Puget Sound Express

Puget Sound Express Your goal is to see whales and our family's goal is to show them to you. Orcas, humpbacks, gray whales and much more! See whales in the wild!
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Experience the magic of the Salish Sea via departures in Seattle, Port Townsend, and Port Angeles. Puget Sound Express has been operating guaranteed whale watching tours for 40 years, and in that time we have always endeavored to make your trip a lasting memory. Ours is a family-run business, with three generations of knowledge and caring at the ready. With thousands of departures over 40 years, our local knowledge is unmatched.

Rare bird alert: Nazca B***y 😱 Guests and crew aboard a recent PSE Puffin Cruise were in for the surprise of a lifetime ...
09/03/2026

Rare bird alert: Nazca B***y 😱 Guests and crew aboard a recent PSE Puffin Cruise were in for the surprise of a lifetime when we spotted a juvenile Nazca B***y hanging out on a kelp float around Smith Island! This striking bird is a little far from home, with its usual range spanning from Mexico to the Galapagos Islands and down to Peru. It is theorized that this bird may have ended up in the Salish Sea by hitching a ride on a cargo ship. Since August 25, we’ve been seeing this individual consistently around Smith Island; this series of sightings marks only the seventh time a Nazca B***y has been recorded in Washington State!

📸: on Instagram

As we move towards autumn and winter, we want to highlight our options for group tours and private charters! If you’re p...
09/01/2026

As we move towards autumn and winter, we want to highlight our options for group tours and private charters! If you’re planning a corporate bonding event, school field trip, holiday party, or even a wedding, why not host it on the water? We offer bespoke tours for every group, from a 2-hour scenic cruise to a 5-hour whale watch! If you’re ready to make a booking or would like some more information on our group rates, please send an to our team: [email protected]. See you onboard!

08/27/2026

T137A Jack is back at it again with his best Free W***y impersonation!

Jack fun facts:
🫍 Jack was born in 2002, making him a fully grown male at 24 years old

🫍 Jack’s dorsal fin is roughly 5-6 feet tall, and he likely weighs around 10,000 lbs (4,500 kgs)

🫍 Jack typically travels with his mom T137 Loon, and sisters T137B Tempest and T137D Wright, but has set off on a ‘choose your own adventure’ sort of summer!

Did you know that orcas are s*xually dimorphic? This means that mature females and males are visibly different from one ...
08/25/2026

Did you know that orcas are s*xually dimorphic? This means that mature females and males are visibly different from one another and, in the case of orcas, can be seen in their dorsal fins 🫍 During puberty (around age 12-15), male orcas experience a rapid period of growth where their dorsal fin shoots up in height, typically ending up around 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 meters) tall — roughly double the height of their female counterparts! Adult male orcas tend to have dorsal fins that stand straight up, whereas adult female orcas often have curved or angled dorsal fins. When viewing orcas, it’s usually pretty apparent which whales are adult females and males, but it’s often more difficult to determine the s*x of the juvenile whales; we sometimes don’t know an individual is male until they start undergoing the sprouting process.

In this recent encounter with the T77 pod, you can see the difference in dorsals between the female and male pod members, as well as the juvenile who was born in 2016. Within the next five years, we should have an indication on whether T77E is female or male!

Did you know that we’re in the middle of World Photography Week? We’re celebrating by sharing some of our favorite photo...
08/23/2026

Did you know that we’re in the middle of World Photography Week? We’re celebrating by sharing some of our favorite photos taken by guests aboard our whale-watching trips and puffin cruises this summer! How epic are these shots?! ☀️

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Thursday was an orca-filled day in Port Angeles, featuring the T60 brothers (T60D “Onca” and T60E “Lynx) and the T46Bs! ...
08/15/2026

Thursday was an orca-filled day in Port Angeles, featuring the T60 brothers (T60D “Onca” and T60E “Lynx) and the T46Bs!

Guests and crew aboard Glacier Spirit started the day by checking out the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve in British Columbia, where they also spotted three humpback whales. After viewing these remarkable animals, we transited south, back towards the Olympic Peninsula, when Captain Carl spotted a different type of dorsal fin — killer whales! We first spotted T60D “Onca” and T60E “Lynx” 3 miles north of Ediz Hook, heading quickly eastbound.

We soon realized why these whales were on their way east: breaching in the distance indicated they were heading to meet the T46B pod! Once the T60 brothers reached the T46Bs, we got to witness a plethora of social behaviors, including tail slaps and breaching. It was an epic way to end an awesome trip!

📸: Naturalist Adam

08/12/2026

… And the crowd goes wild!!

We’re still not over this epic trip that saw Swiftsure depart Edmonds for Commencement Bay in Tacoma where T137A "Jack" showed off his moves 🫍 We love getting a chance to witness these incredible behaviors in the wild 😍

Are these photos from two different trips? Nope! From thick fog into bright sun, our Full-Day Tour from Port Townsend on...
08/09/2026

Are these photos from two different trips? Nope! From thick fog into bright sun, our Full-Day Tour from Port Townsend on Friday saw a wide swing in weather conditions, but with incredible wildlife sightings from start to finish!

Puffins, white pelicans, pinnipeds, and a sea otter kicked off the first half of our journey, even through limited visibility across the Strait. After lunch in Friday Harbor, the skies cleared and the whales came out in full force! We found half of the T77 Bigg's family of orcas first as they scoured the shore of Center Island, then caught up with the other half of the pod - along with the T65As - just off Partridge Bank.

After watching them travel for a bit, they stealthily hunted a harbor seal and proceeded to prey-share, complete with several tail slaps and moon walks! A wild day on the water! - Naturalist Rachel R.

Recently, we’ve had an influx of questions about one topic in particular: our sweet, sweet Blueberry Buckle!Made fresh d...
08/07/2026

Recently, we’ve had an influx of questions about one topic in particular: our sweet, sweet Blueberry Buckle!

Made fresh daily aboard each PSE vessel, Blueberry Buckle is a family recipe in the Hanke family, and we love serving it to visitors from near and far! Included in each Welcome Aboard booklet is the recipe, but we know that these can end up in scrapbooks, memory boxes, and even the bottom of your luggage. So, without further ado, the Blueberry Buckle recipe of your dreams:

🫐 Ingredients:

Cake -

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries-washed

Crumb Topping -

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

🫐 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°, grease a 9x9 baking pan.

2. Combine sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar, gradually add egg and milk.

4. Combine dry ingredients with wet until smooth.

5. Fold in fresh blueberries.

6. Pour into greased pan.

7. For topping use a pastry cutter or two knives cross-wise to cut butter into sugar, flour, and cinnamon - butter should be the size of peas.

8. Sprinkle topping on cake and bake for 35 minutes or until middle does not jiggle when shaken.

9. Enjoy! We can’t wait to see how your Blueberry Buckle turns out!

Yesterday’s afternoon trip from Seattle (Edmonds) saw Swiftsure heading south to Commencement Bay in Tacoma, where we wi...
08/05/2026

Yesterday’s afternoon trip from Seattle (Edmonds) saw Swiftsure heading south to Commencement Bay in Tacoma, where we witnessed some pretty spectacular orca activities, including these awesome breaches from T137A Jack… Jack-robatics, if you will! We love days when we get to spend time with wildlife right here in Puget Sound 🫍

We have tours departing daily from Seattle (Edmonds), including our Half-Day Tours at 9:30 am and 2:30 pm, and our All-Day Tour at 10 am. For more information or to book, head to our website: https://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/seattle-whale-watching-tours/

Address

227 Jackson Street
Port Townsend, WA
98368

Opening Hours

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

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