Seattle, Washington sits on the Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the Northwestern Coast of the United States. The city is home to fine restaurants, vibrant entertainment, and easy access to untamed forests, hiking trials, and waterfalls. Seattle also serves as a gateway to the Pacific Ocean. Without much effort, tourists can find a whale watching tour.
[tcb-script async=”” defer=”” src=”//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”][/tcb-script]A gorgeous week of whale watching weather! Here’s the Chilkat departing from Edmonds this morning.
Marine life is abundant in the Pacific Northwest. orcas and humpback whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals, sea lions, otters, and several species of marine birds populate this area, and it’s not difficult to find them. You have a lot of options when searching for a whale watching tour in Seattle. On your next trip, don’t settle for any tour guide, select the best.
The Highest-Rated Whale Watching Businesses in the Seattle Area
When you type in “whale watching” in Google, you’ll be overwhelmed with results. You need to narrow your list, but how? One way is to look at the overall average rating. For the purposes of this article, the “best” is the company with the highest overall rating. If two companies received a perfect 5.0, the one with the one with the most reviews would be the winner.
With that in mind, here are the best whale watching tours in and around Seattle:
San Juan Safaris-Whale Watching
San Juan Safaris-Whale Watching (5.0, 25 reviews). San Juan Islands are Northwest of Seattle and are one of the best areas in the country to see orca whales in the wild. It’s a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Seattle, but it’s well worth the trip if you’re searching for whales. These waters are teeming with marine life.
Discovery Sea Kayaks
Discovery Sea Kayaks (5.0, 22 reviews). If you want an up close and personal whale watching experience, go on a kayak tour. Discovery sea kayaks is located on San Juan island and you can choose from half-day, full-day, and multi-day tours of the area.
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Island Adventure Cruises
Island Adventure Cruises (5.0, 1 review). With 5 departure locations around the Seattle area, Island Adventure Cruises offer accessible, affordable boat tours.
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San Juan Excursions
San Juan Excursions (4.9, 42 reviews). This is another popular tour guide company on San Juan Island. They claim that they see whales on over 90 percent of their trips out on the water.
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Tours Northwest
Tours Northwest (4.9, 15 reviews). Tours Northwest is a large tourism company based out of Seattle. They offer a variety of tours, from bus trips into the city, rides up to Mt. Rainier, and whale watching tours.
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Outdoor Odysseys Kayak Tours
Outdoor Odysseys Kayak Tours (4.9, 7 reviews). Yes, this is another kayak tour on San Juan Island. Outdoor Odysseys has been around for more than 30 years and offers 3-day wine and beer tasting tours.
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Puget Sound Express
Puget Sound Express (4.7, 41 reviews): 32-year-old family run businesses and proud member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA). They guarantee that you’ll see whales or your next trip is free! Their boat, the Chilkat Express, is a hydrofoil jet boat that tops out at speeds of 40 MPH. The company claims it’s the fastest and quietest whale watching boat in the Northwest, They have locations in Seattle/Edmonds and Port Townsend, Washington.
[tcb-script async=”” defer=”” src=”//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”][/tcb-script]AMAZING double #orca breach today near Orcas Island. All three boats on scene and what. a. show.
