Took the 3 hour tour yesterday (April 9th) in the afternoon. Saw 4-5 orca, seals, sea lions, bald eagles, and a river outter. We also got a little geography lesson on honey comb erosion and dinosaur fossils in the area. Our captain, Paul, was extremely laid back and fun to talk to. Our naturalist, Katie, was super energetic and fun to be around. Both guides were very enthusiastic about the animals and answered any question from us guests and made a point to talk to everyone and get everyone involved. They also dropped the hydrophone a few times and we got to listen to the orcas vocalizing. Best whale watching tour I've been on with a great bunch of helpful and extremely polite guides who really love their job. I will definitely be returning in the near future. Don't forget to tip these awesome people! read more

I have taken multiple Humpback whale watching charters out of all the Hawaiian islands and this was my first Orca tour. I have always always been satisfied with my experiences and no two trips are the same but I must say that we sailed on a day like no other. The water was smooth like silk and the air was crisp and I think it was the perfect day to watch a family of Orcas fishing off the San Juan islands. Truly an amazing experience to watch them with a backdrop of pure splendor. Captain Paul rocked!!! He made sure we got to see it all. We not only saw Orcas, but a humpback whale and Sea Lions. Much Mahalo's to him and his sidekick Anna who was soooo knowledgeable about everything about the Oceans surrounding the islands. The boat we took was Aluminum and rode super smooth and didn't make my 67 year old mom or my 5 year old son sick and they felt safe walking around while the boat was moving. There were so many spots to watch the whales, upstairs downstairs, inside, outside. Didn't matter where you were, they were all great spots. Thank you, thank you to the super friendly crew and awesome experience for me and my family. It was an experience that I completely recommend. Ask for Paul to give you the experience that Brittany and Cherlita had. I promise, he will not let you down. read more

Outer Island Expeditions - Shaka! - Fishing Near Me - Eastsound, Washington

Katy P and Ryan were awesome guides. We saw multiple harbor seals including pups and eagles. It was a great trip lots of good pointers and Katy, Ryan and the other guide were helpful and treated everyone great. Thanks read more

We went kayaking and saw baby seals, jellyfish and two bald eagles. Our guide Katie P was great! would definitely recommend

Great orca watching tour today on the Triton with Captain Sky. He look the time to point out interesting areas in the San Juans where we saw everything from ungulates to marine mammals including some up close orca watching. Sky was very knowledgeable of the local area and environment, we would definitely book again! read more

terrible service. ordered tickets on living social- all dates were booked. when i called i had to leave a message- my call was not returned, then when i called again i was hung up on. get it together guys. read more

BUYER BEWARE!!! If I could give "0" stars or negative stars for their customer service; I would!!!! I unfortunately called to make reservations for a whale watching tour. First, they upsold me on the sunset cruise stating that "you want to avoid all the other boats that are out there during the miday 1pm trip". I found out later they just wanted to fill empty spots. Second, they never informed me of the 72 hour cancellation policy via phone. And when I tried to cancel due to ferry scheduling, they were only willing to give us a rescheduling option or trying to sell my tickets to another BUT no money back; after, discussing rather heatedly with the person, who first took my reservations, finally admitted that he didn't disclose any of the cancellation policy they offered to discuss with their supervisor about an"exception." An exception is not even a refund! It's 75% return. They keep 25% for allowing us to cancel! For a trip that's $350, that's $87.50 charge! We had to cal 3 times to find out the status of our exception and if they could sell our tickets. With no luck on a full refund, we decided to risk going back on the ferry via stand by and went whale watching. While waiting in line, they sold tickets to 2 standby passengers! What! Those were people who could've bought our tickets for a refund. If you want to watch whales go somewhere else. They are all the same. The captain/drivers all talk to each other if they spot orcas. I would never recommend this company to any of my friends. BUYERS BEWARE!!!! read more

