Outer Island Excursions
Outer Island Excursions
5
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
The San Juan Islands is home to world class whale watching. Orcas, Humpbacks, Grays, and Minke Whales make this region home, along with seals, sea lions, eagles, otters, porpoises, and a wide variety of sea birds. Join our experienced captains and knowledgeable naturalist guides on the adventure of a lifetime on a high speed powerboat out to prime wildlife areas.
Anacortes, Washington
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
358 reviews
Excellent
327
Very good
13
Average
4
Poor
5
Terrible
9
Kristine
3 contributions
Sep 2020
We went on a tour with this company on 9/12/20 and it was phenomenal. Parking was a breeze, just follow the signs as its right behind their building. Our crew was Matt, Alex, and Angelica. The boat was very comfortable and spacious, and they definitely took social distancing/COVID-19 seriously.
They had an interior cabin with a bathroom, snacks for sale, and plenty of room to move around. The boat has a great upper viewing deck with 360 degree views. We were concerned we would not be able to see anything with the smoke that had traveled into the area overnight from the wildfires.
We were able to see three Killer Whales, a mother and her two calves and it was absolutely magical. We were so fortunate to even get to see them hunt and kill a porpoise, jumping out of the water multiple times!!! Our guide said she has only seen that one other time as well. This crew did a great job maximizing our time with the whales while maintaining a safe and responsible distance as to not disturb them.
Our captain was very professional, gave us a VERY smooth and safe ride. Alex and Angelica spent extra time educating us about the whales, the area, and other animals, as well as answering any questions we had. I would highly recommend this tour company to anyone who is in the Anacortes region.
They had an interior cabin with a bathroom, snacks for sale, and plenty of room to move around. The boat has a great upper viewing deck with 360 degree views. We were concerned we would not be able to see anything with the smoke that had traveled into the area overnight from the wildfires.
We were able to see three Killer Whales, a mother and her two calves and it was absolutely magical. We were so fortunate to even get to see them hunt and kill a porpoise, jumping out of the water multiple times!!! Our guide said she has only seen that one other time as well. This crew did a great job maximizing our time with the whales while maintaining a safe and responsible distance as to not disturb them.
Our captain was very professional, gave us a VERY smooth and safe ride. Alex and Angelica spent extra time educating us about the whales, the area, and other animals, as well as answering any questions we had. I would highly recommend this tour company to anyone who is in the Anacortes region.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this kind review. We love showing our guests a great day on the water - even when the conditions aren't perfect.
We're so glad you saw whales and had a great time. Come back soon!
Written September 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oritt B
New York City, NY19 contributions
Oct 2020
Overall one of the best experiences of our entire two month road trip! First, the guides were awesome and made everyone feel safe while accommodating our large group size (15). Second, the length of the tour was perfect - not so long that you are in pain and want it to be over, but long enough for a burn and to feel like you really got the most out of the day! Great difficulty level too for the occasional kayaker. The location and day we had were superb and we couldn't have asked for better. Gorgeous views or Canada, the islands and we even ran into a raft of sea lions doing sea lion things! Had a great lunch and bathroom break stop as well. Highlight of the trip, highly recommend to all!
Written November 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HEATHER J
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
Many thanks for an outstanding experience! Captain Jim and Naturalists Dana and Meg are what truly made this trip a unique and highly rewarding experience. The scenery is picturesque and serene and the ride was smooth.
As orcas were spotted, Captain Jim positioned the boat to allow everyone on board to enjoy the view. Dana and Meg were the best part of the adventure as they filled in the "lulls" between deep dives and surfacing with their expertise on all things orca and Salish Sea. The orcas were mesmerizing and Captain Jim patiently stayed extra long for us to get in as much viewing as possible.
I highly recommend this trip for old and young alike!
As orcas were spotted, Captain Jim positioned the boat to allow everyone on board to enjoy the view. Dana and Meg were the best part of the adventure as they filled in the "lulls" between deep dives and surfacing with their expertise on all things orca and Salish Sea. The orcas were mesmerizing and Captain Jim patiently stayed extra long for us to get in as much viewing as possible.
I highly recommend this trip for old and young alike!
Written August 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanne May A
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
If I were reviewing just their costumer service, I’d give them 5 stars. Today, 8/8/20, Capt Jim and naturalist Alex and Aubrey were awesome. We were able to see a humpback whale and Alex explained a lot about it. She also answered all of our questions with ease. I would recommend them and return for another visit when Corona Virus is no longer an issue.
