Orca spirit has always taken special care to practice respectful whale watching by following strict guidelines around vessel speed, viewing distance, and radio and engine usage. You can download the app both on apple and android phones. San juan island 90 miles north of seattle is the best place for orca whale watching as we are located in the heart of salish sea. Memorial day through late august we offer whale watching at sunset. Our 34 hour classic whale watching tours depart from friday harbor, just steps from the ferry landing. San juan island kayaking trips with orca whales in washington. At seattle orca whale watching in partnership with san juan safaris we take great pride in providing you with the best orca whale watching and wildlife tours in the pacific northwest. Whales native to washington state include orca whales, gray whales and. Tourists scanning the horizon on a whale watching cruise in washington states san juan islands. There are two peak gray whale migration seasons to know for the best whale watching in oregonfrom march through may and from middecember through midjanuary.
Our first whale watching tour from friday harbor is scheduled for saturday, march 4th and we cant wait to get back on the water. Our 34 hour adventure whale watching tours depart from friday harbor, just steps from the ferry landing. The whaleplanner june a whale watching infographic whaletrips. Our guides and naturalists work to create educational, fun, and engaging tours that provide our guests with memories to last a lifetime. Underwater survival, orca browser, and many more programs. While youll meet orcas and gray whales only on the west coast, belugas, blue whales and fin whales are met only at the east coast. The spring migration season is when the gray whales migrate from their baja mexico breeding lagoons to their feeding grounds in the arctic. Sea quest kayak tours explore the premiere orca whale waters in the san juan.
As the third largest estuarythe other two being san francisco bay and chesapeake bayin the u. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just. Quebec, british columbia, new england, washington and oregon are among the best places in the world for whale watching. Whaletrips oregon the best tips for whale watching in. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just around the corner. The sight of a dorsal fin poking through shallow water spells danger for a herd of seal pups on the shore. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from arctic and. Follow the whale trail see orcas in the wild, learn about salish sea wildlife, and enjoy the ride into the whales world the san juan islands are one of the best places in the world to see beautiful blackandwhite orca whales in the wild.
Washington ferries use new app to help struggling orca population. Take your best shot at kayaking with killer whales near seattle, wa. Follow the whale trail san juan islands washington. These species are part of the cultural identity, fishing economy and tourism industry of our region. Seattle orca whale watching searching for killer whales orca whale. Southern resident orca whale recovery governor jay inslee. An icon of the pacific northwest, southern resident killer whales live in washingtons puget sound and british columbias strait of georgia from late spring.
Full guidelines maintain a distance of 200 meters from killer whales and 100 meters from all other whales in canadian and us waters. Until then, we are working through the project list and getting everything ready to go. Other captive orcas historical chronology a whale of a. The killer whale or orca orcinus orca is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Puget sound whale watchers accused of loving endangered. Click here to download all 12 months of killer whale watching data and be. Whale watching in washington state orca whale watching in. Whale watching tours in washington state that provide responsible whale watching. A lot of tour operators offer both classic and kayak tours there. The 20yearold whale has been carrying her dead calf for seven days, after it died shortly after birth last tuesday. The puget sound, an inlet of the pacific ocean, is home to a number of marine mammals like harbor seals, dalls porpoises, sea lions, and otters. The bull killer whale is the first captive orca to perform for the public. Its difficult to imagine a washington without orcas or salmon.