Whale Watching Tour from Anacortes
Recommended by 96% of travelers
San Juan Islands, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
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Overview
Get up close with the killer whales of Anacortes, the home port to the San Juan Islands, on this whale-watching cruise led by naturalist guides. Climb aboard a Blackfish fleet vessel and travel through some of the most picturesque scenery in the Pacific Northwest searching for orca, humpback, and gray whales. Along the way, see ocean wildlife in their natural environment, like seals, porpoises, sea lions and otters—plus a wide variety of birds and more.
- Visit Anacortes, home port of the San Juan Islands
- See resident orca, humpback, and gray whales
- Witness local ocean wildlife in their natural environment
- Sightings are guaranteed from April through early September
What's Included
- Professional guide
- High Speed Vessels
- 3-4 hour tour
- 8.5% Washington State sales tax and applicable fees.
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2201 Skyline Way, Anacortes, WA 98221, USA
Meet at the yellow building with a red roof past the Skyline Marine Center. Our office is on the first level, marked Blackfish Tours by Outer Island Excursions. Parking is located behind our office building in our parking lot, along the street for free, or in paid parking lots across the street.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Anacortes
2
San Juan Islands
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Please note that this tour departs from Anacortes (90 minutes north of Seattle)
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Deana_S
We sailed a total of 50+ miles around the islands. We saw 2 Orcas, a humpback whale, sea lion, seals, and a sea otter. It was an great experience. The staff was personable, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. I highly recommend a trip on the Blackfish VI.
Reviews
4.8
based on 684 reviews
Jenni_W, Apr 2026
My husband and I had an unforgettable day on this tour, with a few successful whale sightings. The crew were all incredibly helpful and very willing to answer questions. The sights were breathtaking and the ocean is healing.
Deana_S, Oct 2025
We sailed a total of 50+ miles around the islands. We saw 2 Orcas, a humpback whale, sea lion, seals, and a sea otter. It was an great experience. The staff was personable, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. I highly recommend a trip on the Blackfish VI.
Donna_W, Oct 2025
It is cold for older folks, We had 3 layers and still we were still cold. Put on your warmer clothes and bring a raincoat if in October.
brenton_m, Oct 2025
Unpredictable, but definitely worth the trip! Got lucky and was able to see 2 humpback whales in a feeding frenzy and then saw a lone orca on the way back.
Michael_T, Sep 2025
We had such a great time!! Saw lots of orcas about 2 mins into the trip. The crew was super knowledgeable about the area and wild life!!
Tamara_W, Sep 2025
Came from Kitsap. We had a great time. The crew was very nice, attentive, and knowledgeable. It was nice to have interior seating for when it got chilly and the views were still great from inside. The San Juan’s are so beautiful that it would be worth the trip even if we didn’t see the whales and other wildlife. We took the Port Townsend Ferry. Make a reservation and show up 30 min before sailing. We had to rush back to catch the ferry home and almost didn’t make it. There is not much on that side so if we had missed it we would have been bored and starving -plan accordingly. Lots of places to eat in Port Townsend on our way back home.
Virginia_T, Sep 2025
We had an awesome experience! Wasn’t disappointed! Found T100 Orcas during a feeding. Pretty exciting. Skipper was Trevor and his shipmates were Bruno and Sean. They were very informative and explained a lot about the Orcas.
Raanan_N, Aug 2025
Was an amazing adventure to search for whales! Captain Matt and his 3 female crew/guides are very knowledgeable and answered everyone’s questions and would not give up until we saw orcas and humpback whales. Would highly recommend Outer Island Excursions!
Heather_C, Aug 2025
Great afternoon tour with Isabelle, Sean, Thomas, and Capt Matt. We followed a pod of 5 orcas, one of which was less than a month old. Also saw lots of seals, birds annd a few porpoises. Staff was very knowledgeable and moved around the ship, answering questions and explaining the sights. Definitely recommend if in the area.
Sue_M, Aug 2025
Perfect day, followed pod B65 and learned a lot. The crew made the trip experience the best. I will do this adventure again!
Lauren_R, May 2025
Variety of wild life. Great team. Very informative. Beautiful scenery. Bring something wind proof and binoculars!
