Book your Seattle Whale Watching trip in the San Juan Islands, just 90 minutes north of Seattle. San Juan Island is considered the BEST place to view orca whales because the salmon, which are their prime source of food (about 95% of what they eat), travel up and down the west coast of San Juan Island and outlying areas.

Getting here is half the fun!

It is easy to get here from Seattle for your whale watching trip. Just a
30 minute flight from Seattle, Kenmore Air Seaplanes offers many day trip itineraries, departing from both Lake Union and North Lake Washington several times per day. View a complete list of travel options here.

Seattle whale watching passengers will see orca whales, also called killer whales, on over 90% of our tours. If we had included minke and gray whales it would be even higher.

What are the best months to see killer whales? May through September.

What is the best time to see orca whales? Anytime. They are out and about all day, so morning, afternoon or evening- it doesn't really matter. We say go when it fits your schedule. We guarantee that you will see marine mammals and that you will come back with memories to last a lifetime!

How do we find the whales? We belong to a good spotting network. We actively scout early in the morning from the west side of San Juan Island. Plus, we have many relationships with others in strategic locations that are in contact with us when they spot whales. We also have experienced captains that know what to look for.

May - September the island is generally sunny and warm because we are in what is known as the "rain shadow" created by the Olympic Mountains. While Seattle has about 30" of rain annually, we receive approximately 18". Most summer days are around 70, but bring a jacket because it is always a bit cooler on the water. This mild climate makes it great for outdoor activities both on and off the water.

We keep our guest count small. We place only 24 on the Sea Hawk and 18 on the Kittiwake. This gives you the opportunity to converse on a one to one basis with your naturalist and captain. We pride ourselves on both personal attention and the insight that we bring to those viewing wildlife with us.

Our tours and staff are so well loved that a good portion of our business is repeat customers. Guests tell us repeatedly that our staff is warm, friendly and how much they learned from them.

Our vessels, Kittiwake and Seahawk both are stocked with plenty of educational materials, blankets, jackets and binoculars. We also have Cetacean Research hydrophones on each boat (yes, you can hear the whales communicate). Both vessels have marine heads.

The Kittiwake is 30 X 12 ' with ½ of its seating enclosed and ½ open air. A portion of the open air is covered by a canvas canopy. The Sea Hawk is 41 X 14' with heated indoor cabin seating, outdoor covered seating, outdoor open seating and a walk around deck.