San Juan Island Whale & Wildlife Tours

This was the most amazing trip. We saw so many whales including the 2.5 week old baby. The naturalists were enthusiastic and they knew their whales. The captain of the boat was great to maneuver us into the right position to see the whales best. At one point we were surrounded by whales. They breached close to the boat. A lot of people got some really great photos. I would highly recommend this company. Everyone had a GREAT time!

We booked for an afternoon tour with unclear expectation. Captain Hobbes is very low key and at the start of the tour he was careful not to over-​promise the number of marine and wildlife we would see. With just four other passengers, we enjoyed a smooth ride around the island… and began seeing wildlife, starting with seals then orcas and finally sea lions. Two of the orcas — a mother and seven month old — swam up near to the boat for some great viewing.
We had a great time — and booked again for the following day. The tour was totally different. The water was rough, but we saw many orcas, a minke whale, and even a humpback. Again, this was a spectacular experience. I recommend this company if you want a intimate experience with a crowd.

Friday, August 7, 2:00 trip:
My wife and I believe that the Captain and his mate knew before we left the dock that the Orca’s were not in the area and too far for us to travel to.
After cruising for a half hour the Captain stopped the boat and asked if we would go for an extended outing because the Orca’s were further north by the Frasier River.
I would think that an experienced captain would always know the general location of any of the 3 Orca pods were at any time, before leaving.
We cruised for another half hour and then were told the Orca’s were too far away.
The rest of the trip was killing time cruising around the islands.
This company collected our money and we did not see a single Orca. It would have been acceptable if the captain explained the situation beforehand and we didn’t go out at all. Or gave us a choice not to go out.
Our day was a huge disappointment due to this company goal of only wanting to collect our money. I’d recommend investigating several other companies before considering this company. A lesson learned by us.

The captain is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about the wildlife and the ecosystem. His passion and care seemed really genuine. He is also just a really pleasant person. We learned a lot and had an all together wonderful experience.
The boat only holds six people, which we really liked.
I highly recommend it!

We had great staff on the boat. They were friendly and knowledgeable about the sea life we had the opportunity to see. It was nice to have a small intimate group. We got lucky to only have 7 people on our boat. The day prior they had 24. Clean vessel. This company has good relationships with other companies and communicates well with other Captains so we got to see the Orcas.

Be prepared to have your tour canceled if they can’t get a full tour. We purchased tickets for memorial weekend, I get a call 2 hours before our trip from captain Hobbs saying the tour has been canceled because we were the only ones on the 6 person tour. What!!! 2 hours before?!! (While already on our way to the island). Then he offers to put us on a 30 person boat for the Same price! Unfortunately it was too late to search around so we hAd to do the tour. We went directly to the company he suggested and it was $ 30 total cheaper, so not sure how he thought it was only a couple $ difference. Anyways if you go with him be prepared to have to scramble last minute, if the trip doesn’t work for him. Very disappointing.

What an awesome day! Out on the water, Captain Hobbes’ passion for these animals and the whole San Juan area was contagious! We were hoping to see an orca on our trip and we were not disappointed! T49c made his appearance early on in our voyage and we were able to watch him swim all around the islands. It was so exciting to see him come up and try to guess where he would come up next. Captain Hobbes knew where he would be though! We learned so much from the Captain and Brooke that day and will carry these memories the rest of our lives. I hope to go back one day! Thanks again, Captain Hobbes! You’re truly a wildlife warrior!!!

We absolutely loved our time with Captain Hobbes watching for whales and other wildlife. While he promised that he couldn’t guarantee a sighting, after a bit of time in the water, we spotted a group of more than a dozen resident orcas. He was able to identify the pod and give us plenty of background information about the species, conservation efforts, and more. He’s passionate, well-​informed, and without question a wonderful guide!

Well, we did not see any whales! Bummer! But it was not for a lack of trying. Captain Hobbs was on the radio talking to all his «mates» out on the water that morning and all those darn whales were in Canada! But, the Captain was pleasant, very knowledgeable about whales, San Juans and anything else we wanted to know. He has a small boat so there were only 6 of us and he took the time to get close to birds, for the birders and we saw seals (so it wasn’t a total bust) and we enjoyed the ride and time on the water. It was nice that he had so much experience and knows all the other guides and that he is focused on conservation and protection of the whales… even though he talks funny! (he is British). Thanks, Hobbs! We ‘ll be back.

