Tony M

Review of San Juan Safaris-Whale Watchin...

Ill start with the positives by saying this compan...

Ill start with the positives by saying this company does an excellent job of creating a family friendly, welcoming, relaxed adventure. The naturalists were great. We had Sarah and Jordan, both were friendly and knowledgeable. The staff that handled booking and confirmation was prompt, courteous and made sure to answer any questions (like ferry travel.) The boat was very clean and comfy, and their building was conveniently located within walking distance of ferry and downtown Friday Harbor.

As for the negatives, all of which should NOT reflect on San Juan Safari as a business, but on the experience of whale watching as a whole. It s definitely a gamble, a $200 gamble in our case. We saw 3 whales, they were Minkes. I appreciate the crew s honesty, they could have called them Orcas and I would have been none the wiser. Understand, the captain will spend significant time riding to and from harbor. Make sure to dress warmly, it was July and felt like November on the water. Also as much if not more time was spent watching non-whale things like birds and seals. I was hoping to see whales, not a bald eagle in a tree. Nonetheless, I get it, when whales are sparse its time to find something to keep passengers interested. I was really hoping to head north towards Orcas Island and Canada, but instead we headed south to the Strait. In the end, zero Orcas were spotted, which made the experience very disappointing and kept me from giving it higher rating.