I've been whale watching off the California coast before, so I'm going to compare this experience to that. This ended up more of a pleasant boat ride than whale watching as we didn't get to see any orcas (such a bummer!) and only got to see one single, elusive Humpback whale name Victory. I can't fault the tour for that, but it definitely impacts the experience. It was still a nice boat ride, with friendly staff onboard and the fortunate luck of sitting at the back of the boat next to a conservationist-led tour group with a lot of knowledge shared. On the brighter side, the weather was beautiful and we got to see two kinds of puffin and some sea lions as well. Just wish we got to see whales, instead of just one. read more

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I acknowledge we got so lucky for our day trip! We arrived at 9:30 for an easy check in. Lots of parking. We were a huge group. They moved us along quick and easily. We started our day going through deception pass, down and around to south Whidbey Island where we were graced by the presence of T99 pod. Seasonal visitors who hunt seals. And they were actively hunting! They started in the deeps and quickly moved towards shore. Our crew had marine biologists on board who dictated the orca behavior to advice they are hunting a seal. The largest Barakat was easy to spy as he breached the water to body slam the seal. Ultimately they succeeded as a team. Epic trip. The crew was very knowledgeable. Captain had jokes, hating on our Seahawks..anyway. Overall , great boat, day trip, had a wonderful day. read more

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I had the pleasure of doing a whale watching tour with captain Rika and naturalist Sean. You can tell they both are passionate about their work. They took their time explaining the nature and wildlife we would see. On our tour we had the opportunity to see 3 different pods of orcas. Amazing! I was not the one who scheduled the trip/tour, but they were responsive to my coworker that scheduled it. read more

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We had a daytrip to Anacortes because my SIL and niece wanted to go whale watching. his being whale season, I figured we'd see something. I'd been on whale watching trips before in SoCal and we saw tons of dolphins and seals, so I had a little more hope this time and my hope was not frustrated.Most of the trip we saw almost nothing; a fin here, a seal there, but nothing. Apparently all the boats work together and let each other know where they are seeing them and when they find a pod, they all rush over, shut their engines, and let the whales do their thing. We caught up with a pod of maybe 8 of them and those whales got close to a lot of the other boats, but kept their distance from us. It's luck of the draw, but we did get some cool video of the whales coming out of the water. They weren't breaching or anything, but you could clearly see them, even if it was from afar. It was a good day and I'm glad we did this. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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6/5 My partner has been wanting to go whale watching since I met her. I finally decided to make it happen and looked into outer island expeditions since we would be up near Anacortes at the time. I was surprised to find that Groupon was still a thing and that they offered a Groupon for their whale tours! (Although after "fees" it really only saves you about $10 per ticket) THAT being said, so worth it! We were off to a bad start, arrived and it was foggy and a little rainy. After signing releases we got separated into 2 lines. One of the works told my partner and I to hang back and wait for the second boat because it served alcohol and was better over all (thanks bro!) When we got out the captain told was transparent and said that they hadn't seen any orcas the past few days but he was dedicated to finding them today. We made the trek south, where we finally broke out of the fog and rain to clear skies. The entire time employees are making jokes and providing a ton of information, it was really interactive. We finally got as low as EVERETT when we saw them! 2 pods of orcas! At least 11 of them in total, there was even a little baby! It was truly an experience, my partner was brought to tears. Started off worried but ended perfectly, would absolutely recommend! read more

