Above: Tulalip Casino Orca Display - North Of Everette WA I-5 Fwy

Whale Watching Bellingham - Whale Watching Tours Washington

Whale Watching Cruises

If you're serious about seeing Orca Whales you may want to choose a whale watching cruise operator with a guarantee--- You will see Orca Whales on your cruise or they will keep taking you until you do.

Bellingham is proud to be the home of ISLAND MARINER CRUISES, one of the oldest cruise operators on Puget Sound and one of the best. For more information visit their official website at : http://www.orcawatch.com/

Magnificent Orcas

The 172 San Juan islands offer endless recreational opportunities, from sailing, sea kayaking, hiking, scuba diving, and cycling, but no visit to the San Juan Islands is complete without a trip on one of these unforgettable excursions to see the magnificent killer whales.

Excellent Starting Point

Bellingham, WA, is the perfect place to catch one of many whale watching tours departing either from Fairhaven's cruise terminal or Bellingham's Scualicum Harbor Marina. Whether you take one of the exciting new high-speed catamarans or choose one of the larger specially designed whale watching boats for a relaxing cruise of the San Juans, you are in for a very special experience that you will never forget. Many area whale watching tour operators network with each other and even use spot planes to keep track of the whale's current location. Some whale-watching tour operators boast a 98% success rate!

Island

WHALE WATCHING

The San Juan Islands are a favorite Pacific Northwest vacation spot and Washington State is one of the most popular whale watching regions in the world. On your whale watching excursion you may also see a variety of other wildlife such as, bald eagles, puffins, porpoise, sea otters, and numerous harbor seals, but everyone's favorite is the magnificent Orcas. The resident Orca whale population thrills and delights visitors year round but there are also other pods of whales that visit the area to feed on salmon and to give birth in the protected waters of the San Juan Islands.

Alaskan Marine Highway System

Beginning in Bellingham, the Alaskan Marine Highway is America's gateway to Alaska. Regular car and passenger ferries depart Bellingham, making stops in Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, and more. On your journey you will experience the beauty of Alaska's Fjords, glaciers & forests. You may also catch a glimpse of migrating whales, eagles, and other wildlife on your trip through the inside passage. .

San Juan Island's No Boat Zone

If you are whale watching from a private boat you'll want to be aware of the voluntary no-boat zone on the west side of San Juan Island from Mitchell bay to the north down to false bay near the south end of San Juan Island. While this is considered a no-motor boat zone, you may want to also avoid it altogether even if you have a kayak or rowboat just to give the whales some time to themselves.

Like a celebrity, our resident population of Killer Whales are constantly being followed and photographed, and while they don't seem to mind too much, they could decide one day that they Photos - Profiles of area pets available for adoption. FREE! don't want to be bothered anymore and go elsewhere to raise their young and spend their days. The no-boat zone includes the coastline offshore from Lime Kiln state park which is so popular with whales that's also known as whale watching park. If you want to watch whales but don't like the idea of being on a boat, or you just want to view these magnificent creatures without bothering them in any way, you should consider doing it from the ashore by visiting Lime Kiln state park instead.

Note: Most whale watching tour operators have a genuine love and respect for these amazing animals, and are very careful not to bother them in any way. Some excursion boats even keep a further distance from them than the law requires just to be certain they are not a nuisance to the whales.