OK. So, basically you get 5 stars because of your guide, Chris. Seriously. How did you get this crazy Oklahoman to these hippie infested Islands?! (well, maybe he was always a tree-loving hippie at heart) He made a pretty average kayaking day trip into such a fun experience. Very knowledgeable of the local wildlife and geology. Very easy to feel excited about whatever he is talking about! He also did an excellent job of making all 8 of us feel welcomed, involved and comfortable. So, long story short, ask for Chris. If it wasn't for Chris, I'd give OIE a 3 star rating. Obviously, they should REALLY get a full time secretary. I mean, come on. These poor guys are busy enough without trying to be all sweet and easy with EVERYBODY that calls every 2 minutes... but, that is what you hire a secretary for. So, HIRE ONE. Just do it. Your first impression is everything. And you are failing the first impression on the phone. I did the all day Sucia Island Kayak trip and it was a nice calm water, cloudy day with baby seals and LOTS of Lion "sea jellies" (to the rest of us non-biologists, that is a jelly fish). It was a long beautiful day of kayaking with good sights and people. read more

We used Outer Island Expeditions for a charter fishing trip back in June. We were fortunate enough to have Skye as our captain, he was awesome!! All 4 of us have limited fishing experience and the whole experience was easy and fun. We each caught several fish each. Skye made sure to point out all of the local highlights in addition to bringing us to the best fishing places. If we're ever back on Orcas Island, we will definitely go again! read more

The second star is because our captain was a nice guy. We booked a salmon fishing charter about a week ahead of our vacation and then got a call a few days later to change the day - no big deal, we still had a morning time a lot which is what we were looking for. I called to confirm a day ahead to make sure there was no confusion and we showed up at 7 as directed. Our captain told us that salmon weren't really running yet and that most of the fish were still south of San Juan island (where the Orcas are feeding) but that they have caught a few north of Orcas. We were hopeful that we'd still catch something. We waited for the other three people who were supposed to be on our trip for a while but they didn't show so it ended up just being the two of us. Sounds good right? Well about an hour in once we were already on the water the captain told us that the owner told him that our four hour charter was only going to be three hours since the other three people didn't show up. Not cool - it's not our fault they didn't show - why should we be shortchanged. Anyway... We left the marina and about ten minutes later the captain told us "we're here". We were a little surprised since he had told us that salmon weren't in this part much but said they had caught some so we trusted his judgement. He said the other area is almost an hour away so we were lucky this area has fish. Or not. We didn't catch anything. Zilch. Nada. Not a bite. We kept cruising the same area ten minutes out of the arena for the entire shortened tour. I get that it's called fishing for a reason but when you pay $140 per person (with a voucher - I would have been even more pissed if we paid the full price of $250 per person) they should either A. Let us know we called to confirm that salmon weren't running B. not shortened the tour and taken to where the salmon were - I'd rather fish for two hours where the fish are than three where they aren't or C. Taken us to catch something else. Maybe they are counting on the fact that people are passing through and this won't bite them back but I wouldn't go with them again and would certainly recommend checking with a third party that salmon are running before before you book because obviously they won't let you know ages of time. read more

Boat was called the Blackfish 3, but perhaps more aptly should have been named Blackfish 0 today since that is exactly how many Orcas we saw. I didn't pay over 100 dollars a head and drive my fussy little toddler clinging onto her Shamu doll more than 1 1/2 hours from the city to sit on a crowded boat for 3 1/2 hours to see ZERO Orcas. The guarantee they tout on their webpage with killer whale pictures plastered on it should emphasize it is not a guarantee for killer whale sightings which is probably what 95% of their customers want to see. I suggest maybe they post what percentage of their tours actually see killer whales instead. We did do our due diligence and called before the booking and were assured that there was a very high probability of seeing Orcas. If you still decide to book with this company definitely check groupon before paying over a hundred bucks a head like I did. Paying twice the groupon cost for 0 Orcas sightings was just insult on top of injury. read more

