If the weather allows, you may also use the rear open deck and the upper level. The beauty of whale watching in maui is you can always expect the unexpected. Go whale watching for orcas in the san juan islands, savor the wines of the willamette valley, or kayak along the nearly 5000 ft vertical cliff faces in the inlets of british columbia. We are proud members of the pacific whale watch association formerly known as whale watch operators association northwest. The metro area now has its firstever, halfday whale watching tour. Pacific northwest tours take place in quintessential wilderness country and hold the american states of washington and oregon as well as the canadian province of british columbia within their farreaching natural borders. The original whale watch company in the san juan islands. San juan island kayaking trips with orca whales in washington.
See orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, gray whales and all the majestic wildlife in the salish sea on our tour departing from edmonds just minutes north of downtown seattle. Enjoy the experience of a lifetime with seattles only halfday, guaranteed whale watching tour. Enjoy a two to twoandahalfhour voyage out in the open pacific ocean in search for one of the worlds longestmigrating mammals. Although the exact borders of the region are undefined, its vibrant character and beautiful landscapes make it. Let ballard kayak and paddleboard show you the beautiful pacific northwest. We are governed by a volunteer board of directors and our work is funded through fundraising activities, memberships and donations from supporters worldwide. A nonprofit organization, pacific whale foundation offers fun and educational ocean eco tours on maui, including wild dolphin encounters, snorkel trips, sunset cocktail and dinner cruises, whale watching tours, holiday cruises and specialty cruises, such.
Pacific northwest schedule travel dream west tours. What makes the beautiful pacific northwest so perfect for whale watching cruises. Home british columbia idaho montana oregon washington wyoming. Sea quest kayak tours explore the premiere orca whale waters in the san juan. Private whale watching tours maui e ven the whales are drawn to mauis warm, calm, clear waters. Orca whale watching tours testimonials in seattle island. Follow the whale trail san juan islands washington visitors. A premier whale watching destination located just outside the famed olympic national park. Island adventures saw whales on 167 of 172 tours out of port angeles in 2019. Learn about the pacific northwests most famous active volcano through nature walks and exhibitions, and then make it back to portland by. Experience national parks at their finest at olympic and crater lake. See the west coast on these beautiful scenic outdoor adventure tours full of natural splendor and cultural excitement off the beaten track. Pacific whale foundations leadership team is closely monitoring updates from the center for disease control and the world health organization regarding covid19. The regions of the world providing whale watching opportunities are as diverse as the whale species.
Just a 90mile drive from downtown seattle, anacortes is a convenient starting point for. About whale watching excursions in the pacific northwest, including whale watching season and whale watching tour companies. Whale watching season in maui is novembermay with peak season typically running between midjanuary and march. Our experienced, passionate team of captains and naturalists love to share our vast knowledge of whales, wildlife, and their beautiful pacific northwest home with.
Find exclusive day trip and overnight getaways to see orcas and humpbacks guided by an expert naturalist. Look before you book for members of the pacific whale watch. We enjoyed a wonderful day of whale watching on the beautiful pacific lounge. Some tours require intravacation flights and in some cases intravacation segments must be purchased from globus. Blue whale habitat associations in the northwest pacific. The southern resident killer whales were listed as an endangered species in 2005.
The gray whales migrate each year from baja california to their feeding grounds way up north in the chukchi and bering seas. Spring is great whalewatching time in the pacific northwest, with some whalewatching charters boasting that you have a 95 percent chance of seeing a gray whale during the peak season, march through may. Here are a couple of ways to add whales to your san juan island trip. This site uses cookies to improve your experience, to enhance site security and to show you personalized advertising. The gray whales migrate each year from baja california to their feeding grounds way up north in the.
Enjoy spectacular ocean views and whale watching along the pacific coast and visit more than 500 wineries in oregons willamette valley. We are members of the pacific whale watch association which helped to develop the current standards for whale watching in the region. Go whale watching for orcas in the san juan islands, savor the wines of the willamette. In recent years, the waters surrounding port angeles have become one of the leading destinations for viewing humpback whales in north america. Why choose san juan excursions friday harbor whale watching. On our whale watching and wildlife tours you may see orcas, grey whales, sea lions, porpoises, minke whales, bald eagles, and much more. Leave from port angeles or port townsend for short transit times and long whale watching times. Middecember to february, march to june oregon features sprawling coastlines that beckon to whale watchers. San juan excursions san juan islands whale watching. The north pacific right whale eubalaena japonica is a very large, thickset baleen whale species that is extremely rare and endangered the northeast pacific population, which summers in the southeastern bering sea and gulf of alaska, may have no more than 40 animals. Pacific northwest orca whale watching san juan safaris.