My issue was the mask compliance. Everyone was supposed to wear their masks the whole time, we signed waivers before boarding the ship about corona virus safety. A group of 10 who sat behind us, removed their masks the moment they got on the boat. Let me be clear, There is no way to social distance inside of the boat. 22 people were in our cabin and 8 people plus 3 staff were in the front cabin. My group of 6 went upstairs as soon as we could to get away from them. Two other couples also went upstairs and wore their masks correctly the whole time. I assume To leave the cabin where no one else would wear their mask over mouth AND nose. The staff did not encourage passengers to put masks on, even though it is state mandated. When I mentioned something to the group, they just laughed it off. In a boat of 30 passengers, only 10 of us wore masks correctly for the entire trip. One naturalist, I believe Aubrey, only put her mask on when she saw that we all were wearing our masks. She was talking to the non masked passengers behind us without a mask.
We understand that if you are eating or drinking, you can take your mask off. But literally, passengers were running around with masks on their chin. There was a man who was spitting off the boat, multiple times, upwind from us.
It is the business’ responsibility to keep us safe, that includes asking passengers to wear the mask. They did provide hand sanitizer and wiped down railings twice. The captain was driving, so maybe he didn’t notice the masks but the naturalists did see it. This is an issue for me because I am 4 months pregnant. Had I known staff wouldn’t encourage mask compliance, I would not have gotten on the boat.
If you are not concerned about Corona Virus, I would recommend for you to do Outer Island Excursions ASAP. Their knowledge and costumer service was on point. But if you are concerned about it, which we all should be, I would wait until they can guarantee mask compliance.
My issue was the mask compliance. Everyone was supposed to wear their masks the whole time, we signed waivers before boarding the ship about corona virus safety. A group of 10 who sat behind us, removed their masks the moment they got on the boat. Let me be clear, There is no way to social distance inside of the boat. 22 people were in our cabin and 8 people plus 3 staff were in the front cabin. My group of 6 went upstairs as soon as we could to get away from them. Two other couples also went upstairs and wore their masks correctly the whole time. I assume To leave the cabin where no one else would wear their mask over mouth AND nose. The staff did not encourage passengers to put masks on, even though it is state mandated. When I mentioned something to the group, they just laughed it off. In a boat of 30 passengers, only 10 of us wore masks correctly for the entire trip. One naturalist, I believe Aubrey, only put her mask on when she saw that we all were wearing our masks. She was talking to the non masked passengers behind us without a mask.
We understand that if you are eating or drinking, you can take your mask off. But literally, passengers were running around with masks on their chin. There was a man who was spitting off the boat, multiple times, upwind from us.
It is the business’ responsibility to keep us safe, that includes asking passengers to wear the mask. They did provide hand sanitizer and wiped down railings twice. The captain was driving, so maybe he didn’t notice the masks but the naturalists did see it. This is an issue for me because I am 4 months pregnant. Had I known staff wouldn’t encourage mask compliance, I would not have gotten on the boat.
If you are not concerned about Corona Virus, I would recommend for you to do Outer Island Excursions ASAP. Their knowledge and costumer service was on point. But if you are concerned about it, which we all should be, I would wait until they can guarantee mask compliance.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for noting our exceptional customer service and your wonderful experience seeing whales. Creating an environment where guests feel comfortable interacting with our crew is our goal. We hope all guests feel comfortable to ask questions about the ecology and environment. We would recommend using that comfort to speak directly with our crews in the moment so that they can affect change and create a safe environment. We are always happy to address a passenger’s need when they are communicated. According to our captain your concerns were not vocalized until after you had disembarked.
Our crew continuously asked the family group in question when not eating or drinking to replace their masks. Our work on mandating compliance might not have been witnessed as you were on a different deck.
Thank you for pointing out that there are multiple places onboard our vessels to socially distance and find outdoor seating away from other groups. We have currently limited our guest capacity to 50% of our seats on board in order to provide space on board the vessel to distance.
Outer Island Excursions is committed to supporting our local and state mandates regarding Covid-19 safety. This training is ongoing and continuously being updated. This is a new situation for us all, so we ask our guests and our crews, to meet this situation with grace and understanding.
