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    Puget Sound Express

    4.9 (98 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Suzy V.

    What an awesome adventure! We saw whales almost every five minutes the entire boat ride. We saw humpbacks, two pods of orcas, and a buoy full of fighting harbor seals. Kayla was a great naturalist on the microphone and took some great photos and shared with us. Captain Brian is so so funny, his introduction was practically a stand-up comedy show. The boat is extremely well designed and very comfortable and really planned so carefully maximum viewing for everyone. They thought of everything.

    Nashay W.

    We went on our first whale watching tour out of Edmonds. We had a great experience from start to finish. We saw one gray whale and a pod of Orca's. We were educated about whales while on the tour and it was worth the cost.

    orca whale!!

    Me and my family came from our comfort suites hotel(see previous review) and we were excited to see some whales. We walked up onto the "swiftsure" to see 3 of the most amazing crew members:Tony, Brian, and EJ. (shoutout) We sat in the comfy, spacious boat and listened to rules, how to flush toilets, and how to look for whales. we traveled around the puget sound looking for whales. We found 2 different species of whales which is super cool and rare! Killer Whales(orcas) and a Gray whale. it was so very windy, i almost blew away! It was also a bit chilly, but definitely worth it. This was the best! thanks so much EJ, Tony and brian for not kidnapping us!

    Enid T.

    We took the morning whale watching tour and it was a great experience. The boat is amazing, the staff is very knowledgeable and we saw a pod of killer whales midway in the strait of Juan de Fuca.

    Jessica P.

    Oh my goodness! I can't say enough good things about this whale watching tour. To start, I had originally booked this tour a few years ago but got covid a couple days before I was supposed to go and was unable to travel. They saved my order number and allowed me to use it to book the tour multiple years later when I rebooked my trip to Washington. I really appreciated it! As you board, a wave of freshly baked blueberry buckles swells the cabin making it such a pleasant experience. The tour guides were phenomenal. They were very funny and interactive. They were able to answer all questions about the wildlife and surrounding areas. The boat was new and very comfortable. I watched as the crew catered to an elderly couple who were not able to leave the cabin to go to the deck to watch the whales. They made sure the couple was informed of where to look out their window to have a great experience and see the whales. It was great to see. While out we saw about a dozen humpback whales, which was absolutely incredible!! Whale sights are not guaranteed since they can't control where the whales swim and stop to hunt for food, so we were very lucky. It was such a special day. I highly recommend.

    Humpback whale fin

    We saw one humpback and 3 orcas in 2 sightings. I had an audiobook for the downtime and suggest you bring something as well. I got some good photos and they offered pictures and videos from the onboard photographer. The pictures are of the whales you saw on your trip. They were a little expensive but not outrageous. For our trip it was $40 for 400+ photos/videos with probably 20 of them being useful. They do a slide show so you know what you are buying. We saw other whale tour ships that were probably much less expensive but I recommend this company. The ship was faster and you could sit inside while we searched for whales, the other boats did not have an inside cabin.

    Orcas
    Nic A.

    Everything was awesome!!! Orcas are my favorite animal and we saw at least 20 that day. The crew and captain were amazing as well.

    Boat
    Allie S.

    Wow what an amazing experience this was! I was a bit hesitant with the cost, I grew up whale watching in Southern California, it was much cheaper... but I was going with a group of friends so I decided it was worth a shot. First of all, the boat is amazing! Way different than my experience in California. It was so nice! Has a huge indoor area to hang out in when you are in route to find whales. The staff was so friendly and kept up the excited energy the entire trip. We saw orcas, a hump back whale and even a puffin! Such a great experience!

    Amazing views the whole time. Almost crying here.
    Lizbeth L.

