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San Juan Safaris - Orca Whale Watching

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Friday Harbor, WA
San Juan Safaris - Orca Whale Watching

Watching Whales and Wildlife on San Juan Island, near Seattle WA. Voted #1 Eco-Adventure in the Paci Located on San Juan Island since 1994.
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The owner of San Juan Safaris has been In the wildlife business since 1975. Known for responsible wildlife viewing, quality & experienced naturalists, 30+ years in eco tourism and new boat built just for wildlife viewing - 55 foot long, fast and comfortable. Friday Harbor, San Juan Island just step from the ferry landing. The MV Sea Lion is a new, fast, 55 foot long boat with large, heated, window

ed cabin.Walk around deck, covered outdoor seating and plenty of room at the railings.

90%+ sightings record for whales seen on tours.

06/07/2024

Awesome humpback day this past Saturday (6/1/24) aboard the Osprey!! This humpback calf had an extreme case of the zoomies and tail slapped over 50 times🥹🐋 Meanwhile, mom (idetified as BCX1057 aka “Divot”) was patiently surfacing close by.

To see more photos from this trip, check out the link in our saved stories!

05/27/2024

Peak season is here!! May has been packed with incredible tours filled with humpbacks and many different Biggs killer whale families☺️ In particular, a family know as the t124a’s have been spotted on numerous tours. This family of 6 includes, 2 toddlers and one newborn (estimated to have been born in the last few months🥹)

These are photos of those notorious t124a’s from Saturdays (5/25) tour. To stay up to date on what we’re seeing out on the water, check out the photo link in our saved stories!

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05/08/2024

Humpbacks are here! In particular, a very famous female by the name of “Big Mamma” has been spotted traveling near the San Juan islands in the past week. Mamma is credited for starting the humpback comeback here in the Salish sea. Starting a trend for many other humpbacks to pit stop in the Salish sea along their migration route. Big Mamma alone has brought 7 calves to the Salish sea since her first sighting in the early 2000’s

05/05/2024

It’s truly stellar sealion season here in the Salish Sea! ✨Spring and fall is when we are treated to large groups of these charismatic pinnepeds.

Steller sealions are an impressive sight to see! They are often very vocal and confrontational with one another. They reach a max weight of around 2,500 pounds, making them the largest species of sealion in the world.

04/09/2024

Check out these awesome photos from our first adventure tour of the season by guest

This tour was jam packed with a variety of wildlife sighting including killer whale families the t100s & T101’s(1st photo), a gray whale (2nd photo), Stellar sealion and bald eagles! A true Salish sea smorgasbord🥰

03/20/2024

We are certainly not the only ones enjoying the much needed sunshine here in the San Juan’s☀️ This awesome sunny start to spring has us all so excited for summer.

We are officially running tours weekly and seeing some incredible wildlife out on the water. Head over to our website or give us a call to book a tour today🥰

03/08/2024

Our 2024 season has OFFICIALLY begun! Check out our website for a complete list of available tours this month.

02/22/2024

Did you know that adult male orcas have a dorsal fin that is up to 6ft tall?🤯 Watching how these large animals move through the water with such grace & command of their environment is awe inspiring to say the least!

First tour of the season is officially March 2nd! Check out our brand new FAQ in our saved stories. You can also give us a call at 800-450-6858 or head over to our website.

02/18/2024

Happy world whale day from all of us here at San Juan Safaris!🐋

A reminder that our season starts in less than two weeks!! March 1st will be our first tour of the season🥳 To reserve your spot aboard, give us a call at 800-450-6858 or head over to our website (link in bio)

02/09/2024

Our 2024 season is already gearing up to be an awesome one! Last year, we broke the record for the amount of Biggs killer whales documented in the area. The data shows, we’ll likely break that record again this year. In just 10 years we’ve seen an 8-fold increase in Biggs killer whales sightings🤯 more and more of these mammal eating killer whale are showing up in our inter-island water, and we couldn’t be more stoked! Swipe to see an awesome infographic from detailing 2023’s Biggs sightings.

Photo by naturalist from our 2023 season.

