Choosing a Whale Watch Tour

Choosing which whale watching tour to go out on will be your most difficult decision. There are so many types of companies that call themselves "whale watch tours".

If seeing whales is your #1 goal then pick a company that guarantees sightings. These companies are dedicated whale watching companies, not ferry services, dinner cruises, or wildlife tours who moonlight as whale watching companies. They are generally more experienced than the rest, and will go the "extra mile" to make it happen for you.

When looking at other websites look for whale sightings reports and statistics from the current and previous seasons. Claims of "90% success rate!" are empty promises unless backed up by real numbers. Reported numbers of whale sightings will show how experienced a company really is, and how good they are at getting to the whales. Good tours should also have whale savvy captains, trained naturalists, and whale watch boats that can legally cross the international border with Canada. Sound systems and a quality hydrophone will also add to your experience.

When you book your whale watch don't be afraid to ask questions about the whales, and what the whale watchers have been seeing. Ask specifics, if the sales person can't quickly tell you where the whales are, or where they were yesterday, they are probably reading off of a script. A good office that is truly into the whale watching experience will be able to answer all of your questions.

The boats leaving the mainland normally run longer tours for about the same price as out in the San Juan Islands. They also have the advantage when the whales are in the west or north end of their range. If the whales are in the middle of their range the longer tours will get to spend more time watching whales, and experiencing other wildlife along the way. 3-4 hour trips are only a good value if your boat can travel in excess of 30 knots. This is important because you will not get enough time with the whales if the boat travels slower than this. A 5-6 hour trip has a great advantage in that you will get plenty of "whale time". A trip longer than 7 hours can be grueling for kids, and older folks. These long trips usually mean a slow boat.

Anacortes is the most popular departure point for the educated consumer. Island Adventures is the oldest and most experienced of the mainland whale watch companies.

If you are going to stay overnight on one of the San Juan Islands anyways, and have adequately planned for the ferry schedule, there are some great companies operating out of Orcas and San Juan Island.

Be sure to choose a company whose owner is also an operator (licensed captain)!

If you go with a company who has an "administrative" owner, then you are sure to get a scripted, tourist trap type of experience. On Orcas Island you will find that Eclipse Charters, and Deer Harbor Charters run excellent programs. On San Juan you will do best going out with Salish Sea Charters, Maya's Whale Watch, or Western Prince Cruises.

Look out for the companies that appear to spend more time advertising than they do on their tours.

Evening Whale Watching

In the summertime we think that the Evening Whale Watch trips are a fantastic option. Salish Sea Charters and Maya's Whale Watch run great trips out of Snug Harbor on San Juan Island's west side. Island Adventures runs two evening trips from Anacortes as well. Evening tours generally have fewer people on board, and the light for photography is incredible. In addition to these advantages, the whales will have been tracked all day long and the captains are sure to know what to expect before they leave the docks.

Year Round Whale Watching

There are whale watching trips available year round in Washington State. Summer is the high-season due to the sunny weather, and kids being out of school. Off-season whale watching can be amazing though, so don't be afraid of a rainy weather forecast. The whales are around all year as well so don't listen to companies who tell you that the whales have "migrated". These are the companies that are closed in the winter. October is the best month for Humpback whales. November and December are great for Orca whale watching in the Seattle area. January through March is good for gray whales. April through September is the prime season for the Resident Orcas in the San Juan Islands.

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