Outer Island Expeditions - They know each and every orca we saw! - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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I would like to add that the captains of their whale watching boats have no boating etiquette whatsoever. They do not slow down or care how close they go to kayaks on the water that happened to be in their path. I've heard other horrible stories about them, but I won't repeat them. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - No Boating etiquette at all ! "Your Wake defines you" and these guys are all about the money - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Avoid if you're visiting from out of town. We were visiting Washington from out of state and booked a whale watching tour for 10:30 AM. Unfortunately, we had a hectic morning checking out of our hotel and called ahead to let them know we were running about 30 minutes behind. That's when we learned that check-in is actually at 10:00 AM, not 10:30 AM, and we were told the boat might leave without us. We were encouraged to come anyway "just in case." We arrived at 10:50 AM and were told the boat had already left. They would not offer a refund -- instead, their policy is to "resell" your tickets and give you vouchers, which doesn't help when you're traveling and won't be back to use them. Trying to make the best of the day, we went to a nearby beach. Around noon, they called to say they had space for the 3:00 PM tour if we were still in town. We stayed, checked in, and then were told Groupon had contacted them about our refund request -- they wanted a screenshot showing we had closed the claim before moving forward. After waiting, we got a call at 3:30 PM saying there were only 3 seats left for the tour, but we have 4 people in our family. We ended up waiting around all day for nothing, did not receive the service we paid for, and this completely ruined my husband's birthday (this tour was meant to be his gift) as well as disappointing our 7-year-old who had been so excited. I understand things happen, but the lack of flexibility, poor communication, and having us wait hours just to be turned away again was extremely frustrating. We left with no experience, no refund, and a wasted day of our trip. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Line - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

If it's within your means, I absolutely recommend chartering a boat with outer island excursions for wildlife viewing! We arrived for our three hour excursion and were immediately greeted and helped aboard, our captain was helpful, informative, courteous, clearly well-versed in the area, and the history which he shared throughout the tour, we were very fortunate to see a pod of Orcas doing battle with a family of sea lions, as well as eagles, otters, seals, and absolutely beautiful scenery! The water was gorgeous, the Salish see is lovely! it was absolutely amazing! I cannot recommend this experience more highly and absolutely would do it again read more

Unbelievable experience - we saw harbor seals, a blue heron, vultures, rams, deer, bald eagles, steller sea lions, and multiple pods of orcas. We were even lucky enough (our guide said this is very unusual so please don't expect it going in) to witness the whales jump out of the water on several occasions. The guides were excellent - friendly, funny, incredibly knowledgeable, and managed our tour effortlessly. Highly recommend the tour! read more

Highly recommend outer island for whale watching. With the Groupon, they had by far the best prices in Washington or Vancouver. The staff are very attentive and helpful during the journey and they will do everything it takes to find the whales, even if that means boating very far into Canada. I recommend the evening tour unless you get seasick more easily. read more

Great crew, Matt, Trevor, Brook, Bruno, and Ethan. We saw a humpback whale, sea lion, sea otter, and 2 orcas. Very knowledgeable about sea life. Great time! read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Humpback whale - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

We saw a rare visitor to the Salish sea a fin whale, a humpback, and three orcas. Captain Drew was funny, energetic, and respectful of the community around the area. The naturalists on board were so knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you, Sophia, Becca, and Bella read more

Super easy and excellent day out on the water. Matt and crew were amazing - always checking in with the passengers and explaining the work they do beyond tours. Matt had just been part of an expedition to free a whale from trap lines. Highly recommend! read more

Went whale watching and saw three pods. Amazing! The captain had a great sense of humor. So much fun!!!

Yes, could have been better. The woman on the boat staff started off very rude and then ended the day all "nice" just before trying to collect tips. She was fake and it was gross. All we did was go out about 1.5 hrs. see a few Orcas from very far away and go back to Annacortes. Really not much of a "whale watch", sort of boring...especailly for the price. read more

Jim Sam Isabelle Hannah Great, great great service The staff were very knowledgeable and gave us the history of the whale watching experience read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Saw 2 pods of whales, a bald eagle and some seals - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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We took a salmon fishing charter from Friday Harbor and I can't say enough good about it! Jake was our captain and if you go, try to get him! Great captain, great fisherman! The boat was very comfortable and stable! Highly recommend!! read more

Great outfit for whale watching! I will be back and will be recommending Outer Island.

Brock and Kate are great!! Highlight of our visit! Planning to come back next year! Great information. Kids loved it. Thank you!