We had a great time this afternoon with Captain Hobbes! He let us know that this morning’s outing was without Orcas :-(. However we had a great time being out on such a gorgeous day. We saw a bunch of sea lions and a few Minkie Whales that we hung out with for a half hour. The boat is very intimate and comfortable. We took our 7 and 4 year old and they had a blast.

Captain Hobbes was wonderful!!! His passion and desire to help these amazing animals is really what makes this tour so awesome! The boat is small so it’s a intimate experience with just a few other people, the captain and nature. There really is no comparison, it’s the best tour you can get! It is absolutely well worth it.
Make your whale watching excursion something you’ll always remember with captain Hobbes :)

Really enjoyed this tour! Captain Hobbes was very friendly and pleasant, and being in a smaller tour group made it more positive experience. I enjoyed not being crammed onto a larger tour boat with more people. Also, by being a smaller vessel, made it easy to get a panoramic view. Would definitely recommend go with captain Hobbes again! No regrets!

For groups of 6 or less, unless you have a private boat at your disposal, go with Capt. Hobbes. Here’s why:
–Clean, comfortable, spacious boat with a very spacios, warm/​shaded cabin (we went in early Dec. so it got chilly)
–If anybody is out there seeing whales, then Capt. Hobbes will find them because he collaborates with other guides and various vessels that report sightings over the radio. Case in point: we saw a bunch of Orcas when they were supposedly already gone for the year.
–Capt. Hobbes is a terrific guy to hang out with and his connections/​relationships with other guides/​captains is a testament to that as well as his passion and knowledge for wildlife
Yes, we saw whales – Capt. Hobbes extended our trip by at least an hour free-​of-​charge when we got word of their location – but we also saw seals, sea lions, bald eagles and an assortment of other wildlife this city boy can’t name properly.

Captain Hobbes was great and showed us some great sea wildlife we unfortunately did not get to see any whales but it was later int he season. I would without a doubt go again :-)

I went with my boyfriend in late October. We didn’t see Orcas, but we saw humpbacks, harbor porpoise, and harbor seals. Small tour, personal. I ordered lunch too, and it was great. Enough to share.

For the same price as all the other tours, you get an intimate setting — 4 or 5 passengers max on Captain Hobbes’ boat. Captain Hobbes is a nice guy from England. He went out of his way to extend our 2.5 hour trip to a four hour trip to ensure we saw some whales. And we did — 2 humpbacks and a half dozen orcas. Captain Hobbes is also very environmentally friendly and makes his own non-​toxic cleaning supplies with which to clean his boat.

We had never been whale watching and the idea of a big boat of people was not attractive: But a small boat of six seemed perfect, and it was. Captain Hobbes is extremely knowledgeable about the area, sea life as well as being an excellent boat captain. When his full attention wasn’t needed for steering, he was more than happy to answer questions and engage with everyone on board. All the info in other 5 star reviews lined up to exactly our experience. While the weather wasn’t perfect, the trip certainly was. We did an afternoon trip. The boat is comfortable and well maintained. We highly recommend Capt Hobbes and his tours.

My friends and I decided to make a quick trip to San Juan Island this last weekend and we set aside one day to do a whale watching tour. I’m really glad we chose to go out with Captain Hobbes because he was absolutely wonderful. He’s very laid-​back, friendly and knowledgable. His boat is smaller, but like the previous reviewer mentioned, it’s the perfect size.
If I ever go on another tour, I will definitely go with Captain Hobbes again!

This was a great way to see whales and other wildlife from boat instead of Lime Kiln. Captain Hobbes was really great and the boat was just the perfect size! It wasn’t those large boats you see in Friday Harbor where you can’t even sit. There was plenty of seats outside, next to him as he drove and inside the boat itself.
Snacks, drinks and wine was also available on the boat. Also, don’t be hesitant to ask any questions as you drive around the island. Captain Hobbes is very knowledgable. On our trip he could even identify some of the individual whales since he has been doing this for many many years.
This was an amazing whale watching trip and the best part was the size of the boat. On our trip we managed to circumvent all of San Juan Island in order to reach where the orcas where sitted and then we got to see some Stellar sea lions and a harbor seal. Highly recommend this trip.