Written August 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen S
Sheridan, WY4 contributions
Sep 2019 • Friends
My twin and I along with a great friend, took this tour for our birthday in September - and we are still talking about it today. I neglected to post until now but better late than never. We REALLY enjoyed this tour! The Captain was very entertaining, informational (as well as the crew!), fun plenty of wife life sight-seeing and WE GOT TO SEE WHALES! A successful and wonderful adventure!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dre
Puyallup, WA3 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
First I want to start off by saying that our experience was like none other. In august 28th we met the famous Captain Drew, naturalists Brittany and Trevor and they were freaking amazing.
Second, this team went out of their way the entirety of our trip. They showed sincere, genuine interested in all of the folks on board, they spend the time educating and conversing throughout the trip with everyone.
Third, we were notified that our trip would be a little longer than usual, BOYYYY was it soo worth it. We were able to see 27 ( four families) of Orcas! It was so beautiful and perfect. The weather was amazing, the captain was considerate of all the orcas space and other boats.
My husband and I will never forget this trip. We will be telling everyone about this crew and we anticipate bringing our entire family next trip north.
Without a doubt, it was a beautiful, perfect experience on the water that day.
Thank you crew for being such great educators, we will surely be back!
Second, this team went out of their way the entirety of our trip. They showed sincere, genuine interested in all of the folks on board, they spend the time educating and conversing throughout the trip with everyone.
Third, we were notified that our trip would be a little longer than usual, BOYYYY was it soo worth it. We were able to see 27 ( four families) of Orcas! It was so beautiful and perfect. The weather was amazing, the captain was considerate of all the orcas space and other boats.
My husband and I will never forget this trip. We will be telling everyone about this crew and we anticipate bringing our entire family next trip north.
Without a doubt, it was a beautiful, perfect experience on the water that day.
Thank you crew for being such great educators, we will surely be back!
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandi G
Kingston, RI63 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
We did the 4 hour orca tour on the Blackfish 6 with Captain Drew, Sam, Hannah and Thomas and highly recommend it! The crew was absolutely amazing and brought the trip to the next level. They were so knowledgeable about the specific pods of whales we saw and orca behavior. Hannah, Thomas and Sam were scattered around the boat so no matter where you were, you could choose to listen to what they had to say, or ask a question. If they didn’t know the answer to your question, they would find out! With their “if you see something, say something” attitude, they made you feel apart of the crew. Also Sam gave us the BEST tip to keep our phones on video and get screenshots for photos later since we don’t know what the orcas will do. It paid off BIG TIME when we were watching the orcas hunt and one spy-hopped!
Capt. Drew was charismatic and worked with other boats in the area to make sure we saw whales, but so did they. He communicated with us every step of the way, which especially appreciated when we were going to leave one pod of whales and move to the next. He told us about sighting in the area, would give us a heads up to what side of the boat they would be on, a time warning before moving on and information about why we were moving/where we were going.
In addition to the orcas, we went into Deception Pass, where the crew shared the history of the area and some of the other wildlife we may encounter there. On this trip, not only did we see 9 orcas (2 pods) but countless harbor seals, bald eagles and Stellar sea lions! It was great that the crew pointed them out and took time to explain their behaviors as well.
Definitely book this whale watch! It can be as casual or educational as you’d like. The ship never felt crowded, and both decks offered great views. There is a galley on board for purchasing drinks and snacks. They also offer binocular rentals for a very affordable price at the office before you leave.
Capt. Drew was charismatic and worked with other boats in the area to make sure we saw whales, but so did they. He communicated with us every step of the way, which especially appreciated when we were going to leave one pod of whales and move to the next. He told us about sighting in the area, would give us a heads up to what side of the boat they would be on, a time warning before moving on and information about why we were moving/where we were going.
In addition to the orcas, we went into Deception Pass, where the crew shared the history of the area and some of the other wildlife we may encounter there. On this trip, not only did we see 9 orcas (2 pods) but countless harbor seals, bald eagles and Stellar sea lions! It was great that the crew pointed them out and took time to explain their behaviors as well.
Definitely book this whale watch! It can be as casual or educational as you’d like. The ship never felt crowded, and both decks offered great views. There is a galley on board for purchasing drinks and snacks. They also offer binocular rentals for a very affordable price at the office before you leave.
Written August 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Breanna V
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Solo
If I could give negative stars, I would. Katie cancelled our kayak tour because there were not two other people on the tour. She gave less than 24 hours notice, and offered us whale watching but said we would have to pay the price difference. She also said we could take two kayaks and go on our own, but later said she cancelled the 2pm tour because of the winds picking up. Poor costumer service.