    Second time going to Seattle. This time around I wanted to experience nature give the weather was more favorable than the last time I visited. I heard of whale/orca watching tours and I never had seen any in my life out in the wild, so really my hopes weren't up. This family owned business takes their abilities above and beyond going as far s refunding you if you don't see any wildlife. WOW! That's really backing their word and dedication. I was almost in tears by this experience. Yes it's expensive, especially as a broke college student who also took her little sister on this life experience. But would I do it again?? YOU BET I WOULD. the sighting of any wild life especially the Orcas had me almost crying like a baby. The beauty that we experienced throughout the whole tour! It's 5 hours long, and almost every 15 minutes we were seeing animals. Besides the beauty of the nature. Let me tell you, their blueberry dessert was heaven sent!!! And they share the recipe with you!!!! I'm sure I can't replicate it even with the recipe. I'm not a cake/dessert person but wow the smell was too much to ignore and I had to try and I only regret not getting another.

    Matthew S.

    Whale watching in the Seattle area has never been so fun, and comfortable. The whole experience from the departure to return is absolutely fabulous. Seeing orcas, or as some people call them, "killer whales", up close is something I always wanted to do. This company does it right. A comfortable and classy boat, a captain with great know-how and a child-like enthusiasm for whales, super intelligent naturalists (of all the whale watching trips I have taken to date, this company by far has the smartest crew), and a fun tour make this six hour tour go by really, really fast. It also helped the seas were very calm on my tour, but bring yourself some Dramamine or wear some sea bands just in case. Most people who take this tour have never seen a whale in their life, and they know this. This is why they take every opportunity to pull out every stop to ensure everybody gets to see these majestic mammals, while making every guest feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire time out at sea. The orcas (the primary whale spotted on our trip), appear fairly quickly and are quite active! They provide awesome entertainment; we got to see them on full display on why they are nature's "blackfish", why indigenous peoples worship them, and why they truly are the "wolves of the sea". The way they hunt their prey is remarkable. Whales aside, what else can one expect? Well, they show you around the Salish Sea, showing you birds and seals and sea lions, all the while hoping for other whales or sea life to appear. Taking in the sights of the Pacific Northwest is truly a wonder; as someone who visited Vancouver earlier this year, it was great to see it all again, this time from the vantage point of the United States. Hungry? No need to fear. They have food on board for you to buy, but I recommend pre-ordering before your trip. Their famed blueberry buckle is a huge reason why. It is basically a coffee cake meets a blueberry cobbler, and this treat alone is fantastic. Time it right so you are not waiting too long to get it! I highly recommend this company for whale watching. Thank you Puget Sound Express crew for making it a wonderful day!

    Humpback Whale
    Jody B.

    Captain Brian never disappoints! This was a great trip - a trifecta of seeing Gray Whales, Orcas, and Humpbacks. The tour was guided by Kyla a Marine Biologist. She is well versed on all the whale activity in the area and gave fascinating details on the whales and was able to identify them individually. This was my second time with Puget Sound Express Brian was my captain both times. The first one was on one of their bigger boats - if you can book on that one it is preferable because of the deck space. This tour was on their original smaller boat where only the front and back are open. It was harder for everyone to get a good view without others in the way. Albeit the interior had some great views out the side. All in all, I would highly recommend. Side note if all four species of whales are spotted on a tour the crew will jump in the water at the end of the tour.

    Sea lions

    Wow! Today was the MOST AMAZING experience!! I cannot recommend this tour enough! The staff was amazing and so gracious-they alerted us to everything we were seeing throughout our journey! We saw an orca pod, humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins, sea lions-it was insane! On our way back they also shared family lineage of the orcas we saw today! I will definitely be rebooking! This is a must!!!

    Alyssa W.

    Obviously there is no way to guarantee you will see whales, but the wonderful crew will do everything they can to make your tour worthwhile! The boat provides both indoor and outdoor seating on the upper and lower decks to make sure you're as comfortable as you'd like to be while taking in the sights. Our crew, Tony, EJ, and Laura, were so great at sharing their knowledge of the wildlife and scenery around us. Their enthusiasm and love for what they do is evident. Our trip was highlighted by orca and humpback whale sightings, along with seals, a puffin, and even an aircraft carrier! Make sure to start your trip with a warm plate of grandma's fresh baked blueberry buckle from the galley!

    Orca whales

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    Great family excursion! The boat was comfortable and warm. The crew tries their best to make it a fun experience!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Puget Sound Express

    Are we able to pack our own lunch and snacks for the trip?

    Yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Puget Sound Express

    Seeing orcas, or as some people call them, "killer whales", up close is something I always wanted to do.

    Mentioned in 37 reviews

    Read more highlights

    All Season Charters - Ferry's were a sight!

    All Season Charters

    (23 reviews)

    My husband and I booked a charter with this company to celebrate our birthdays. We had a wonderful…read moretime! The staff was friendly and helpful, the scenery was beautiful and to top it all off we brought home some delicious coho salmon. All in all it was a fun and stress free experience at a very affordable price. Definitely will be using this company again!

    Alright guys, let me just say I had literally the best Saturday OF MY LIFE with these guys (zero…read moreexaggeration). Not only did I catch a salmon, but Michael, our Captain, took us right up to a humpback whale... I mean literally, it was rubbing against our boat... we were that close! Savannah was our skipper (I think that's proper terminology). She was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Honestly, Savannah was prepping the bait and gutting the fish and it was mesmerizing to watch. She clearly has had a ton of experience and knows exactly what she's doing. SO cool. I really admire her! Not everyone caught a fish, but I did, and it was amazing. The adrenaline from reeling it in was so fun. Regardless, there's something about getting up early and watching the sunrise on the water that's just magical. We saw a humpback whale... up close and personal, and while that may not be the norm, we also saw a bunch of other sea life including porpis, sea lions and sea otters. Overall it's just a pleasant experience - just don't come in thinking your whole party will catch fish, because that certainly is not the case. HOWEVER - I will say - Michael was great about moving us to areas where there were fish and "bait fish" (whatever that means). The captain sets you up for success, and that's about all you can ask for! Tip: they tell you to show up at 5:45. We got there at 5:45 and nobody was there.. we were starting to think we were in the wrong spot or it was the wrong day. BUT, right around 6, sure enough everyone else showed up! Just a heads up :) Tip #2: Even if the weather looks nice... BRING LAYERS!! I almost left my winter jacket behind, as I was feeling foolish after seeing what everyone else was wearing. SO GRATEFUL I BROUGHT IT ALONG!!! It was freezing out on the water! But totally manageable if prepared :) THANK YOU MICHAEL AND SAVANNAH!!! I will be coming back! :)

    Outer Island Expeditions - Birds eating massive school of fish

    Outer Island Expeditions

    (181 reviews)

    I've been whale watching off the California coast before, so I'm going to compare this experience…read moreto 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.

    I acknowledge we got so lucky for our day trip! We arrived at 9:30 for an easy check in. Lots of…read moreparking. 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.

    FRS Clipper - The clipper we just arrived on

    FRS Clipper

    (465 reviews)

    Interbay

    Who wouldn't want to take a fast ferry to another country? Start your morning in Seattle and end up…read morehaving an early lunch in the Victoria harbor with on the Victoria Clipper. We just did one upgrade to get window seats in the economy area, which was totally worth it. The boat was less than half full - if it had been fuller I would have gone for more of an upgrade as the seating in economy is a bit narrow if someone is near you. Staff were friendly and on and off boarding was easy. Food looked edible and it was nice to have servers come through the cabin - they also passed out motion sickness pills - although our ride was smooth. Nice views of the water and mountains all the way there and back. I wouldn't recommend parking in the Bell Street Garage. Although it was ten bucks a day we ended up locked in the garage upon return for more than an hour due to a broken machine and limited staffing. Clipper was not responsive or helpful when we offered feedback on this partnership, which makes me dock a star.

    If you can, this is the way to go to Victoria B.C. from Seattle. It's so convenient and not…read moreexpensive, relatively speaking. They have great package tours or you can just get the boat trip. You do pass the into Canada and have to go through customs. Also the leave time in the A.M. can be quite early if you're not a morning person. In the terminal they do have plenty of seating as well as food and beverages while you are waiting to board. You get off in a fairly convenient location in Victoria, pretty walkable to most spots and to hotels. Why not five stars? The experience just wasn't as "nautical" as I was hoping. I felt like I was on a bus - the interior of the vessel gives that impression.

    Puget Sound Express - whalewatchingtours - Updated May 2026

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