Worst experience ever! Never have I been treated so horribly by the owner. I was really excited to go on this tour, I had read great reviews for this company. We arrived to the ferry terminal early for the 10:20 a.m. departure, started boarding and the ferry had mechanical issues which made us late for our 1:00 p.m. whale watching tour. We were supposed to check in at 12:30 p.m. I had called Outer Island Expeditions and let them know what was going on and that we were not forfeiting our tickets but that the ferry was broke down. Which he said "Okay, thank you for letting us know. There is another group on the same ferry" By this time, it would have put us at 12:45 for our check in. We arrived at Shaw Island to drop off those passengers, the ferry pulled out, then all of a sudden we started to pull back into the dock. Some moron didn't realize it was their stop and the ferry had to pull back in and drop them off. This now put us at 1:00 for the tour. We were going to be late. I again, called Outer Island, told them what happened and that we were now leaving the ferry, but we were going to be late. Again, "Okay, don't worry, there are other options we can provide, we'll see you soon," I was a little relieved by those words. We get to Outer Island at 1:15 p.m. I rush in and gentleman at the counter says " relax, breathe, it's ok, you made it". I saw another couple there already, which was a couple on the same ferry that had made them late too for the 1:00 tour. I run to the bathroom, and come back to find the owner of the company Beau, already talking to my boyfriend and the other couple. I catch the middle of the "speech" and Beau says we can either: 1. Go on the 5:00 p.m. tour 2. Refund minus 25% 3. Go now on a boat but that will only be 1.5 hours versus the 3.5 hour tour. The catch: We had to decide AS A GROUP on what we wanted. I felt this was unfair because one of us were going to get screwed. The couple wanted to do the 5:00 tour, which we couldn't do. We chose the 1:00 because it would get us home by 11:30 p.m. (Seattle), the 5:00 would put us home around 1:30 a.m. We told him this, plus the fact the ferry was behind schedule and we didn't know if that puts the rest of the departures 1.5 hours behind. So we tried to play it safe so that we could make it home. I told Beau, I wanted the refund since the couple didn't want to go on the boat at that time, they wanted their moneys worth, which I don't blame them! Beau then tells me " You aren't listening, it's either you go on the 5:00pm tour as a group or nothing, but you have to decide now what you want to do, together." I told him that isn't fair, we don't know these people and our fates are in each others hands. We can't do the 5:00, I just want my money back so we can try and catch the ferry home. He said again, that's not an option, your not listening. Either go now, go at 5 but you have to decide as a group. He was trying to BULLY us into a decision because he was the owner and was flexing his power. I asked for him to check his 5:00 pm schedule and if the other couple can go on that tour and just give us the refund, he said NO. He refused to check the book. I didn't want to screw the couple out of their tour, and I didn't want to get screwed either. After a few more times of me telling him that it wasn't fair for either party to decide, and feeling bullied, he finally said I'll give you the refund. I said good, I then started to hand him my credit card, and again, told him this isn't fair. He then raised his arm and pointed to the door and told me to get out. I was like WTF, are you serious? I didn't yell at him, he accused me of raising my voice which I didn't AT ALL! He didn't like me disagreeing with his "options". which weren't really options at all. So I gave my card to my BF, and I left to the parking lot and called my sister crying and telling her what happened. Beau, then gets all cocky to my BF and gave the impression to him the " I showed her" attitude. But he did refund the port fees and told us that he was going to mark our Groupon vouchers as used and for us to "Try and get our money back from Groupon." He then tells my BF if she doesn't keep it down, I'm calling the cops. Which did it, I then raised my voice so that everyone around me could hear what he did. Not one time did I raise my voice to a yell, nor was there a yelling match between us. My tone matched his. In all fairness, I did say " this is F*d up." The "customer service" at Outer Island Expeditions was horrible. I have never been disrespected, ignored, treated like crap, bullied, and belittled by any company or person representing a company. Like I said, I was really excited to go on this tour. The reviews for the different captains were great. But thanks to the owner Beau he ruined it for me and my boyfriend. read more

