Puget Sound Express

I’ve taken two Puget Sound Express day trips. The first was probably in 2009, and it was an excellent trip with plenty of species sightings, including J Pod; definitely a five-​star experience.
The second time was late summer 2015. It was a perfect day, and if I could give Puget Sound Express more than five stars, I would. My only complaint is that now I’ve been spoiled for all future whale watching trips, as I’m sure nothing can come close to that day!
In the morning, sightings started with river otters, harbor seals, harbor porpoises, California sea lions, Steller sea lions, and a bald eagle. And THEN … a group of transient orcas! Just amazing! I’ve seen many orcas, but never a transient population. I never get tired of watching whales, and the fact that these orcas seemed to be curious about our boat made the experience even more exciting.
After that morning, I assumed that the afternoon would be anti-​climatic, so I just enjoyed my lunch overlooking the harbor (delicious fresh caught and cooked Dungeness crab purchased right on the dock!). As we boarded the boat, the captain informed us that J Pod (Southern Resident Orcas) had been spotted on the west side of San Juan Island, and we might be able to find them. This is key: Puget Sound Express has great relationships with other tour operators, and so they communicate via radio to maximize your experience.
We found J Pod, which was more than I was hoping for. However, shortly after we arrived, we noticed some odd behavior, and the captain realized that J Pod was interacting with the newly-​arrived L Pod! Apparently this happens from time to time, but it’s quite rare. I saw interactions on that trip that I doubt I will ever see again, and since Unilocal is G-​rated, I won’t go into any more detail. Two Southern Resident Pods interacting, sort of like meeting old friends you haven’t seen in ages.
Thank you to Puget Sound Express for the single best whale watching trip of my life. I’ve been going on such trips on both coasts for more than two decades. I’ve had many great experiences, but nothing like this!

Went out on a beautiful day and lucked out because it was choppy and cold the day before. The experience overall was great. The boat was very comfortable and rides so smoothly you can barely feel the waves beneath. Saw three types of whales. We visited during the end of the season so orcas were not around. The crew seemed to have stayed too long in each location and as such we didn’t get to make it out to our last location. Pricey but good experience.

I realize we got lucky, but we saw a Superpod, with more whales than you can shake a stick at!
But the crew was professional, friendly, confidence-​inspiring, and the boat comfortable. They had food available for sale should one want it, and had no problem with passengers bringing their own food.
Good company!
Visited September 2015

What an amazing experience. Everyone working on the boat was so friendly and helpful. The captain was extremely knowledgeable about the orca pods. The hubs and I just needed a ferry to get from Friday Harbor to Port Townsend. This happened to be the main line and a whale watch tour was an added bonus. We came up on the J Pod with about 15 orcas. Incredible to see them up close in their habitat!

We booked a trip out of Port Townsend. We didn’t kniw what to expect and thought it was simply an express boat to Friday Harbor with a little whale watching along the way.
The captain went out of his way to make sure we spotted several different pods or Orcas as well multiple calfs. We saw spy hopping, breaching, tail slapping, etc. They staff showed us an active bald eagle nest with two eagles nestled inside.
The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, engaging, and accommodating to other passangers who were disabled.
We stopped in Friday harbor for a very quick lunch and then back on the boat where we had cushions out on the bow and blankets for comfort. Such an amazing adventure. I highly recommend this trip to anyone.

We have gone out on the full day tour from Port Townsend to Friday Harbor with PS Express every summer for the last 5 years. We always have a great time. The staff are great at their jobs — very knowledgeable and friendly people. Just listening to their information is a great time. The boat is comfortable and safe and the layover in Friday Harbor is a fun way to spend some time on San Juan island without having to get on a ferry and get there yourself.
I think it is ridiculous that some people give PS Express a bad review because they did not see whales. These whales are WILD ANIMALS people! If you want a guarantee to see a whale, go see a sad captive whale at Sea World. I appreciate that PS Express does not approach and harass the resident Orca whale pods. Instead they hang respectfully back as whales swim by at a distance. On one spectacular trip we were sitting on the stationary boat and the captain was getting information about a pod in the area — when out of the fog an entire pod of whales swam right by the boat! It was incredible — really one of the most thrilling things I have ever seen. But on one of our trips we didn’t see anything. No whale, no seals, no birds even… nothing. But it wasn’t the fault of PS Express — although they did kindly issue us a voucher to use at a later date.
The point is that these are wild animals that you have may have the privilege (not the right) of seeing — not circus side shows there for your entertainment.

