Whale Watching Seattle

[Tiggipaws]

Good morning

 

Are there any whale watching tours that actually leave from Seattle that do nor involve a float plane to get to the boat?

 

Thank you

[Ferry_Watcher]

I know there is one in Edmonds WA, just north of Seattle that you could take a taxi to.  It is a fairly new high speed catamaran.

 

 https://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/

[baadbee]

The challenge is that the whales are a quite a bit north of Seattle around the San Juan Islands.  You either take a long drive (90+ minutes, not that long) and a shorter sail or a long sail.  Since cars are faster the long sail option can leave you with less time near the islands.  You should consider the transit time when booking.  That high speed catamaran Ferry_Watcher mentioned might help solve the problem, I haven't heard much about it.

 

If your travels give you the option of whale watching out of Victoria BC it is much closer to the whale spotting areas.

Edited February 21 by baadbee

[martincath]

The Clipper operates a whalewatch in tourist season from downtown - all the above arguments about distance apply, and it's absolutely not designed for whale-watching, but it does go from right downtown! Depending how many other pax are onboard you might find railspace easily or have to go claim a space while it's still moving (fast, windy!) to ensure you can see the water well without glass in the way.

 

Personally I'd rather rent a car for the day and drive up nearer the San Juans; if you can spare a day there's lots of pretty places around to visit as well as getting out on a smaller boat that's actually designed for the purpose...

[juliecat]

This is my favorite company (speaking as a local) https://reservations.island-adventures.com/whale-watching-tours/index.php

 

Unfortunately, as others have said, you either need to drive north or spend a long time on the boat before getting to the whale areas during the summer. I’ve gone out of Everett in the spring and seen whales within 30 minutes of leaving the dock

[trivia addict]

9 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

I know there is one in Edmonds WA, just north of Seattle that you could take a taxi to.  It is a fairly new high speed catamaran.

 

 https://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/

We took out of town friends on this cruise in July of 2022.

It was great. They try very hard to give you a good experience and find whales.

We saw a pod of orca whales that stay in the area through the summer and then as we went further north ( to our own Whidbey Island!), we saw a humpback and her calf.

Through the marine radio the boat kept getting reports from other boats as to where the whales were, and we would then take off to that spot.

On board there is a very knowledgeable naturalist who explains what you are looking at and gives facts on the area and the whales.

The boat is comfortable and clean.

The marina is next to a large local seafood restaurant where you could have lunch or dinner. It’s walkable into the town of Edmonds which is filled with shops, restaurants and bars.

And if you are lucky you might run into Rick Steves, a local who is frequently seen walking through town!

It’s a bit expensive but we found it worth it. 

 

[Tiggipaws]

On 2/21/2024 at 4:09 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

I know there is one in Edmonds WA, just north of Seattle that you could take a taxi to.  It is a fairly new high speed catamaran.

 

 https://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/

Thanks yes I have seen this one

[Tiggipaws]

Thank you for the replies. I might wait until we get to Alaska for the whale watching. Was looking for nature wildlife tours before our cruise to Alaska

Edited February 24 by Tiggipaws
need more info in post

[trivia addict]

On 2/24/2024 at 3:45 AM, Tiggipaws said:

Thank you for the replies. I might wait until we get to Alaska for the whale watching. Was looking for nature wildlife tours before our cruise to Alaska

Just to be clear, the Puget Sound is a natural habitat!