We went on the tour at 1pm on August the 20th. I was very excited to this, booking the trip months in advance. Unfortunately our ferry was more than one hour delayed leaving Anacortes. I called the Outer Island Expeditions twice from the ferry that we were running late if there's a chance for them to wait for us 10-15 minutes. I was assured twice that they would wait for us. To my disappointment, we got there at 1.15pm and all boats left without us. I could not believe that. Ok, they couldn't wait, but was is it necessary to promise something that simply wasn't possible? I was told (not sure whether this person was the owner of this place) that there might be some spots available for 5pm tour, when a few minutes after us another couple from the delayed ferry arrived. At this moment we were told that we had two options: get refund, or go on the tour at 5pm. Yet on one condition: both couples had to agree on the same. Me and my boyfriend wanted to go on the 5pm tour, but the other couple couldn't go at the later time. That meant we all loose the trip (!). Why it had to be like this I had no clue. At this time we were told that there's nobody for the 5pm tour and they needed 4 people as a minimum, (strange when it was stated differently few minutes ago!!), and that "this company doesn't run on the ferry's schedule but on their own". The woman from the other couple got because of this in a very bad argument with them and requested refund. When she used strong words she was asked to leave the office without any refund. However her partner was persuasive enough to get the refund. Now it was communicated to me, that we might be able to get some spots at 5pm tour if available, when another couple walked in and they bought the tour. Ok, so we were now 4 people for the tour. At 4.30pm we returned and to my dismay there were 26 people ready for the tour! Wow, this company lies, their customer service sucks, they use strange practices and some of the staff is highly disrespectful to the customers. Ha, but it all works: they got 26 "walk in" customers within few hours. We saw lots of whales from distance, but in the end we got pretty close. No complains, although I will not recommend this company to any of my friends. This company advertises that the whale watching is guaranteed, yet there were plenty of boats by other companies, so do not worry to go with somebody else. Enjoyed the whale watching itself, but the disrespectful personnel, plus the entire situation upon our arrival, overshadowed the overall experience. I cannot write a good review. read more

I purchased a Travelzoo pass for 2 whale watching tickets for a tour in late June, 2015. Shortly after my purchase, I found out that my Dad went into hospice care for the cancer he had been fighting for years. I had to cancel my tour plans to visit my dad. The person from Outer Island i deallt with, Nathan, was totally unreasonable and without commpassion. He refused to waive a 25% cancellation fee, which was not stated anywhere on Travelzoo. He also stated he could resell our tickets quite easily for that time of year for a full refund. I never heard back on the resell, so had to eat the 25% for no service. I will not ever book with them again due to their total non-commpassionate, unwaiverabke refund policy. I would have given a 0 stars if it was available. read more

We were signed up for 10:00 AM Sunday. and invested a fair amount of travel time on this. When we showed up at 9:30 we found out the trip was canceled due to weather, which sort of wrecked it. We didn't get any notice and the weather really wasn't bad. It was about 55 degrees and drizzling, and by 10:30 it was 65 and sunny. We were offered another time, but this isn't something that we could just come back to at a moment's notice. Overall - I would not recommend as something to plan on. read more

Great for those who haven't kayaked at all. There are a couple reasons why I didn't give this place more stars.. One is that we didn't have the option to have single kayaks. Only tandem kayaks were available. I very much dislike tandem kayaking. Since it was a short kayak adventure I didn't mind too much. Two, when we got to Point Dougherty we didn't have any time to ourselves. The guide kept talking. I didn't want to be rude and leave the group. Even though I would have rather not have the guide talk so much I was the only one who tipped the guide. They need a big sign that says "Tip your Guide" Personally I would check out other kayak tours. I still enjoyed my time on this tour. Its hard not to enjoy kayaking in the San Juan Islands especially when the weather was unexpectedly perfect. read more

