even realized that was the reason since they couldn’t shut their mouths long enough to actually listen to instructions… Honestly the children had more patience then these crotchety old folks! Well, we ended up staying out till after dark — over 6 hrs — to see as many whales as we could, so if you see any bad reviews for 8/​12, take it from me and ignore it… The only bad part of the trip were those people and frankly the crew were saints to deal with them because I would have kicked them off the boat!

If you prefer to use a $ 50k guide to lure in a leviathan so you can mount a blowhole on your trophy wall, and have the opportunity to leave behind nothing but orphans and a rotting carcass, then this tour is not for you. However, if the chance to watch plenty of whales playing in their natural habitat is what you’re looking for, then this excursion is definitely for you. It is a great way to watch these beautiful creatures play and roam and enjoy their lives. They seem to love an audience and will often do cartwheels (pivot sideways when breaching the surface), or sometimes just check to see who is watching by peeking their heads up out of the water.
The tour guides are informative and friendly. They are frequently directing your attention to things like bald eagles, sea lions, and dolphins in addition to whales once you are in their vicinity. They will also provide some interesting tidbits about certain islands you pass by on the tour, including one in particular with a fairly checkered past.
Dress warmly since it can be 20 degrees cooler out on the water than on land. There is a cabin on the lower deck with several tables and seating for almost 60 people at my guesstimate. There is also a concession stand where you can order drinks and a hot lunch like chili, or a chicken sandwich or burger. The food was reasonable and convenient, especially after being on the water for several hours.
Remember, no trophy hunting. No one really cares to see that you’ve sacrificed a creature’s life for a blowhole trophy. Overall, it’s an excellent tour for the price and you can probably find discounted tickets on the internet. Enjoy!

WOW, My husband and I, do all of the «tourist stuff» every couple of years here in Anacortes.
we are never disappointed with «Island Adventures whale watching.» Yesterday was unbelievable ! Amazing! and magical. Captain Carl, First Mate Elizabeth, and the Naturalist were all informative kind and fun to be around. The respect Island Adventures, have for the whales and the environment is unsurpassed. Thank you so much for another exciting and safe tour. It will not be two years this time, why wait when the crew is ready and I don’t have to fuel or wash the boat. LOL.

Great day with a fun crew. They were knowledgable and we were able to see bald eagles, porpoise, seals & pups & 5 – 7 minke whales. The inside was nice, warm with hot chocolate or coffee. Good smoked pork sandwiches and plenty of snacks.

Recommend to anyone staying in Seattle area who wants an enjoyable whale watching experience.
We were staying in Seattle for a few days and decided to take the 90 minute drive to Anacortes. The boat was manned by a 3 person crew… an informative captain (Michael), an entertaining and knowledgeable naturalist (Bart), and a sweet crew member/​galley chef (Sarah).
The entire 5 ½ hour tour was entertaining. We were given the history of the islands and I even mapped the route on map in the nature guide (given to each person on the boat).
As for animals, our naturalist pointed out porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles, and a variety of other birds. We also spotted a minke whale and several orca. (Our naturalist knew lots of information about each animal. Our captain did a great job mapping our route to avoid fog so we could see as many animals as possible).
There’s food on the boat. All delicious and reasonably priced. I ate a BBQ pork quesadilla.
Definitely well worth the drive and the money! Do it!

Very well worth the drive and the money.
After about an hour on the ocean we saw a ton of whales. Lots of other wildlife like bald eagles, harbor porpoises, sea lions, etc. Most of the time you at 600 – 800 yards from the whales and there are usually a bunch of other boats trying to get the same view you are trying to get.
Spoiler Alert: After this tour you will hate Sea World and their abuses of orcas.

The staff was nice and knowledgeable and super funny, but the ride was very long with nothing to see but homes built alongside the water and a bunch of lighthouses that have now turned into museums. 3hrs of this on a rocky small boat was more than my stomach could stand but on the 4^th hr we finally saw killer whales which made the long boat ride there all worth it. They even provided free binoculars to anyone that wanted a better view of the majestic creatures swimming alongside our boat. They had food that u could buy on the boat and tables and chairs to sit and eat. That was nice. Toilets were clean. All around a great experience if only there was a way to shorten the boat ride to get to where the whales were.

Amazing tour… got to see a t pod and the famous j pod. Bring your own cocktail and mix with hot chocolate and coffee… bbq sandwiches perfect lunch and wonderful sighting of a 2 day old orca! Best trip ever!

A really well run outfit with lots of helpful, knowledgeable staff. They go the extra mile to make sure you see a whale and show you lots of other cool sea life along the way as well as fun facts and history too. They were very friendly and answered any questions readily and made sure each passenger was enjoying themselves.
The boat was large, clean, and fast, and had heaters to keep you comfortable. We saw a large humpback whale up close and personal, as well as seals, sea lions, bald eagles, porpoises, and other water birds.
My only minor complaint was that it would be nice if they had a few more food items, in particular healthier food. Onboard fare was candy/​snacks, hot dogs, chili, coffee/​soda, and nachos, but honestly the tour was so fun It’s a minor detail. I highly recommend this tour!

This is a «true» whale watching cruise. Like they said on the tour «this is not Sea World». We did get to see 4 whale tails, so an overall good experience.
The Good: Great Staff and will let you know where to look to see a whale. Very interactive.
The Bad: The Whale Watchers (tourists) they don’t care if you have the perfect spot, they will want you to move. Everyone walks around the boat so you don’t get to sit down and you are always getting out of the way. Everyone has their «super» cameras and expect their seat back after looking at the whales.
Get there before the suggested 30min if you want to get a good seat, if not, you will not be comfortable.
No alcohol served and 3 hours is a long time. They do serve food and drinks. This is about a 45min trip from downtown Seattle ($ 100 cab ride one way) so be prepared.

