Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands: What to Expect on Your Tour

Washington’s San Juan Islands are one of the state’s great gems, and whenever you have an opportunity to get up here, it’s worth it. One of those chances is whale watching in the San Juan Islands. There are a couple of ways to plan your trip, but for this one, we started from Bellingham and set sail through almost the entirety of the islands.

For over five hours, we enjoyed bluebird skies, orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, birds, and the pristine landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. If you’re curious about taking a whale watching tour out of Bellingham and into the San Juans, keep reading to see if it’s worth it.

Easy Booking: Expedia.com | Hotels.com | VRBO
Need Gear: Find it on REI.com
Find Awesome Tours: Viator.com or GetYourGuide.com
Follow on Instagram: @Alecoutside

Whale Watching in Washington’s San Juan Islands via Bellingham

San Juan Islands Whale Watching 1-Minute Breakdown

Cost of a tour from Bellingham: Adults – $129, Youth (6-17) – 64.50, Kids (Under 6) – FREE
Length of Tour: 5-6 hours
What to Expect: Nothing is ever guaranteed, but good chances to see Orcas, Humpbacks, Grey Whales, Birds, Seals, and More!
Where does the San Juan Whale Watching Tour leave from? Bellingham Cruise Terminal / Alaska Ferry Terminal in Bellingham, WA
Where will the tour take me? Wherever the whales are! This could be into the San Juan Islands, north toward Vancouver, or South toward Seattle

two whales swim in the salish sea near the san juan islands — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

Don’t want to drive to Bellingham? Try these other ones:
Puget Sound Express – Edmonds
Friday Harbor (requires a ferry)
Anacortes
Downtown Seattle

My Experience Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands

Whale Watching Trip Recap

My parents gave Jaimie and me a whale watching tour for Christmas, and we finally found a time to go in August of 2024. Ironically, it was just a couple of days getting back from an Alaska bear watching trip, so it was a big week of wildlife for us!

a seal and birds on rocks during a san juan islands whale watching trip — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

three orcas swim in the san juan islands — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

two people on a small boat watch orcas. photo taken during a whale watching trip in the san juan islands — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

With sunny skies above, our boat pushed off, and we were into the San Juans.

While driving to Bellingham is convenient, you have to drive out via the bay, which doesn’t have a lot of sea life. This means that he first part of your San Juan Islands whale watching trip is. However, once we got into the islands, it started to pick up.

Our first encounters were birds and seals (maybe sea lions?). Unfortunately, there were no other whales in sight as we slithered our way through the San Juan Islands.

After nearly two hours, we finally found the orcas!

We had to travel all the way to Rocky Bay (near Jones Island) to find them. It was cool to see them, but due to Washington State law, boats must stay a decent distance from orcas. This means, at a certain distance, we had to kill our engines, and it’s up to the orcas to get closer if they want to.

So, even with a telephoto lens and/or binoculars, you don’t always get a great view of the killer whales. And as someone who has already seen orcas before, I had a different appreciation for it all versus someone who had never seen one in the wild. Still, having the opportunity to be around such intelligent and graceful mammals is what makes something like whale watching in the San Juan Islands so special.

Humpbacks on the way back

It was no doubt a fun time, but I was hoping for a little bit more activity. Those orcas were milling around, and all we could see were the dorsal fins. As a photographer, you need action!

On our way back, we learned there were two humpbacks ahead. And as someone who has gone to Maui specifically for humpback whales, I was stoked!

When we arrived south of Cyprus Island, one whale waved to us. ACTION! Finally.

We quickly learned that there were two humpback whales, and they were very friendly with each other. They kept close and showed what looked to be affection as they rolled over, waved, and dove. For an hour, we hung out with these 40-50-foot giants.

a big tail fluke on a humpback whale — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

a tail goes into the water during a whale watching trip — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

After an exhilarating time with our two humpback friends, I was exhausted. Holding onto my two camera lenses is tiring work, and for the 40-minute ride back to Bellingham, Jaime and I enjoyed the views and soaking up the sun rays.