Absolutely incredible experience– we watched about a dozen transient orcas for 2.5−3 hours of our 4 hour tour. The staff was very knowledgable, friendly, and fun. The Red Head is a spacious vessel and offers multiple viewing/​seating options, both indoor and outdoors. We saw the Seattle/​Edmonds boat, which seemed very nice, just not as intimate. We would highly recommend spending the night and taking the tour out of Port Townsend. Bring a jacket and telephoto lens for quality photos as the orcas are typically a minimum of 100 – 200 yards away. We improvised with an iPhone and binoculars, but the results were still phenomenal. I’ve posted a short 4 second video of a calf breaching for your enjoyment.

We just had the best day ever! We saw a transient pod of orca (including a small calf), and not one but TWO humpbacks!!! My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience with this comfortable and knowledgeable crew! Great job Captain Ana, Anna, and Renee!

We left out of Edmonds at 2:30PM destination somewhere near the San Juan islands. We were lucky on this trip — about halfway into our journey out the sister ship radioed they had spotted a humpback. We met up in the same area and got to see it for about a half hour before it went down for a deep dive. After that we continued on to the San Juans and came across the K pod who were very playful. Lots of tail splashing and one flip! So cool to see!
The crew was very knowledgeable and friendly. Also in communication with other whale watching boats in order to give you the best chance of seeing some wildlife!
Light refreshments on board (we brought our own snacks), clean bathrooms, ample space to move about the cabin. You can go on the back deck whenever you want (just take a buddy!). They have binoculars you can borrow, which is nice because we hadn’t brought any.
Lastly, get the blueberry buckle. Just do it!

We had the best time! Captain Rob, Anna and Rob were stellar as the crew. Friendly, helpful and just generally awesome! This was my first time seeing orcas and it was something I’ll always cherish! Being able to leave from Edmonds and ride the fastest boat were total bonuses!

Great Crew.
However: They took us out despite bad weather & choppy waters. No whales. After a bumpy Ferry ride and NO whales: refusal of refund ($ 207.10 for 2 people), even partial. There was a group of 8: So they «lost» just well over $ 800. Owners first words of response was to call my lawyer, as they only willing to give a voucher. (Knowing that the chances are slim that people from far way would come back). I for my part will fight the charges. Too bad that they left my perfect vacation with such bitter taste in my mouth.

They advertise heavily that you will see orcas on your trip. We did not! We barely saw 2 humpback whale fins swimming around for about 30 minutes during our 4 hour boat trip and that was it! Enough for them to meet their guarantee that you will see whales. I cannot believe I paid $ 100 a person to see that. My husband and I were beyond disappointed. Not seeing orcas pretty much ruined our vacation since that’s why we came to Washington.

This company is really amazing. From check in until the end, the crew went out of their way to make sure we were happy. We did the full day cruise and saw whales for a couple of hours. Seals, an otter in Friday Harbor and all sorts of birds. The islands on the way are gorgeous and mysterious looking. Uhh… Blueberry buckle? delicious!
The ride back was super rough so I got pretty nervous but they made sure to calm everyone’s nerves. ;) Had quite a few cases of sea sickness on the boat and the crew handled it gracefully so no one felt embarrassed while they were throwing up their lunch. (Yum)
The 2 hour break in Friday harbor was nice and relaxing. If you get off the boat, up to the road and turn left, at the end there is a little wine shop with wine tasting!
We will be telling everyone how wonderful Puget Sound Express is!

Puget Sound Express out of Edmonds – so fun. I can’t wait to do it again. Even if we didn’t see whales the day we went out, it would have been fun. It takes about an hour to get from Edmonds to the San Juan’s on their foil-​cat – then you have a couple of hours to spot whales and porpoises. We did see the J-​pod, their 2 babies and big Mike. It was so beautiful and so worth it. The crew was great, the price was decent and the day was perfect. This is a great thing to do with anyone and everyone. HIGHLY recommended!