The pacific whale watch association is one of the most progressive ecotourism business associations in the world. Tours are offered year round including the off season. The pacific northwest is a region spanning the northwestern corner of the lower 48 states, including oregon and washington, and by some accounts idaho, northern california and british columbia, canada. Seattle whale watching tours whale watching tours, seattle. For our whale watch tours from port angeles, please checkin at the landing. Whale watch tours from anacortes wa island adventures. The chances of meeting whales are very high in the whole. We drive north along the pacific coast with beautiful views. Get a free quote on a personalized tour of pacific northwest with adventure life. The north pacific right whale eubalaena japonica is a very large, thickset baleen whale species that is extremely rare and endangered.
The washington, california and oregon travel tour starts in san francisco, leads you along the pacific ocean, then heading inland towards the famous cascade range volcanoes, part of the pacific ring of fire, through most diverse landscapes. For the coast salish people living in the pacific northwest over a hundred years ago, there was a different undiscovered legend to fear. Caesar was the perfect captain and we were able to see lots of whales as they frolicked up close and personal. Whale watching pacific northwest tours by adventure life. Every year from december to may humpback whales journey. How far in advance of my tour does the shuttle arrive. Gray whale watching near seattle, washington island adventures. Island adventures offers premier orca whale watching in the waters of the san juan islands, wa. The oregon parks and recreation whale watching center on depoe bay, about 160 kilometers southeast of portland, is a great place to see gray whales making their biyearly migrations between alaska and mexico. Pacific northwest road trips lead to ideal destinations for hikers, climbers, nature lovers and wine enthusiasts alike. The association has worked with scientists, noaa and industry leaders to assist in writing the whale watching guidelines and best practices. We will continue to seek guidance from these agencies, public health officials and government agencies on an ongoing basis.
Aquarium of the pacific education gray whale watch. Seattle, which is in the puget sound, lies on a narrow strip of land between the salt water of the sound and the fresh waters of lake washington. Annual migration see whales upclose in nw during spring months. Though most of the whale population migrates annually, an estimated 8590 orcas aka. April to november juneau, alaska, is one of the most beautiful capital cities in the usa, with its quaint streets, scenic waterfront and snowcapped mountains. Overall, blue whale calls were two to three times more numerous in the nw.
The association has worked with scientists, noaa and industry leaders to assist in. San juan cruises has three whale watching tours a deluxe whale watch including a free salmon lunch and friday harbor visit, a halfday whale watching tour with a free lasagna lunch, and an evening whale watching tour that includes our delicious lasagna and caesar salad dinner. Discover the toprated places to go and things to see on a tour of pacific northwest. Take your best shot at kayaking with killer whales near seattle, wa. To read the entire content of this whale watching tours page, please go to. A pacific northwest sightseeing tours, founded in 1998, specializes in sightseeing tours and excursions in and around the portland oregon and the vancouver washington area. Although the exact borders of the region are undefined, its. The pacific northwest is also experiencing a humpback comeback and other whales. Why choose san juan excursions friday harbor whale. Whale watching in washington is one of the top things to do on a visit to the main city of seattle or the popular san juan islands. Pacific northwest waters from alaska to oregon lie between the arctic whaling grounds and the home whaling ports of san francisco and honolulu. Download the watching whales in the san juan islands brochure. Pacific northwest whale watching is popular from april to september especially around the san juan islands and the canadian gulf islands.
Whale and wildlife tours departing from friday harbor, wa. Bookstore best selection of books on the northwest. Our tours feature small groups, allinclusive days, and tripadvisor hall of fame guides. Well pick you up, take care of the details, bring plenty of food and drink, and maximize your time exploring. The shores and waterways of washington state is filled with aquatic life like the minke, humpback and the california gray whales. The northeast pacific population, which summers in the southeastern bering sea and gulf of alaska, may have no more than 40 animals. With a significant focus on marine ecosystems and coastal life education, the pacific rim whale festival celebrates the continued protection and annual return of migrating pacific grey whales to the coastal waters of the communities of tofino, ucluelet and pacific rim national park reserve.
Whale watching seattle and whale watching washington are commonly associated with whale watching in the san juan islands. We managed to book the orca whale watching tour for the same afternoon but it was a little bit more expensive. We specialize in sightseeing tours for smaller groups. Once you have found the discounted usa northwest tour of your choice, please call our tour specialists to book your vacation and. Whale watching cruises san juan cruises bellingham. But on occasion, we will have our first whale sighting as early as october or even late september. Lonely planet pacific northwest s best trips travel guide by lonely planet.