We saw a pod of killer whales! It was truly amazing; very happy we booked the tour. We were on the water for about 3 hours. Everyone was really nice. Highly recommend. read more

I'm not just giving this place 5 stars because we got very close to whales, but because this overall experience was amazing. The 3 plus hours of being on the boat ride just flew by the captain and the host were very knowledgeable of the area and the surrounding animals. The best advice I can give is to wear warm clothes when riding outside. It can get quite chilly when the boat is at full speed. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Captain Elliott and Naturalist Drew showed us an amazing adventure today. We were able to see sea lions and orcas along with bald eagles feeding! They were both knowledgeable in there duties and very friendly! I definitely recommend this charter! read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Orcas - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Had the pleasure of going out on Blackfish VI for the 1530 sailing on 7/17/25. The crew consisted of Thomas, Ethan, Sofia(spelling? Sorry if wrong) and Drew. Absolutely breathtaking. We were able to come across Orca Pod T-36a consisting of 4. such beautiful mammals. The Orcas provided us all with outstanding picture and videos. Here is just one sample where they snuck around and came across the front of the boat within about 20 feet while we were drifting. read more

Great tour seem a pod of 8 orcas and spent 45 mins following them. Your guy and caption were amazing and very knowledgeable. Shout to Jerret and Megan. You guys made the trip worth while. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Orcas at sea - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

My friend and I were in Seattle for an extra long weekend to attend the Cleveland Browns vs Seattle Seahawks NFL game We have both been to the Pacific Northwest a number of times so we were looking for something unique to do on this trip besides walking around Queen Anne, stuffing our faces with seafood and hitting the dispensaries (Which we did all that too btw. LOL.) He was walking around the lobby of the timeshare high rise we were staying at and literally came across one of their color folders pamphlets and was like "hey, how about Whale watching?" I had never been before and it sounded like fun, so we booked it. We had a rental car so it was about an hour and a half from downtown Seattle up to Anacortes. It was a lovely sunny day drive up I-5 North that Saturday. We all gathered at the designated location at the marina, (which had good signage for where to park) checked in, did roll call and took off about 1:30 pm. There were about 20 or 25 or so passengers on the day we went so there was still plenty of room to move around on the boat both on the inside downstairs and on the outside observation deck upstairs. The 3 person Crew (Captain and two Marine Biologists) were very friendly and knowledgeable about everything that we could possibly come across during the day. After our safety briefing, we loaded up and were off into the waters surrounding the Pacific. We really lucked out that day, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was windy, about 55 degrees and sunny. It was just a perfect day in the Pacific Northwest. It wasn't very long, maybe about 45 minutes into our voyage, when came across a family of Orcas. There was a mamma, two daughters and a male named Stanley. The marine biologists told us all of the backstory about the group, what they ate, migration patterns, etc. They were knowledgeable and you could tell they really enjoyed what they did in this part of this world. We followed the Orcas around and got pictures and it was amazing. At one point one of them leap up about 30 yards in front of the hull. It was so cool. We followed them for about an hour or so and then moved on. As we were making our way back to the marina, we stopped and circled around at this rock island that was covered in seals. There was also a bald eagle sitting atop the highest point on the rock island. It was very cool, I had never seen one before. Overall I definitely recommend Outer Island Expeditions for a fun Saturday Whale Watching in the PWN Washington. Pros: friendly and knowledgeable crew, plenty of room on the boat, easy check-in and departure process. You can bring your own food and drinks. They also have sodas and snacks for purchase at reasonable prices aboard the boat. Cons: Not really any but you will need a rental car to get there if you are staying in Seattle proper. An Uber would be really expensive. Tips: Make sure you bring some Dramamine J.I.C, as it can get bumpy on the water in some spots or depending on the conditions. Also don't forget the sunblock and warm layers for the various temps you might encounter. You might want to bring some beverages and picnic food with you as you'll be out there for at least four to five hours. P.S. - just as an aside... I left my sweater on the boat and Brooke with OIX was kind enough to go and find it on the boat and then go to the local post office to ship it back to me all the way to South Florida! Just a great group of people. Thanks again Brooke! Overall, this is a must do event the next time you are in the greater Seattle area. You won't regret it and will have a great time. (Pictures aren't the best as I took them with my phone. Some people had brought DSLR cameras with telescopic lenses and had some amazing shots) read more

