San Juan Safaris - Orca Whale Watching

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.

16 killer whales - we call that a T-Party! Yesterday’s tour was epic to say the least. 3 matrilines travelled together, ...
08/13/2026

16 killer whales - we call that a T-Party! Yesterday’s tour was epic to say the least. 3 matrilines travelled together, exhibiting behaviors like cartwheels, porpoising, and peduncle throws. T46B2B Takaya breached 7 consecutive times! On the way back to Friday Harbor, we had one more surprise - humpback identified as BCX2077 Graphite. Thank you to the great group of guests who joined us on this exhilarating tour 🫍

The individuals seen were:

T019/Nootka/Mooyah — female, born before 1965
T019B/Galiano — male, born in 1995
T019C/Spouter — male, born in 2001
T049A/Nan — female, born in 1986
T049A3/Nat — male, born in 2011
T049A4/Neptune — male, born in 2014
T049A5/Nebula — female, born in 2017
T049A6/Charlie II — male, born in 2022
T049A7*/Nimbus — born in 2026
T046B/Raksha — female, born in 1988
T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
T046B2B/Takaya — female, born in 2023
T046B4/Quiver — male, born in 2014
T046B6/Sol — female, born in 2019
T046B7/Tala — born in 2023
T046B8*/Pi — born in 2026
Humpback BCX2077 Graphite - first seen in 2019

Photos taken by aly liu 🪼 on 8/12/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

The iconic brothers T60D Onca and T60E Lynx were spotted yesterday near the Canadian border. Their massive 6ft dorsal fi...
08/11/2026

The iconic brothers T60D Onca and T60E Lynx were spotted yesterday near the Canadian border. Their massive 6ft dorsal fins were hard to miss! Unlike most Bigg’s families, these two whales do not normally travel with their mother. Why? We may never know - another mystery of these amazing apex predators!

Photos taken by kbkgonewild on 8/10/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

A hot summer day makes us especially grateful for a gentle ocean breeze! Yesterday we cruised through Spieden Channel, s...
08/07/2026

A hot summer day makes us especially grateful for a gentle ocean breeze! Yesterday we cruised through Spieden Channel, spotting whales near Turn Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island. The group of 7 transient, or Bigg’s killer whales, were identified as:

1. T036/Flapjack — female, born before 1970
2. T036B/Tattertip — female, born in 1998
3. T036B1/Bhotia — female, born in 2009
4. T036B1A/Maple — female, born in 2025
5. T036B2/Greenfelder — female, born in 2013
6. T036B4/Auk — born in 2024
7. T137A/Jack — male, born in 2002

The excitement didn’t end there! In the distance, we noticed an extra tall exhale. This turned out to be a humpback whale, identified as BCX1795 “Scuttle”. An epic Thursday in the Salish Sea!

Photos taken by kbkgonewild on 8/6/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

Sea otters are just too cute! Quickly after spotting them, we got our first looks of the Bigg’s killer whales T77C “Neft...
08/05/2026

Sea otters are just too cute! Quickly after spotting them, we got our first looks of the Bigg’s killer whales T77C “Neftail” and T77E “Misneach”. Steller’s sea lions, rhinoceros auklets, harbor seals, a Great Blue Heron, and a BREACHING harbor porpoise - a full day of action and breathtaking wildlife 🫍🦭 See more photos on our SmugMug - link in bio!

Photos taken by Levi on 8/4/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

Hello August! This summer has been flying by, and we’re so grateful for all the amazing encounters so far. This month ha...
08/04/2026

Hello August! This summer has been flying by, and we’re so grateful for all the amazing encounters so far. This month has started out strong! Yesterday we spotted two families, the T100s and T101s. The five individuals were identified as:

T100 “Hutchins” - Female born 1979
T100C “Laurel” - Male born 2002
T100F “Estrella” - Male born 2014
T101 “Reef” - Female born 1969
T101B “Lagoon” - Male born 1997

Photos taken on 8/3/26 by Levi Vandebunte at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

The T75Bs were spotted by Smith Island! We watched this family of four hug the coastline, then enter a bull kelp forest....
08/01/2026

The T75Bs were spotted by Smith Island! We watched this family of four hug the coastline, then enter a bull kelp forest. Tail slaps, a spyhop, and lots of splashing ensued as the orcas hunted a harbor seal. Among the excitement, was a rare sighting of a tufted puffin! Unforgettable day on the water.

Photos taken by kbkgonewild on 7/31/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

Sunshine, the Salish Sea, and 8 killer whales from the T36’s and T37A’s! We watched from afar as this larger group split...
07/31/2026

Sunshine, the Salish Sea, and 8 killer whales from the T36’s and T37A’s! We watched from afar as this larger group split into two, patrolling the coastline for harbor seals. Quick movement and surface activity indicated a successful hunt - a reminder of the power of these apex predators. After heading back towards Friday Harbor, we got a peak of a lone gray whale! This was unusual, as gray whales are typically seen in the spring and fall. One last treat for this tour was an adorable sea otter, floating among the bull kelp. Such a gorgeous Thursday in the San Juan Islands!

Photos taken by Aly on 7/30/26 at a distance using a telephoto camera lens.

3 killer whales, 2 humpbacks, 1 Kestrel ride full of marine mammals! Our Adventure Tour encountered the T100s, a trio Bi...
07/30/2026

3 killer whales, 2 humpbacks, 1 Kestrel ride full of marine mammals! Our Adventure Tour encountered the T100s, a trio Bigg’s killer whales near Rosario Strait. The humpback whales were identified as BCY1289 Monsoon and BCX2081 Bandit. The unique patterns on their flukes allow us to identify these individual humpbacks. A beautiful July tour! ☀️

Photos taken by Levi Vandebunte on 7/27/26 using a telephoto camera lens.

Such moody PNW photos from this weekend. During these summer months, we are graced by migratory whales like this humpbac...
07/29/2026

Such moody PNW photos from this weekend. During these summer months, we are graced by migratory whales like this humpback, BCX2081 Bandit. Born in 2020 to BCX1233 Raccoon, this juvenile whale was spotted in San Juan Channel 🐋

Photos taken by Levi and Aly on 7/26/26 using a telephoto camera lens.

We saw so many different animals this weekend, we lost count. A sea otter, minke whale, humpback whale, Steller’s sea li...
07/28/2026

We saw so many different animals this weekend, we lost count. A sea otter, minke whale, humpback whale, Steller’s sea lions, double-crested cormorants, rhinoceros auklets, and bald eagles. That’s a packed tour!

Photos taken by Levi on 7/25/26 using a telephoto lens.

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

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