Which Location is Best to Depart from for Whale Watching in Washington State?
- Outer Island Excursions
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
Orcas, humpbacks, sea lions and more! The Salish Sea, a vast inland waterway tucked between Vancouver Island and the northwest side of Washington State is a nature lover’s dream. If you’re planning a whale watching trip to Washington State, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is where to depart from.
The region’s primary whale watching begins as far south as the Puget Sound, near Seattle, and extends 120 nautical miles north to Vancouver, British Columbia. Because of this geography, your departure location can significantly affect how quickly you reach prime whale habitat. With the majority of whale watching tours averaging three to four hours, it’s important to consider where whales are most commonly seen in the area. Your departure point can ultimately mark the difference between spending time traveling to prime whale habitat versus spending that time enjoying whales and the surrounding wildlife.
Let’s explore three of the most popular departure points for whale watching in the Salish Sea and see why one may just be better than the rest.
Whale Watching From Seattle
Starbucks and Microsoft aren’t all Seattle is known for. Located in the middle of the Puget Sound, Seattle is a common departure point for tourists wanting to escape the concrete city for fresh air, wildlife, and whales.
The Puget Sound is a narrow branch of waterways forking south off the greater Salish Sea. While Seattle may be an accessible bouncing off point for tourists, it’s one of the less commonly traveled waterways for migrating whales in the region.
Migrating whales, like humpbacks, head to the Salish Sea in the spring to feed in the nutrient-rich waters. They typically enter through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, south of Vancouver Island and tend to feed in the deeper waters where their food sources thrive. Whales often continue north through the San Juan Islands, and exit the Salish Sea through the Strait of Georgia, north of Vancouver Island. In other words, the whales basically follow an underwater highway.
Although whales can be spotted in the Puget Sound, many whale watching tours departing Seattle head north toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, and the waterways around Anacortes.
To maximize your time on the water and increase your chances of seeing whales during your three to four hour whale watch tour, many travelers choose to start their whale watching adventures further north near the San Juan Islands and Anacortes. The result? Less time searching, more time enjoying the wild.
Evergreen Escapes
So what if you find yourself in Seattle without a car? Fear not. Short of dishing out the dough for a pricey Uber ride, wannabe whale watchers have another, even better option.
Evergreen Escapes is a family owned company led by professional nature guides who love everything Pacific Northwest. Start your adventure by getting picked up at any downtown Seattle location and enjoy a scenic drive north to the quaint coastal town of Anacortes.
Departing from Anacortes, your whale watching tour will drop you smack dab in prime whale habitat. And as if searching for orcas and humpbacks wasn’t enough of an adventure, this full-day tour might even take you to Deception Pass Bridge, located in Washington’s most popular state park.
Learn about the region’s wildlife, landscape, and local history along the way and prepare to begin the adventure before you even step on a boat. The best part? You get the convenience of staying in Seattle without missing out on the prime whale watching areas farther north.
Whale Watching From the San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are a stunning cluster of islands between Washington State and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The four main islands–San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw–sit at the intersection of the Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. This unique geographic intersection creates nutrient-rich waters that attract diverse marine life. Orcas, humpbacks, minke, and gray whales are often seen feeding in this region, making it prime whale habitat.
If both whale watching and the San Juan Islands are on your bucket list, then booking a tour with Outer Island Excursions is an ideal way to experience the best of it all. Outer Islands offers whale watching tours out of Orcas Island and Lopez Island, two of the best departure points in the area. Both islands offer excellent whale watching tours and easy, direct access to the surrounding waters marine mammals call home. Whale watching isn’t the only way to experience marine life in the islands, either. Many travelers rent kayaks or bikes to explore coves and the rugged coastlines.
That said, getting to the San Juan Islands requires a bit more planning than your typical day trip–especially if your starting point is Seattle. Visitors from Seattle will need to drive around ninety minutes to Anacortes where the Washington State Ferry system departs for the islands.
While the ferry ride is beautiful, it’s important to be prepared for unexpected travel delays. During the busy summer season, ferry reservations can be competitive and are often released in phases, meaning you will need to plan well in advance. There is also an additional ferry cost, which is separate from your whale watching tours. Tickets cost around $17 for walk-on passengers, while drive-on passengers can expect to pay at least $60 depending on the route and vehicle size. Both Orcas Island and Lopez Island will require a car to get around.
Because of these logistics, the San Juan Islands are best enjoyed on multi-day trips. If you’re staying overnight on Orcas or Lopez Island, it makes the most sense to depart from these locations with Outer Islands Excursions. However, if you don’t have the extra time or expenses to travel to the San Juan Islands, fear not! Outer Island Excursion also offers whale watching tours out of Anacortes, meaning hope is not lost!
Whale Watching in Anacortes
For many visitors, whale watching in Anacortes offers the best of all worlds: easy access, beauty, and prime wildlife habitat. Located about ninety minutes north of Seattle, Anacortes is a charming coastal town on Fidalgo Island that can be reached by bridge–no ferry required. This alone makes it one of the most convenient launch points for whale watching in Washington State.
Often referred to as the gateway to the San Juan Islands, Anacortes is an underrated gem. Geographically, Anacortes sits in an ideal location. Boats departing from Skyline Marina in Anacortes have easy access to both the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The waters just outside the marina run parallel to the underwater highway migrating whales use.
From spring through fall, humpbacks, grays, minkes, and orcas are commonly seen in the waters surrounding Anacortes. With so much wildlife moving through the area, it’s one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to get out on the water and experience whales in their natural habitat.
If orcas are the number one whale you’re craving to see, then check out our Orca Only tour. These four to five hour tours focus on viewing orca whales, giving guests the opportunity to prioritize seeing one of the Salish Sea’s most iconic marine mammals. Offered between Memorial Day and Labor Day, these tours are longer than standard trips, allowing guests more time to explore the waters these whales call home.
If you’re staying in Seattle and would like to book a full day tour with transportation, be sure to check out Evergreen Escapes to take your whale watching excursion out of Anacortes.
Final Thoughts
When deciding where to depart for a whale watching trip in Washington, the choice ultimately comes down to convenience, travel time, and proximity to whale habitat.
While Seattle offers accessibility for visitors staying in the city, it often means more travel time on the water, and less time enjoying wildlife. If you’re already planning to stay overnight in the San Juan Islands, departing from Orcas Island or Lopez Island is a great option. Both islands offer whale watching tours, kayak rentals, and bike rentals to enjoy your weekend island getaway.
Anacortes, however, sits right in the middle of it all. If you’re staying on the mainland or only have an afternoon to spare, Anacortes is your ideal whale watching location offering direct access to the same whale habitat without needing to take a ferry. With easy access by car and shorter routes to whale habitats, departing from Anacortes allows you to spend less time traveling and more time enjoying the wildlife and nature you came to see.
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