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We had a great time this morning on the Blackfish VI with Captain Drew and crew! The 3 ladies were very knowledgeable, attentive, and answered all questions. Captain Drew found pods of Orcas and other marine life to thrill all aboard. His humor and his music playlist were appreciated. Three hours passed quickly and enjoyably and we would highly recommend this tour! read more

Took the family whale watching. We've gone whale watching up and down the US coast so this review compares against other similar experiences. The good: - The staff was friendly. - The ride was smooth. - Boat was clean. - Boat was new and we felt safe. Room for improvement: - Pricey. We live by the beach in a popular city and prices for this tour are pretty inflated. - We saw ONE whale and watched it for 3 hours. Monotonous. Not a whole lot of variety. I know this is not all within the captain's control but a longer joy ride around for general sight seeing would have helped. - A true naturalist or marine biologist would have been nice. Instead, a psychology major was at the mic. Imagine a 3-hour ride where (due to lack of whales), the speaker became our sole source of entertainment: she exhausted her whale knowledge and it became a bit repetitive and hypothetical / I-am-not-sure's. Very nice young lady but I'm expecting a true expert at these prices. I don't need a Nobel laureate or professor emeritus. But please find someone who is working through PERTINENT grad school or a post doctorate. I really would have preferred a tour that was half as long. Pricing likely would have been more in sync. This shorter duration may have also prevented the reveal of no-expert-onboard. read more

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Travis and Sean were amazing! They were accommodating and knowledgeable! They even coordinated with other charters to make the most of our experience...and the Orcas-they did not disappoint!!!! We saw a full breach! Tail slaps! A roll! And so many dorsals!! Great tour!! Great staff!!! read more

Great experience with Outer Island Expeditions! We took the whale watching trip out of Anacortes. Captain Drew, Alex and Tiffany were friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. 45 foot Blackfish 4 was spacious, had padded, comfortable seats, and was easy enough to navigate around. It rode very smoothly. 32 passengers on 2 decks meant everyone could clearly see the whales (and oh did we find whales!). There was an enclosed cabin with big windows for those who preferred to stay inside. Bring your own snacks and drinks. There's a small selection at the office where you check in for purchase but nothing on the boat (except some ginger ale and crackers in case of emergency) * They didn't require my 1.5 or 4 year old to wear a life vest, which I thought was weird. I brought our own and put the littler one in his, if only for the handle at the top to help him up and down stairs. They have a whale guarantee, a free trip another day if none are spotted. No problem today! We saw 4 orcas (one calf, so cute!), 1 humpback, in addition to harbor seals, sea lions, an otter, and assorted sea birds. Alex and Tiffany came around to each group to discuss exactly which whales we saw, with information about how they were identified, age, size, etc. We got discounted tickets on Groupon. Even at full price, it would have been worth every penny! read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Fishing Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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Highly recommend doing a tour! Trevor was the best guide and is so knowledgeable. In 3 hours we were able to see a humpback whale, bald eagles, porpoises, otters, puffins, seals, and orcas. Well worth the trip! read more

Great tour. Smaller boat then what I have taken before but I really liked it. It didn't feel too crowded which as a photographer was super nice. The crew was great and super informative. Would definitely recommend this company. read more

Great whale watching excursions if you are in the Seattle area. The crew were super helpful and knowledgeable of the area. Definitely recommend for anyone that wants to see whales! read more