Lesa_L, May 2025
Drew Tiffany and Nic were phenomenal. Their knowledge of all the wildlife was amazing. We saw two large pods of orcas and ran with them for a couple of hours. Well worth it and more
Felix_F, Apr 2025
Wowww one of the best experiences out there totally recommend and worth every dollar plus ship is awesome
lewis_g, Nov 2024
crew was super friendly. Captain was cool even though it was a rough crowd....lol. overall a great experience seeing all the pods! A++
Tina_C, Nov 2024
It was incredible our boat ride lasted about 4-4:30 hours. The captain, Drew and his first mates Tiffany and Hannah were incredible not only did they take the time to find us whales. But they ensured they knew everyone one of us by name and were very very accommodating. Not only were they fantastic but the knowledge and experience they have about the area we were travelling In they also knew the whale pods, how to locate them, their behaviours, their relatives and everything and anything in between! They gave us plenty of time to watch and observe and also respecting the natural habit and distance of these incredible animals. I would say this is probably the best whale watching experience I have had. The best money we spent and we are still talking about our experiences!!!
Nofizwe_P, Nov 2024
We had an awesome time with Drew and Brooke. They were very informative and had an obvious passion. I would whole heartedly recommend Outer Island Excursions for your whale watching.
Jenny_L, Oct 2024
We was so lucky to used this trip. Only after a quater hour we had seen the first Orcas. What a great experience. Our crew was very friendly and answered all questions. We also was lucky to see sea lions, seals and the American Symbol a bald eagle. What a wonderful day for us. Thanks to All!
Maria_S, Oct 2024
It was our first experience for whale watching. We were able to see some whales, seals & birds. The naturalist were very informative & nice.
Rachael_A, Oct 2024
Everyone was very knowledgeable! We werr able to see 2 killer whales, sea lions and bald eagle! Felt very safe.
Abby_M, Oct 2024
So epic!! Went out yesterday with Brooke, Becca, Sam, and Drew. Saw eagles, heron, seals, sea lions, and followed a pod of orcas for almost an hour! Highly recommend!
Alexis_S, Sep 2024
Really fun and we saw a lot of animals! It was a roomier boat than we thought and there are snacks and drinks available. The crew was very knowledgeable about local geography, history, and especially wildlife habits. Dress warm!
Luke_M, Sep 2024
Seeing the two brother orcas swim past us . The crew and naturalist were so informative and gave us good experience
Kathy_C, Sep 2024
Meeting people and learning about whale habits. The guides were kind and knowledgeable. Seeing Canada was quite the experience coming from a southern east coast state.
Suzanne_H, Sep 2024
It was absolutely a great experience. The guides were so very friendly and knowledgeable. They shared very insightful facts about the creatures we saw and this made it an even more exceptional experience!! Highly recommend this adventure!!
Amy_P, Sep 2024
Beautiful day! We saw 5 different pods of killer whales. Even staff were excited with all that we saw. Left on the 1pm tour. Super nice staff ❤️
Stephanie_H, Sep 2024
We enjoyed our tour. Loved seeing the orcas. Wish we could be closer but understand it's against the law.
One thought it would have been nice to hear from the naturalist on board. Is there any chance, in the future, to have them miked up so everyone can hear what they have to say?
Sarah_M, Sep 2024
We had an AMAZING time from start to finish with Drew, Andy, Tiffany and Becky. They were able to find orcas, sea lions and a humpback! The capt gave us the best angles for viewing and stayed with the whales long enough for us to really enjoy them. I we highly recommend to anyone looking for a once in a lifetime experience.
Virginia_G, Sep 2024
Seeing the various whales was wonderful. The naturalist were explaining to us what was going on as they hunted for food. They apparently found a porpoise and gobbled it up, leaving the lungs behind floating on the surface since they don’t eat those. I really like the sea lions too. They are enormous.
Jennifer_H, Aug 2024
I had the most incredible experience whale watching. Despite living here for nearly three years, I had never gone before, and I am so glad we finally did. The crew was fantastic and made the trip even more enjoyable. We had the best time and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable adventure.
Jonathan, Aug 2024
I loved the whale watching. Bring definitely a jacket and sunglasses with you because it gets windy. Park on the curbside before to not pay 10$ in parking in addition.
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