This was my first whale watching tour and it was very exciting– We departed out of Edmonds at 9:30am destination San Juan Islands. Took about 1:15 mins to reach our final destination and it was very foggy and the smoke from the wild fires added to our view (which was a bummer but was still enjoyable). Once we reached the San Juans luckily the fog and smoke cleared enough to see the shore and whales.
When we reached the Strait of Juan De Fuca it was very bumpy and I got a little sea sick. I know for future to take something, or buy one of those bracelets they sell. We finally got there and we spent about 80 minutes watching about 7 members of the K pod (couldn’t tell from that distance but seemed about right) from a distance forage for salmon which was really cool. I wish we could get closer, but of course the law is 200 yards away and the crew seemed to even stay a little farther back then that (its a big boat) and I respect that .
I do wish we could have spent more time out of the water, but it does take a while to get out to the bank we were at… We didn’t see any other wildlife on our trip but that was due to the fog, smoke and rough seas… My back is a little sore from the bumps we hit, and although it was a fun ride it turned a little wild due to the rough seas and our speed and I probably should have prepared myself a little more,
Overall it was a great experience– Friendly staff, You can bring your own binoculars or they have some on board you can borrow (but there is no strap so be careful not to drop them overboard lol). They have a variety of food and drink for sale. You will see the whales from a distance unless you are lucky enough that they swim toward you, but regardless its a very nice experience to have :)

Friendly crew! Great boat. There is an indoor and outdoor seating on the boat so depending on the weather you can sit wherever is more comfortable. The galley has snacks and sandwiches but not a full kitchen. Your welcome to bring your own food however. Very enjoyable!

After long years trying to chase whales from shore with little success I finally told my Husband I wanted to go on boat.
After much research we settled on Puget Sound Express. The have added a boat «Chilkat» out of Edmonds! So nice we don’t have to drive up to Anacortes or Friday harbor.
Parking was $ 6 and easy to find with the a board signs.
We boarded at 9:15 and we’re off. Seats are
Comfy and the boat is open and airy. Food was amazing! Try the blueberry buckle!
So off we went and after a couple of hours heading north we found Minke whales. Tough to see they dive quick! It was fun to learn about how to spot them.
we headed north again just in time to get a glimpse of a humpback. We only got to see it a short while… because of long dives.
But the captain didn’t stop there. We
Headed to the Lime Kiln area and got to spend 30 minutes with a pod of Orcas. We didn’t have any «close encounters» them because they crew was whale wise and respected their space unlike the other
Boats around!
The bathrooms on board are clean and spacious and did I mention how fast this boat was!
I am looking forward to making this an annual outing. Well worth the cost!

Beautiful day in Seattle sun shining clear skies and whale watching who could ask for more. I had a great time whale watching. We saw one of the more illusive whales the me minke whale. They do not travel in pods and they do not need to surface often. They can stay under for up to 15 min and have been known to stay under for up to an hour. They have a long sleek back and a small c shape dorsal fin. We saw two different ones the naturalist were great at explaining the wild life and giving information.
The boat was really comfortable and not to big so there were not a lot of people and crowded. I would definitely suggest you check out the whale watching your if it is the season. Just riding on the boat was nice and relaxing. Only thing missing was music. But that’s not a game stopper. Have fun!

I saw orcas come up right next to the boat. I was not expecting to see them that close. Also saw a porpoise and some sea lions. Unfortunately did not get to see a humpback whale but we tried. Captain was very knowledgeable and very friendly. Boat was to capacity and did not feel crowded. Staff was very friendly. I was hesitant about doing the whale tour at first but very happy that I went. Highly recommend it.

I found Puget Sound Express through a Groupon offer they ran earlier this spring. Having said that, I will gladly pay full price for my ticket when we return!
We embarked on the 8 hour San Juan Island whale watching tour. Make sure you check in half an hour early or your reservation may be given to a standby passenger. Boarding was easy and my group was seated in a booth with another couple on the boat. Spend the $ 3 and get at least one piece of blueberry buckle. It warmed us through on a chilly May morning. Don’t forget to layer your clothing. You’ll end up spending some time on the outside deck and it gets chilly on the water.
The action picked up about two hours in to the tour. We saw multiple minke whales. We moved on to an area about half an hour away where there were reports of a humpback whale. Upon our arrival, a humpback breached twice right in front of us. Breathtaking.
This would have been enough but the icing on the cake came when we were alerted of nearby transient Orcas. Another 45 minutes and we arrived. A pod of four transients, including a calf, swam close to Friday Harbor. Our fantastically nautical captain, Corey, guessed correctly where the Orcas would surface after a long dive. Engines quieted, we all waited until that amazing moment. They swam right by our boat and it is something I will always remember. We spent two hours in Friday Harbor before making the journey back to Port Townsend.
I so appreciated the reverence and respect that this company shows to wildlife. One passenger asked if we could get the boat closer to the whales. The crew’s polite answer was no – the safety of the whales is top priority. After all, we were in their neighborhood. Seeing whales in captivity has nothing on this experience; wild and free, the way they are meant to be. If you’re on the fence about this, give whale watching tour a try. You will be convinced!
I cannot wait for another visit to this area and will definitely use PGE again. A++, highly recommend!