My daughter treated me to a whale watching tour and it did not disappoint. We've seen some whales from the shore on Whidbey island but never on a whale watching tour. They have a good tour with warm up stops to see seals and other wildlife before trying to find the big ones, the Orcas or other whales. They are I touch with other boats so they know is a pod has been spotted and know just where to go. There were about a dozen boats near this pod of Orcas, but nobody got too close and we all go's good view. Add in a spectacular summer day, friendly naturalists on staff to educate us about the whales, and you have a fantastic way to spend a day in the Puget sound area. read more

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Arrive 30 minutes early or kiss your money goodbye. This was a birthday gift from my wife, and since we're from out of state, I didn't know about the 30-minute check-in rule -- and the "standby voucher" they gave us is useless because we'll never be back. They told us we could get on the 3 PM trip, so we stayed in Anacortes all day, only to find out there weren't enough seats for us. No birthday acknowledgment, no real solution, and no refund when no service was provided. read more

This is a review for Outer Island X which seems to be the same company as Outer Island Excursions. In October 2024 our family including a 10 and 13 year old took the 1 pm Whale watching tour from Anacortes. One of the guides was Brooke (aka Babbling Brooke) and she was absolutely fantastic. Sorry I don't recall rest of the crew names at this point but they were all great. Brooke was very knowledgeable and interesting and kept us informed. She is a self proclaimed whale nerd. The tour was fantastic! Captain seems to be in communication with other whale watching captains so we headed straight to Salish Sea, well past Victoria BC and Port Angeles WA (i. e. far far away). We saw lots of orcas and stayed there for awhile to observe. All boats (tour boats from other companies) in the area seemed very respectful of the distance between the boats and the orcas, as well as each other. We even left the orca pods earlier than other boats so we could find a humpback whale, which we found (thanks to Brooke). Saw other critters as well which the tour guides will explain as you pass them. More on logistics: To get to the Anacortes Skyline Marina launch site, follow their signs to gravel parking lot in BACK of building, park, then pick up pre-paid parking pass (and rented binoculars if any) when you check in. Restroom is available outside of building after getting code from staff. There were 2 sailings around the same time: 1 who sailed from Anacortes to Orcas island to pick up people (longer tour because of it ), and another on a bigger boat. We were on the bigger boat; I think it was called the Blackfish 6. Our boat was a double decker w indoor and outdoor seats both, upstairs and downstairs. Some w cushioned bench seating. Windows upstairs were very clean. It was 58 degrees at launch. Expect it to feel like 20 degrees if you're not sitting indoors, due to wind, even on a sunny day. Ours had a bathroom on it. They sold some alcoholic drinks, soda, and snacks like chips. The tour can go an hour longer than planned. Would definitely go again! read more

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My family and I took a trip with these guys back in May and the crew consisted of David, Trevor and Alex. Our round trip was just under 5 hours I believe as we toured the area in great length. There were tons of beautiful views and the water was wonderful that day. Checking in was easy and they make everyone sign a waiver. Parking is free if you're in a certain lot you just have to get a paper from them to put on the dash. The boat was at full capacity and the captain went over some rules before getting on such as talking about the restroom, seating, and masks. As always I do recommend taking Dramamine or something of the sort if you get sea sick easily. Even if you don't, it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, if you've never taken this kind of excursion, it does get chilly so I would recommend a coat or jacket as well. We sat at the bow and thought that it had to be the best spot on the boat besides the upper deck. They took us through several areas, my favorite being Deception Pass Bridge. There Trevor spotted a bald eagle for us and helped us locate it in the trees. It was a beautiful sight and an incredible area to roam. We did see a sea otter, which they expressed was very rare because there is only a handful of them in the whole state. I thought that was a fun fact and the otter was so cute just floating on it's back. We also got to see seals, a type of jellyfish, porpoises, an elephant seal, birds and more names I can't remember. Along the way, there was a birthday balloon in the water and they even went as far as getting it out. I love how they expressed so much care for the ocean and it really showed in the way they talked about the ocean life and even cleaning it up. These people know what they are doing and although we only saw one gray whale the experience was fun and exciting. I learned so many new things and the crew just had an abundance of knowledge to share. The captain, David, even had Trevor fish out some kelp and ate a huge piece saying that it tasted pretty good. Overall, a lovely experience on the water for a few hours. What a joy it would be to do this everyday! read more