Office staff has an attitude problem. Group of 8, kayak half day rental on a Saturday. Reserved 6 days in advance for single and double kayaks. I arrived a half hour early before the rest of my party and our reservations time to see that they had inventory on hand for us. No greeting upon entering their office (a converted home). The middle aged, tall, slightly over weight man that finally talked to me after standing around for 20 minutes mentioned that he recommended us double kayaks only due to occasional wind. After the rest of the party got there he said we are not allowed any singles and proceeded to tell us all the bad things that would happen in single kayaks and we aren't good enough kayakers to take them out. The unprovoked authority and attitude he gave us is a poor excuse for quality customer service. There are better ways to set rules without pissing off your customers. Also, we had reservations at noon, we were all there just a few minutes after, we didn't get going until about 12:50pm, they are slow in the office and probably not yet ready for you even if you have reservations. I totally understand some of the other reviewers that had issues with office staff before they even got going on their tour or rental. While some of you just need to understand the ferry better and get there way earlier, even with ferry reservations. After going over to their launching area, staff member Lindsey was very welcoming, cheerful, and gave a brief intro to kayak paddling and techniques, safety gear, and any questions we had. I wish some of the office staff shared her positive attitude. We proceeded to have a great trip down and around Point Doughty in mostly glass like water conditions with warm air temperature. Brought lunch with us in the kayak, they even had dry bags available to borrow. Kayaks, while well used, were in good condition, nothing was broken. Gorgeous views out on the water and when we stopped at the point. Only thing to note, no skirt provided with the kayak, if your friends splash you, you're gonna be wet. read more

Our guide was really great. He seemed to know all of the orca's names and had a story to go with each of them. We saw 2 amazing pods while we were out there too! It was worth the time and money for sure. read more

Ten stars! We had a once-in-a-lifetime whale watching trip. The boat was super fast so most of our time was spent whale watching, the naturalist was incredibly informative not only about the whale pods but also other wildlife, geology, and history. A whale BREACHED ABOUT 200 FEET from the boat!! Beyond that, the most magical moment was drifting near a pod while they swam by and hearing them breathe and even smelling them. And also the sheer wonder in the eyes of my teen girls. Could not have been more magical. Granted, the whales were especially rambunctious and happy that day but I'm sure with this crew you'll have an amazing experience. Thanks, Beau and Bobby, for a memory I'll keep with me always! read more

Took part in the 3 hour kayak trip to point doughty on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. From beginning to end it was nothing short of a good time. After we checked into Smugglers Villa we parked and walked over to our tour guide. Chris was extremely welcoming and made us feel comfortable right off the bat! My boyfriend and I were kind of newbies being that he has never kayaked and it has been a good 10+ years since I had (with camp orkilla to be exact!) and Chris totally put all of our non experince jitters at bay. He was hilarious, informative (not in the boring way either), and overall super friendly. We made great time kayaking from orcas over to point doughty. On the way over we saw Athena the bald eagle as well as a few sea lions. Once we go to Poin Doughty we hiked to the top and Chris told us about how we could surive off the land if we ever got stranded "a la cast away style". On the way back Chris took a little bit of time to get to know us by asking what we do for a living and where we were from. He even told us about some cool spots to check out in Orcas. It was a fantastic way to spend a holiday weekend! Can't wait to go back!! read more

Katie (Priesley) led an awesome kayak tour among Orcas Island! We saw seals, harbor porpoise and sea stars. She was full of fun facts and I had a blast going out with Outer Island! Beautiful area, sea kayaking is a must read more

Our whale watching tour was the highlight of our visit this week on Orcas Island. It was our first time out and it was so exciting to see five whales from the resident L Pod that had just returned the night before. With Captain Paul's experience and expertise he found them easily, and Dana was a wealth of knowledge about whales and other points of interest. We also really enjoyed seeing the 2,000 lb. Steller Sea Lions and learning about them as well. Considering we were out on the boat almost four hours having such a great time, we felt the cost of the tour was well worth it!! read more

My bf and I went with Outer Island Expedition for Whale Watching along with Kayaking. Our guide for both trips were very knowledgeable, and I learned a great deal from them. One of them, I think her name is Katie was studying for her Ph.D, so they do have intelligent staff on board who really care and enjoy spending time with animals and nature. For whale watching, the boat does go very fast, so I would recommend sitting inside until you reach the whales. I went during July, but with how fast the boat was going, the wind will make you feel chilly. I guess because Orcas Island is such a touristy area that you will find many other whale watching boats on the water as well. It was kind of funny how as the whales moved, the whole swarm of boats would move along with them. The kayaking experience was great as well. You don't need to be an experienced kayaker at all and if you get tired, you can rest. During the trip, we parked our kayaks and went for a very short hike on land, and there is an outhouse available during our break. It is pretty smelly though so I recommend using the restroom before kayaking so you don't have to use the outhouse. I suggest wearing water shoes and any waterproof clothing or at least pants that dry fast. The kayaking trip is pretty long, I can't remember exactly I think 3-4 hours so do pack some snacks and water. They give you a waterproof bag that you can put your belongings in. read more