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill F
Arcata, CA53 contributions
Sep 2020
Company should be more flexible for advance cancellations under extenuating circumstances.
Reservation insurance offered through fanshield is a ripoff! They denied our claim since the event had not happened yet - Well duh! Of course it hadn't happened since we had to cancel our trip due to wildfires two days prior to departure and 4 days before the reservation for the kayak trip.
We had to cancel our trip due to wildfires in Oregon which closed I-5 and numerous other highways. This made the trip untenable. We cancelled four days prior to our tour and two days prior to leaving Reno for the three day trip to the San Juan Islands but the company still charged us 25% of the cost.
Reservation insurance offered through fanshield is a ripoff! They denied our claim since the event had not happened yet - Well duh! Of course it hadn't happened since we had to cancel our trip due to wildfires two days prior to departure and 4 days before the reservation for the kayak trip.
We had to cancel our trip due to wildfires in Oregon which closed I-5 and numerous other highways. This made the trip untenable. We cancelled four days prior to our tour and two days prior to leaving Reno for the three day trip to the San Juan Islands but the company still charged us 25% of the cost.
Written September 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our cancellation policy is standard. We're pleased to hear that you have also purchased trip insurance. Once the actual date of your departure is reached you should be able to file a satisfactory claim. While we cannot take responsibility for environmental conditions out of our control, we are pleased to be able to work with a third party vendor who can! Once again, please let us know if you need additional assistance filing your claim. We hope to take you kayaking in the future should you like to go again. Our job is kayaking (and we're great at it!) and your job is getting here - if we work together we're sure to have a great time!
Written September 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Heather W
3 contributions
Aug 2020
Going to see the whales is a way for me to connect with my recurring dreams. So deeply moving to be in their presence. Am I the only one that tears up?? Hope not! After my daughter turned 2, we started taking an annual trip to see the whales together. Now she's 4 and we just took our third trip. David and Brooke were our naturalists and they were very passionate, engaging, fun, and extremely knowledgable.
The level of care and efforts taken to keep everyone safe, regarding COVID and just in general, was impressive. They did great for such a challenging time - especially to bring us so close to a lot of really cool wildlife without being able to cross the Canada border.
The drive for us is over 5 hours one way, but it has always been sooooo worth it. Can't wait til next time. Hoping to go more often than just annually!
The level of care and efforts taken to keep everyone safe, regarding COVID and just in general, was impressive. They did great for such a challenging time - especially to bring us so close to a lot of really cool wildlife without being able to cross the Canada border.
The drive for us is over 5 hours one way, but it has always been sooooo worth it. Can't wait til next time. Hoping to go more often than just annually!
Written August 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave this kind review. We're incredibly proud to be able to offer the opportunity to experience whales in their natural habitat. They are magical creatures and we're so glad to have had you back.
See you next year!
Written August 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We booked a private charter for whale watching. What are the recommendations for tipping? Is it customary?
Written June 11, 2023
Between the 11am & 3pm times, is one better than the other on your chances of seeing orcas? And does it matter if you leave from anacortes vs orcas island?
Written June 5, 2021
They said the time didn’t make the difference in chances of sightings! The marine life is active all day. I took the 11 am trip and got to see a pod of them hunting. And it’s seems all of the whale watching tours in Anacortes, not just outer island, take the same trip up and down the sound since the Canadian boarder isn’t open. There’s a chance you may see a bit more leaving from Orca Island since it’s farther out.
Written June 5, 2021
Hi, are any of the tours/vessels wheelchair accessible?
Written October 6, 2019
I don't believe the vessels are "wheel chair accessible", however, if there is someone with a group that wants to go on a trip I believe that can be done with reasonable certainty. I would contact the company to see if there are any legal/liability considerations.
Written October 7, 2019
Are dogs allowed or are there any dog sitters ?
Written August 29, 2019
we are staying at best western Seattle airport, we will have a rental car. How far are your from there and is there parking. How long would it take us to get there with Seattle traffic for the early whale departure. the address is 20717 international drive
Written June 9, 2019
It is over an hour drive to Anacortes...I think 1.5 hours. I would give yourself 2 hours and 15 minutes yo get there and check in 😁
Written June 10, 2019
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