All posts tagged Washington
Whale Watching Cruises from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington: A Guide
Despite its close proximity to some the most pristine whale watching territory in the world, there aren't that many whale watching cruises that leave from the Olympic Peninsula specifically. Whale watching opportunities abound in the area surrounding the San Juan Islands, but the departure points seem to be everywhere but the Olympic Peninsula. However, this makes some sense since the Olympic Peninsula is fairly undeveloped, and in fact it largely cannot be developed because the Olympic National Park stretches over much of the Peninsula. The whale watching cruises from the Olympic Peninsula may be limited, but they certainly aren't non-existent, and below we detail exactly what cruises are available from this part of Washington. Read more [...]
Whale Watching Cruises from Friday Harbor (San Juan Island), Washington: A Guide
If there is a capital of whale watching in Washington, it is definitely Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, which has almost as many whale watching outfits as the entire state of Washington combined, despite the fact that the small island town's population is only about 2,000. There are, in fact, an overwhelming number of whale watching cruises that leave from Friday Harbor. It is difficult to even determine which companies offer them, and this is to say nothing of the process of selecting a particular whale watching cruise. To give you some orientation as you navigate your way through the plethora of options, we have compiled the following guide to whale watching cruises from Friday Island. We have, as far as we can tell, tracked down every company that offers whale watching cruises on Friday Harbor, allowing you to work from this list as you determine the right cruise for you. Read more [...]
Whale Watching Cruises from Orcas Island, Washington: A Guide
Most of the whale watching action in Washington takes place around the San Juan Islands, and the largest of the San Juan Islands is Orcas Island, so it stands to reason that there are a number of whale watching cruises from Orcas Island, and indeed there are. As always, though, it is hard to figure out exactly which company you should go whale watching with, or for that matter to figure out which companies you can whale watch with, and it isn't always easy to determine this information by sifting through search results and brochures. To make the process easier, we have compiled the following guide to whale watching from Orcas Island, which lists the companies you can sail with and their basic offerings.
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Whale Watching Cruises in Port Townsend, Washington: A Guide
Port Townsend is a small town on the northeastern corner of the Olympic Peninsula, right on the upper edge of the Puget Sound, and this makes it an ideal place to take a whale watching cruise. Although whales are occasionally seen off the coast of the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is primarily a good whale watching cruise departure point because of its proximity to the San Juan Islands, which is a whale watching mecca of sorts, at least if you want to see killer whales. (Washington is a big whale watching state largely because of the killer whales that live around the San Juan Islands.) Below we outline everything you need to know about whale watching cruises from Port Townsend. Read more [...]
Whale Watching Cruises in Bellingham, Washington: A Guide
Whale watching cruises that depart from Bellingham, Washington are the northernmost such launches in the Continental United States. Bellingham is only about ten miles from the Canadian border, and in fact the city is frequented by Canadian tourists looking for cheaper consumer goods. More relevant for our purposes, Bellingham is also right on the coast of Washington, and the town's port, and the Fairhaven Cruise Terminal in particular, is an ideal departure point for whale watching cruises around the San Juan Islands. Below we outline the whale watching opportunities available to residents and visitors of Bellingham, providing you with a guide for finding the right cruise to book. Read more [...]
Whale Watching Cruises in Anacortes, Washington: A Guide
Anacortes is basically attached to the mainland of Washington, but it is on a jagged landmass that stretches toward the San Juan Islands, and these two features make Anacortes an excellent place to take a whale watching cruise. You can drive a car to the port, and then once you are at the port you aren't very far from the whales, or more precisely the killer whales that inhabit or pass through the San Juan Island area. As is the case with whale watching cruises in any given city, it is helpful to know a little about the scene - like which companies offer these types of voyages - before you start looking into cruises to book. We have done the research for you, and below we have compiled our findings into a guide to whale watching in Anacortes, Washington. Read more [...]