We went on the whale watching trip at sunset. The boat was comfortable and the captain and naturalist were great. Some people might have difficulty climbing the ladder to the upper deck, but the views are great from where ever you are. Yes, we saw lots of orcas and got to watch them for a while. Because we went at sunset, our photographs were really outstanding. I had such a great time, I went back for a second time! Both times, saw lots of whales and beautiful scenery. read more

Looked and called several places but chose Outer Island Exp. because of their departure location and website info. Went out with my mom on their custom built whale watching boat which was very thoughtfully designed and a really comfortable and super fun ride! We rode up top with our Captain Joe who was warm, funny, incredibly smart and charming. He was the best guide I've ever had for a boating tour, filled with info about the water, whales and the other researchers and boats your sharing the water with and so much more! We saw a beautiful bald eagle, in a special spot he took us to on the way to the orcas. The whales were amazing it was almost like they were performing for us. Watching them play and having Joe explain what they are doing and when they will be back up for air or how they are chasing salmon was really cool. I recommend OIE 100%. Several of the people that were out with us were coming back for there 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th time out with Outer Island Expeditions and by the end of the trip I could really see why. Thanks so much for the awesome memories! read more

My wife and I really enjoyed this outing. The boat was fast and stable and the crew was really informative and freidly. Lots of Orca's and seals. Would highly recommend this trip read more

We got a groupon for the whale tour out of Orcas Island. We had some problems trying to reserve a spot, because the day and time we really wanted to go only had one spot left for groupon holders. It was my boyfriend's birthday, so we were really hoping to go out on the actual day at 1pm. We had made a reservation for the 5pm because it had spots available, which would have been fine, but the only problem was we had a dog that we were going to kennel during the day, but couldn't in the evening. When we finally realized there weren't going to be any more spots available for the 1pm, we talked with Outer Island Expeditions and they helped us get on a boat for a different day but at 1pm. They were really understanding and helpful. I really appreciate them doing that. The tour was great! My only complaint was I wish we went directly to the whales instead of stopping and seeing other things. I feel like we could have had more time see the whales that way and that was the whole purpose of the trip. The staff was really knowledgeable and friendly. Another plus was that they let you bring your own food and drink on board, including alcohol. They did have some things for purchase too, even though I didn't see what they were. I will book with this company again if I'm ever back on the island, which hopefully I am! read more

We were one of the lucky tours that had excellent weather, smooth sailing (seriously, the water was like glass), AND we found four orcas. If you get to choose, the black boat doesn't look as nice, but it's MUCH faster and you will get more time with the whales. Our guides Lindsay and Beau (sp?) were knowledgable and more importantly, respectful of the whales we encountered. I've been on many whale watching trips and I hate the feeling that you're chasing them in the water. We very patiently idled the boat many times and let the whales swim around us. All in all, a very beautiful evening. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose when it comes to mother nature, but we won big! read more

Great crew, brand new boat, lots of animals including killer whales, porpoises, harbor seals, eagles, puffins and cormorants. Really amazing experience! read more

My husband and I took the 4 hour whale watching tour out of Orcas Island. Our captain Paul and guide Lindsay were great! Paul had a great sense of humor and Lindsay had such a great knowledge of the wildlife being a marine biologist, as well as knowledge of the San Juan Islands in general. My husband and I learned so much and enjoyed our time tracking a 2 different pods of transient Orcas. We would definitely book with Outer Island Expeditions again! read more

