Island Adventures vs San Juan Excursions
Two whale watching operators in San Juan Islands (Friday Harbor and Anacortes), Washington. Island Adventures starts at $99 and San Juan Excursions at $2,070. Here is how their options line up on length, group size, age rules and cancellation.
Island Adventures
- Reports a whale sighting success rate over 97%
- Signature departures at 8am, 10am, 1pm and 3pm, plus a 5pm sunset trip with a free re-ride if no whales are seen
- Guarantee covers gray, humpback, orca or minke whales; it is an offer to return, not a standby pass, with no blackout dates
- 10-12 hour Extended Range trip for $299 on select dates
- Signature season February to November
Signature Whale Watch
- From
- $99 per adult
- Length
- 3-4 hours
- Cancellation
- Free reschedule up to 24 hours ahead; no refund within 24 hours; $5 per person cancellation fee; weather cancellations refunded
Full Day Whale Watch
- From
- $199 per adult
- Length
- 6-7 hours (10 AM departure, boarding from 9:40 AM)
- Group
- Limited passengers
- Min age
- All ages
- Cancellation
- Free reschedule up to 24 hours ahead; no refund within 24 hours; $5 per person cancellation fee; weather cancellations refunded
San Juan Excursions
- Two certified marine naturalists on every cruise
- Says whales are seen on over 90% of tours
- Bigg's (transient) orcas seen nearly every day, plus gray and minke whales and occasional humpbacks
- Whale season April to early October
- Also runs sea kayak tours
Private Charters
- From
- $2,070 per group
- Length
- 3-hour minimum
- Group
- up to 40 guests at the base rate (up to 80 at higher rates)
Whale Watching Tours
- From
- Not listed
- Length
- 3 to 4 hours
- Cancellation
- Full refund with 48 hours notice for groups under 15, one week for 15 or more
Both checked against the operators' own pages on 2026-10-21. See every operator in San Juan Islands (Friday Harbor and Anacortes), Washington.