332 votes

San Juan Safaris

2 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250 USA

Independent

“Orca Whale Watching”

No tour operator sees whales more often than San Juan Safaris - 90% or better. Our whale watching boat Sea Lion is 55 foot, new and fast. With only 40 or fewer guests aboard, there is plenty of room at the rails or in the windowed cabin for everyone to view whales and wildlife. Knowledgeable marine naturalists will inform and amuse you. Our crew loves their work and it shows. Guests tell us that the staff is attentive, warm and friendly. San Juan Safaris is proud of its reputation for strictly adhering to the 'Whale Watching Guidelines' and for respectful wildlife viewing ethics. The owner has been in the wildlife viewing business for over forty years!

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Reviewed by
FromSea2ShiningSea

395 Reviews
33 Helpful

October 05, 2019

Rated 1.0

We saw zero whales, and were VERY disappointed! I know they can't control the whales, but they should be more realistic and careful about stating their credentials. The receptionist told us that they were having great sightings of whales, further making us believe we would see whales on our trip. We were celebrating a special occasion, and another girl on our boat was celebrating her birthday, hoping to see whales, specifically orcas. Although the naturalist was nice and tried to engage everyone, it didn't compensate for not seeing whales of any kind. The company gives this guarantee, ''We guarantee you will see marine mammals and you will come back with memories to last a lifetime!'', but it's under Whale Watching where they state, "We see more orcas than any other tour," and where they state they have a 90% success rate. The guarantee is at the bottom of that page, and is smaller than their bragging about seeing the most orcas. Most people don't pay over $110 per person with taxes to see bald eagles and harbor seals that they can see from land. Plus, if you factor in the gas with the drive from Seattle, then the price of the ferry, especially if you are taking your vehicle over, meals, etc. it's well over $350 for two people. Not only the financial commitment to not see any whales, but the amount of time required takes up your whole day. When you're on vacation, and you could of done something with guaranteed results, that's not a risk I would take again, nor do I recommend to anyone else. Other operations at least offer another tour if you don't see whales, backing their bragging. They say they take up to 40 people on their boat, but it is rather small, and I don't see how that many people would fit on there comfortably with a full charter. I believe some of what they say is deceptive or hyped up, and they are not realistic about what they can offer. Only 2 positives were a nice naturalist and blankets if you get cold. I recommend you skip this one. Try another place if you are really looking to see whales.

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