02/06/2024

Hey friends👋 Our first tour of the season is just around the corner. Starting March 1st we are offering whale watch and wildlife tours everyday! You can now book tours online or by giving us a call at 800-450-6858. Our office is open 10am-2pm everyday and our reservations staff is happy to answer any and all questions.

02/02/2024

‼️We’re hiring‼️

It’s official, we are hiring all positions for the upcoming 2024 season. This includes naturalist, captains, reservations, baristas, and kayak guides. If you’re interested in any of these positions please email either vessels@sanjuanislandoutfitters or info@sanjuanislandoutfitters a resume, cover letter, and three professional references. Come spend a summer with us here in the beautiful San Juan islands🐋

02/02/2024

‼️We’re hiring‼️

It’s official, we’re are hiring all positions for the upcoming 2024 season. This includes naturalist, captains, reservations, baristas, and kayak guides. If you’re interested in any of these positions please email either vessels@sanjuansafaris or brain@sanjuansafaris a resume, cover letter, and three professional references. Come spend a summer with us here in the beautiful San Juan islands🐋

11/21/2022

Introducing... ✨12 Days of Christmas Discounts✨Swipe to see what discounts will be offered during the countdown🎁 Stop in our retail shop to stock up on holiday gifts while enjoying delicious treats from Riptide Cafe!

09/05/2022

Join our Adventure Tour on the the M/V Kestrel‼️This tour operates on our high-speed zodiac vessel allowing us to quickly zip around the island and respond to sighting reports. This tour runs at 2pm everyday out of Friday Harbor.

Book online or give us a call at 800-450-6858 if your interested in booking

08/30/2022

A very exciting August here in the San Juans! Multiple Bigg’s killer whale family groups have been spotted swimming through our water on an almost daily basis🥳

This particular group is known as the t18s and T124’s. Photo was taken on 8/26 by one of our naturalists aboard the M/V Osprey

08/15/2022

Only two more Sunset Tours left this season😢🌅 This Saturday and Sunday will be our very last sunset tours until next year. These tours offer a whale watch experience with less vessel traffic and opportune lighting for photography. Not to mention we offer beer, wine, spiked seltzers and cider for purchase on board👀

Give us a call at 800-450-6858 or book on our website!

07/31/2022

Did you know Biggs killer whales often hunt right along the shoreline? Biggs’ (aka transients) diet consists of marine mammals like harbor seals. Harbor seals are commonly found along our rocky shorelines and shallow kelp forests🦭🌱

Pupping season is in full swing here, meaning lots of young harbor seal pups in the water. This also happens to the same time of year we see an increase in Biggs killer whales😬👀

06/08/2022

✨Cormorant appreciation post✨

Here in the San Juan’s you can find 3 different cormorant species. The most common being our pelagic and double-crested BUT occasionally we do spot Brandt’s cormorants. These striking birds make nests along our rocky exposed shorelines. Some popular nesting spots include Goose And Mandarte Island🏝

05/31/2022

First sunset tour of the season was a huge success!! Non-stop activity from our mammal eating Biggs/transients killer whales. Three different family’s socializing together amongst the mountain backdrop😍We love a good t-party🥳

Sunset tour on 5/28

05/14/2022

Multiple breaches on our Classic Tour this past Saturday (5/7)‼️ Numerous Biggs/transient killer whale family groups were spotted traveling together (over 21 strong!). We like to call these large groups T-parties🫖☕️😆 T-parties usually result in a lot of surface activity from our usually stealthy Biggs killer whales.

04/18/2022

Check out these incredible photographs by .rene !! AshlieRene attended a Classic Whale Watch & Wildlife tour with us a couple weeks back and we’re delighted by the beautiful photos she captured😍

04/11/2022

More footage from our record setting day! 72 orcas spotted in the Salish sea😱Our classic tour was lucky enough to view the largest grouping, 18 whales in total.

We follow all local and state guidelines when it comes to viewing whales. When the whales unexpectedly travel within 200 yards of the vessel, we respectfully shut the engine off and let the animals pass.