What we saw in the San Juan Islands

Here’s all that we saw on our whale watching in the San Juan Islands tour:

3-5 orcas
2 humpbacks
Countless birds
A dozen sea lions

My Favorite Part of Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands

Well, Jaimie hadn’t been to the San Juans before, and I was excited for her to see the area. Seeing her joy at a new experience was the best. Then, as sofar as the actual wildlife, getting to spend an hour with humpbacks is always a special occasion.

I love how they act, and as I’ve spent more time watching them, I understand their behaviors *slightly* better, which allows me to be better prepared as a photographer.

How was the food?

Lunch onboard was lasagna (veggie and meat options), Caesar Salad, bread rolls, and cookies. I found it incredibly tasty, and it hit the spot! And it’s not like a small plate, and then you’re done. It’s buffet style, and once everyone has had their turn, you can go back for seconds.

I’ve never been on a whale watching trip that provided lunch, so I found it wonderful.

four orcas swimming near land — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

Things to Consider Before Booking Your Tour

Seattle Whale Watching vs Bellingham Whale Watching

A major factor to consider is where you’ll want to go whale watching. You can do it from Seattle or Edmonds, but those mainly focus on the Puget Sound/Strait of Juan de Fuca (near Port Angeles) due to proximity. I took my parents on a trip in 2023, which left from Edmonds, and we ended up seeing whales outside of Port Angeles.

But if you’re looking to see the San Juan Islands, it’s recommended that you book a whale-watching trip from Bellingham, Anacortes, or Friday Harbor (ferry required). Most tours will go to where the whales are, but there is a limit to how far they will travel.

Dates for tours with San Juan Cruises

Don’t expect winter whale-watching tours—at least with San Juan Cruises. They only offer tours from May 2 to September 28. While I can understand this from a business and tourism perspective, it is a bummer because orcas tend to hang out in the greater Puget Sound area throughout winter.

sea lions hang out on a buoy — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

When is the best time to see whales in Washington?

You can see whales year-round in the state of Washington. Orcas always frequent the waters, following in the path of salmon. Humpbacks are less consistent, though they will venture into the Salish Sea during their migratory patterns north and south.

And then there’s the grey whales. They are thankfully becoming more common, and you have a strong likelihood of seeing them on a whale watching trip.

How far of a drive is it from Seattle to Bellingham?

This can depend on what part of Seattle you are in, but if there is light traffic, you can estimate about 90 minutes of drive time from Seattle to Bellingham. It’s entirely on I-5, which makes it easy. You can basically turn off your brain and just drive.

Once you get close to Bellingham, you’ll want to put in directions for the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.

Photography tips for landing the shot

The nice part about a whale-watching cruise is that the boat is supposed to get you into a position to enjoy good views. And now that the hardest part is behind you, it’s now on you. Use these tips to nail the shot the next time you go whale watching in the San Juan Islands.

Keep your eyes moving

When I’m taking photos, I’m always looking around, trying to see something that might be a clue to where a whale will be. Sometimes it can be bubbles. Other times, birds will flock to an area. It’s not an exact science, but nature does tell us things if you know what to look for.

Listen

When it comes to humpbacks, you’ll usually hear them before you see them. You’ll hear it when they exhale before you see the mist above them.

Anticpate

With whales, you know they have to come up for air at some point. Granted, some can hold their breath for a long time, but that’s a rare case. Most of the time, it’s a couple of minutes, and then they’re back.

You’ll also get a sense of how deep they went. If a humpback does a dive where the fluke (tail) is shown, that means they will be down for a while. If they only did a quick up and down, they are likely be near the surface quickly.

Camera Settings

I would suggest putting your camera in shutter priority mode and having your shutter speed somewhere between 1,1000 and 1/1500 to ensure you get a crisp shot without any blur. After that, put your aperture around f/6.5 or f/8 and see what happens!

I also used a 400mm prime lens, which was perfect!

orcas exhale causing mist above then during the san juan islands whale watching trip — Photo Credit: Alec Sills-Trausch

Was Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands from Bellingham worth it?

It sure was. Now, obviously, it was free for us, so anything that is free is good. That said, I would recommend this to people. It’s a long enough cruise where you’ll get good sightseeing and whale watching in one. Plus, you also get lunch and snacks.

All in all, the whale watching in the San Juans is an excellent excursion for couples or families who want to experience a little more of the PNW and learn more about wildlife in the area.