Embark on a 15day adventure between sitka, alaska and seattle, washington, exploring three of the most appealing wild regions in the pacific northwest. At pacific whale foundation, our whale watching season officially kicks off in early november with our welcome home the whales cruise. Pacific whale foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to protect the ocean through science and advocacy, and to inspire environmental stewardship. In the mid1990s, long before federal mandates, we developed a dynamic set of local whale and wildlife viewing guidelines. Orca spirit adventures offers a courtesy shuttle service for all guests. Jun 21, 2016 for the coast salish people living in the pacific northwest over a hundred years ago, there was a different undiscovered legend to fear. See orcas, humpback whales, and all the majestic wildlife in. Alaskas inside passage, coastal british columbia, and haida gwaii. Every year from december to may humpback whales journey from alaska to hawaii to breed, calve and nurse their young.
Who we are san juan excursions is family owned and operated by second generation islanders who love sharing the best of the san juan islands with visitors. San juan island is the center of whale watching in the pacific northwest and therefore friday harbor on san juan island is the best location for departing on a whale watch tour in washington state. Once you have found the discounted usa northwest tour of your choice, please call our tour specialists to book your vacation and save money with our firstrate personalized service. If its spring in the pacific northwest, it must be whalewatching time that special threemonth period between march 1 and june 1 when you are most apt to catch sight of the majestic california gray whale. This was my first venture out to the pacific northwest, and i scheduled a day to visit seattle. Todays highlights include a marine discovery boat tour with whale watching. Pacific northwest wildlife everyone wants to see killer whales, and the san juan islands have some of the best locations in the world for doing that. Seattle washington washington state oh the places youll go places to visit whale watching boat evergreen state need a vacation killer whales pacific northwest seattle killer whales that spend their summers in puget sound are a distinct population group and will remain protected under the endangered species act, the national oceanic and. You can book whale watching and other tours when you get there but make sure its at least 12 days in advance. Whale watching tours from seattle to the san juan islands.
From portlands artistic communities to the colorful gardens of victoria and the fantastic ethnic cuisine of vancouver, theres something for. Whether you are planning a whale watching tour in the san juan islands or would rather do some. The pacific northwest offers a relaxed vibe even in its cities. While the pacific northwest was not a whaling destination, whales in these rich grounds were pursued for many years as whale ships moved between the whalers summer whaling grounds and southern home ports. San juan excursions san juan islands whale watching whale. From port angeles, the comfortable island explorer 4 can head. Whispers spoke in hushed tones of a terrifying marine predator that devastated salmon supply and earned its demonic name. Main season starts in march and ends in october, tours for gray whales take place in march and april. Dan and his wife denise wilk have run whale watching tours since 1991 and are founding members of the pacific whale watch association and still some of its most active, completely dedicated to providing spectacular viewing opportunities for passengers while protecting sensitive wildlife, particularly our endangered resident orcas. Whale watching in washington washington whale watching tours. Western prince whale and wildlife tours washington.
Click here to download all 12 months of killer whale watching data and be. During the summer months, these whales part of what is called the southern resident community travel in a very consistent pattern around the san juan islands searching for salmon, their. Well pick you up at your downtown victoria hoteland when your whale watching adventure is over, well drop you back at the hotel, or if you prefer, anywhere in the victoria city core. Whale watching in washington washington waterfronts. And, as you might imagine, juneau is also a thrilling place to embark on a whalewatching trip. Washington states best whale watching value and best spot north of seattle to see gray whales in the wild. Want to read about more pacific northwest adventures.
Aquarium of the pacific take a voyage with harbor breeze cruises in search of gray whales as they migrate along our coastline. On our whale watching tours from seattle youll fly to the san juan islands, see wild orca whales, amazing scenery and much more. Download our list of washington state whale watching. Oct 02, 2015 this was my first venture out to the pacific northwest, and i scheduled a day to visit seattle. Read more about our commitment to responsible ecotourism here. Experience the thrill of seeing orca whales, seals, porpoises and so much more wildlife on one of our whale watching trips off the san juan islands near seattle. Orca whale watching in the san juan islands island adventures. Cities, such as seattle, portland and vancouver are all fondlyregarded for their blend of laid back sunday morning style and superb surrounding scenery. Whale watch tours from the olympic peninsula island adventures. Depending on interest, you can spend some time shopping in the pacific northwests taxfree factory outlet mall. Spring is great whale watching time in the pacific northwest, with some whale watching charters boasting that you have a 95 percent chance of seeing a gray whale during the peak season, march through may. We have the only open zodiac style boat in washington state as well as the 46ft comfortable western prince ii.
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