04/01/2022

You may have heard the news…over 70 Biggs Killer whales were spotted in Salish sea yesterday‼️🤯Just as we’re seeing an increase in sea lions, our mammal-eating Biggs killer whales have moved into the area in record numbers. This is the highest number ever reported in a single day here in the Salish sea.

Our 12:30 classic tour yesterday was lucky enough to witness this impressive event. We watched as a group of 18 killer whales traveled together😍

03/29/2022

Did you know Steller sea lions are the largest sea lion’s in the world? Males can reach up to 11ft in length and weigh over 2,500 pounds🤯

These impressive pinnipeds have been swimming in large numbers around both Spieden Island and Whale Rocks on our last few trips!

03/20/2022

Typically, Biggs killer whales are traveling in small family groups of 6 or less. Our classic Whale Watch and Wildlife tour on Friday (3/18) was lucky enough to observe two Biggs killer whale families traveling together totaling ✨8✨individual whales‼️ These two families are know as the T123’s and T090’s. Read all about this trip in our whale report: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/whale-report/two-families-biggs-killer-whales-play-rosario-strait

We follow all local guidelines when it comes to viewing wildlife. For more information or regulations check out our website here: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/orca-whales/about-orca-whales/whale-watching-guidelines

03/04/2022

✨Today’s the day✨First tour of the season is at 12:30pm🥳 We’re so excited to see what opening weekend has in store!

We still have plenty of spots open on our tours for the month of March and we’d love to have you out on the water with us! You can book tours online or by giving us a call at 800-450-6858

02/20/2022

Happy world whale day!🥳🐋 This photo was taken on one of our last sunset trips of the 2021 season by . This lucky group of passengers watched as a group of Biggs killer whales socialized for over an hour🤯

Trips start up again March 4th! Reserve your spots now on our website or by giving us a call at 800-450-6858.

02/06/2022

☀️Finally getting some sun here in Friday Harbor and we’re so excited for our upcoming whale watch season! Tours officially begin March 4th and you can book online or give us a call at 800-450-6858.

01/28/2022

Whale watch tours don’t start again until March 4th, but In the meantime we’re appreciating all the other amazing wildlife San Juan has to offer! 🦊🦦🦉If you would like to book a tour with us for the upcoming season give us a call at 800-450-6858 or visit our website (link in bio)

Address

10 Front Street Ste #102
Friday Harbor, WA
98250

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18004506858

Website

http://www.SanJuanSafaris.com/

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Videos

More footage from our record setting day! 72 orcas spotted in the Salish sea😱Our classic tour was lucky enough to view the largest grouping, 18 whales in total. We follow all local and state guidelines when it comes to viewing whales. When the whales unexpectedly travel within 200 yards of the vessel, we respectfully shut the engine off and let the animals pass.

You may have heard the news…over 70 Biggs Killer whales were spotted in Salish sea yesterday‼️🤯Just as we’re seeing an increase in sea lions, our mammal-eating Biggs killer whales have moved into the area in record numbers. This is the highest number ever reported in a single day here in the Salish sea. Our 12:30 classic tour yesterday was lucky enough to witness this impressive event. We watched as a group of 18 killer whales traveled together😍

Did you know Steller sea lions are the largest sea lion’s in the world? Males can reach up to 11ft in length and weigh over 2,500 pounds🤯 These impressive pinnipeds have been swimming in large numbers around both Spieden Island and Whale Rocks on our last few trips!

Typically, Biggs killer whales are traveling in small family groups of 6 or less. Our classic Whale Watch and Wildlife tour on Friday (3/18) was lucky enough to observe two Biggs killer whale families traveling together totaling ✨8✨individual whales‼️ These two families are know as the T123’s and T090’s. Read all about this trip in our whale report: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/whale-report/two-families-biggs-killer-whales-play-rosario-strait We follow all local guidelines when it comes to viewing wildlife. For more information or regulations check out our website here: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/orca-whales/about-orca-whales/whale-watching-guidelines

Happy new year everyone🥳What an incredible year of whale watching! This is from one of our favorite trips of the 2021 season. Back in June, we watched as this mother and calf pair breached back to back for almost an hour straight! We’re so excited to have more awesome humpback encounters in 2022🐋