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My husband and I are both Washington Natives and have boated in the islands many many times - but this experience was special. A substantial boat, great captain (Jim), and friendly crew (Dana & Shae) made for a very comfortable and safe trip! Beyond that, we were blown away by the wildlife. We saw seals, dolphins, eagles and all matter of small birds - and we also had the great pleasure of finding whales in Bellingham Bay. While we watched the whales from a [great] distance (these photos were shot with a very capable lens), we were able to follow a mother and her three babies for nearly 2 hours. The wildlife educators were very knowledgeable - they shared facts organically, and answered questions very thoroughly (they knew their stuff!). Overall - I highly recommend this trip for visitors to Washington - as you get a wonderful tour though the San Juans - AND a high likelihood of seeing some amazing nature. For those folks who are local, like us - we thought we'd seen it all but this experience proved us wrong - if you're looking for a special occasion experience or just a spontaneous adventure - you've found it. read more

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Our group had a great day with Captain Rika and naturalist Sam. We found a humpback and pod of Orcas, plus great info about so many birds, seals and sea lions that we found. They were very knowledgeable and personable, never grew tired of our questions. Our day on the water with them was excellent. read more

Another bucket list adventure ticked off my list!!! We saw THREE species of whales!!! First up was the Minke Whale- which is apparently the most common whale that no one knows about! Average size is 18 feet, 12k lbs and they are called stinky Minkes because of the smell of their spouting (which is apparently really bad). I learned that the spouting is really like whale snottiness that you don't want to get on you. Fun facts! We saw several Minke's- about 5 or 6. Next up- 2 humpbacks! Swimming together, which isn't common. Humpbacks are loners, but might "hang out" with another humpback for a day. We followed at a safe distance and the humpbacks went for several deep dives giving us great whale tail photo opportunities! We even saw a breach! A whale jump out of the water! I did not get a photo of that- so sad, but I saw it! Our naturalist guide, Brooke, was all about the humpbacks! Those are her favorites. We were in Canadian waters and along two Canadian whale sighting tour boats while following the humpbacks. On our way back to the marina- the Canadian Navy was out and our Captian found out why! Orcas- Killer Whales. Now, Killer Whales have special rules- so we had to stay 1/2 mile out. No pictures of these great whales- but there was a pod of 3 or 4 swimming along the coast. Brooke was able to identify two of them. We also pulled up to a small rock island that was covered in Sea Lions barking and nipping and several just sleeping in the sun. A few minutes enjoying their calm or chaos lifestyle and we were off again. Both our Captain, Jim and our guide Brooke were fantastic! We were out on the water for almost 4 hours! Brooke was very knowledgeable and obviously passionate about the local whales and their behaviors in the area. Pro tips: layer your clothes and take a jacket/coat! It gets very cold on the water. Pack snacks and water, you're out there for 3-4 hours. Be the hero- if you see something, say something (lol- whales- if you see a whale, call it out!) Have fun. There is plenty to see and learn while on this tour. read more

We had an absolute blast on our tour with Outer Islands in September of 2021. Our captain and crew were personable, insightful, and educational while keeping us all on track for where to sneak a peak at the orcas! We went on this cruise with our eight year old and he did great. He loved asking questions of the crew and walking around (supervised) on the boat. Our boat was lucky enough to have about twenty minutes with a pod of six orcas. It was wonderful to see how thoughtful our captain was in keeping appropriate distance from the animals while also maintaining them in our eyesight. It was truly a fantastic twenty minutes to spend! On the way back I started to feel a little green around the gills. One of our crew mates immediately noticed and aided me with a ginger ale and chews. She was an absolute lifesaver. Can not recommend Outer Islands enough and cannot wait to go back! read more