Living most of my life in the Gulf Coast region of Texas, I’ve seen plenty of dolphins but never a whale. That is until I booked a trip with Island Adventures last March (By the way if you book on a Wednesday the ticket is a tad cheaper). Let me just begin by telling you that the crew were as fun as the whale watching. They knew everything about everything. In the waters off Everett, only 12 – 13 grey whales appear each year, all male and all adolescent, after they break off the main group traveling north from Baja, Mexico.
They only offer the trip from Everette from March to May but it’s a great location because it is about 30 minutes from downtown Seattle. Right off the bat we saw a huge seal taking it easy on the nearest buoy to the dock. Then about 3 minutes later, from a distance, we watched as two grey whales fed on the seafloor animals in the river delta. The real treat was when we pulled up close to the cliffs under some very nice homes. About 20 feet off the rocky shore was a big teenage grey whale twisting and sliding around in the rocks. We were as close as was allowed by law the captain said, which was close enough that we didn’t need the provided binoculars, when all of a sudden he blew a huge shrimp out his blow hole. The whale expert and the captain both said they’d never seen that happen before. We also saw a couple of bald eagles and more seals on just about every buoy we passed by.
The trip was about 3-​hours and could not have been more perfect. The captain highly recommended that we try the chili dog made by the first mate and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t one of the best I’ve ever had. On the way back there was a US Navy aircraft carrier that the captain said he was going to take us close to until the patrol boat turned on its siren. And true to his word, as we got up close the sirens blasted and out came a patrol boat with a nice big gun on the front. We swerved back and all was good in the world again. It was awesome.

Used Island Adventures at the beginning of September for a whale watch out of Anacortes. Booking was super easy online, prices were decent. On the day of checking in and getting to the boat was painless. The captain and the wildlife specialist were great and entertaining. We saw plenty of Orcas and other sea creatures as well while cruising around the San Juan Islands. They also have free parking.
The only negative, which I feel ridiculous even saying it, is that the excursion felt a little long. Ha! Stupid though complaining about being out on a boat in a beautiful location for too long of a time. But we were definitely tired after the full day.

After researching and following Unilocal on the best boats for orca watching, we decided embarking out of Anacortes was a must. Island Adventures had excellent ratings and we were not disappointed.
Things to Know:
You will drive to a storefront building in the Port of Anacortes to check in that morning. They will direct you to a parking lot — not far and easy to find — next to the harbor. Plenty of space for parking. Free parking. And just a short walk to the gate of the harbor.
Dress in layers. Bring scarves, wraps, jackets, hoodies. Our ride was chilly, but not freezing. It can get gusty, so don’t bring a hat you really want to keep. Drawstrings are perfect.
You can bring your own snacks on board or purchase snacks like hot dogs, water, cokes, tea and nachos from the food bar. Would have loved seeing healthier, toasted foods. We packed a backpack with some snacks and water; but bought some tea and cocoa for the fun of it. Bring a little variety of your own snacks or cash to buy them on the boat because being on the water for 5 – 6 hours on a boat makes you want to cram your cheeks full like a squirrel. Which we did — our own trail mix, peaches, bagels and cream cheese, and salted caramels. Good boat food, but you start to crave something warm so bring $ 10 – 20 for hot drinks and something toasty. I bought little man a beef hot dog, but hopefully, they’ll add a few healthy options to the menu since everyone on this ride ends up in the cabin to buy food.
Take advantage of having a naturalist on board. We asked a lot of questions about orcas and learned a lot we didn’t know.
When we boarded, we thought we’d find a good spot and park there for awhile. It’s really not necessary, since people are moving and walking around throughout the tour. However, if you want a table inside the cabin next to the food bar, I recommend you nab one of those when you can. They were mostly taken over throughout the ride. But you don’t want to spend your entire ride at a table looking out through a window, right? Walk around, sit outside. Enjoy the view from as many angles as you can. It’s beautiful all around the San Juan Islands.
Bring a tip. They pull out the jar in the end when we deboard. They really do go out of their way to make sure everyone sees orcas and has a great experience.
Lastly, the Port of Anacortes itself is fun to explore. Plan on hanging out for a couple of hours in town. Drive down the historic downtown, eat some seafood, get some coffee, watch the boats or ferries off the dock. You’ll get back from the tour in time to have a couple of hours and a dinner.
Overall, it was a great long ride to and back on a boat big enough for comfort but still salty and spare enough to feel like a smaller boat experience, which we wanted. Mostly we were elated that we saw orcas. We didn’t see them till we were near the Boundary Pass; but not only did we finally see them, we saw one breach, saw them in hunting mode, followed their movements, and were able to observe them in their own habitat, which was gorgeous enough to be worth the boat ride alone.

We took a whale watching tour yesterday and it was an amazing experience! The captain and crew are knowledgeable and friendly, pointing out all the beautiful San Juan Islands along the way as well as various wildlife such as bald eagles, seals, blue herons, etc…
The boat is well equipped with a snack bar and comfortable facilities. Plenty of seating and standing room both inside and above deck.
When we finally came upon a pod of whales, it was almost magical! You heard silence fall over the crowd followed buy deep breaths and finally gasps as we saw the first orca pop out of the water. We followed two pods consisting of about 10 orcas for about an hour. The guides explained their behaviors as well as identified each one.
I would definitely travel with this company again. Tempted to do the gray whale tour in spring now too:)