This was our first time doing this expedition. We had a large group of 8, including kids. Everyone had a great time! Prior to our departure day, I tried calling them and got voice message; however, received call back much faster than I anticipated. Person on the phone was pleasantly patient and I did not feel rushed. On day of our trip weather was gorgeous & we saw transient orcas w/6mo calf! seals and bald eagles. Captain handled the boat well; naturalist on board was friendly and knowledgeable. I do recommend this activity with this company. read more

We recently went on a whale watching tour with Outer Island Expeditions and though our own relationship with them is of a business nature, I can confidently say I witnessed nothing but respectful and friendly interactions between them and the rest of their customers. The captains, Benson and Lindsey, were amazing. They worked in tandem so that everyone saw what they came to see and so that my crew could get the photos and videos we needed. The naturalists on board were incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating, as well. The culture that Outer Island Expeditions has fostered, directly influenced an environment where every participant felt included and many of them, previously strangers, left the boat as friends. The boat was comfortable and large enough to feel protected but small enough to feel intimate. We saw sea lions, seals, plenty of birds, lighthouses and of course, the orca pod. The check in process was simple and snacks/beverages/souvenirs were offered for sale before and after the tour. From a business standpoint, Beau was a pleasure to work with - both respectful and direct. Overall, I can't speak highly enough of this company. I can't wait to work with them again and eventually, to bring our entire family on a tour. read more

Great whale watching excursion. We saw a group of killer whales. Sarah and Captain Steve were excellent!

We (my wife, adult son, his wife, and I) went on a four-hour fishing trip a few weeks ago, with OIE, and were very satisfied. We were staying in Birch Bay, near the Canadian border, and saw their promo flyer at the resort. Originally we were interested in fishing for salmon, but Beau persuaded us to change our mind, by explaining that salmon fishing is more passive -- trolling, being patient, kind of hit or miss -- whereas bottom fishing would be more active and fun, with a greater likelihood of catching more fish, particularly at this time of year. That sounded better so we went with that, and we were not disappointed! Our captain, Troy, took us out to a couple spots near one or two of the San Juan Islands. He had all the rods and reels set up for us in advance of course. With the equipment he had, he was able to position us directly over the rocky reefs, and he showed us exactly how to bait the hooks (and thereafter either let us do that ourselves or, in most cases, did it for us), and showed us the technique for lowering and setting our lines. We started getting bites immediately, and each of us reeled in at least three or four huge ling cod and rockfish apiece, over the next couple hours. Unfortunately, we happened to be there a week before the season started, and both Beau and Troy had advised us ahead of time that we would not be able to keep any ling cod or rockfish we caught, except for one or two specific kind. But that didn't diminish the fun of catching them and taking some cool photos! Troy was absolutely great; he was genuinely excited to go fishing with us, he really hustled the whole time, moving deftly between the four of us to keep the action going, and helping to land every fish we hooked. In my opinion, successful fishing does involve a bit of luck, but more so it depends on knowing the best spots (location), and knowing the most appropriate type of rig and technique to use for the specific type of fish you're going after. In that regard, Troy was a real expert and that's the main reason we had a great time. And his enthusiasm and great attitude made it fun and enjoyable also. We learned a lot from him, and from Beau, including the fact that timing is also a factor -- they scheduled our outing according to the tides that day and that made a difference as well. The only minor complaints I might make are that initially it was a little hard to find the boat at the meet-up place, because we couldn't see it from the street or even from the parking lot, the boat itself was a bit small for the five of us and it was a little difficult to move around in, and it had no sheltered cabin (it wasn't the "Triton" you see in the promo photos), so the ride out there and back was a little chilly, windy, wet and bumpy. But as I said, those are minor things, the kind you'd expect on most any fishing trip; overall the outing was a great success and lots of fun. We did get to keep one of the fish we caught -- a "greenling," which we took over to Barleans' Seafood nearby and for five bucks they cleaned and filleted it for us. Thanks, OIE, for one of the best fishing experiences we've ever had. read more

My daughter and I did the 3 hour tour to Pt. Doughty on Monday, May 6. Jason and Mary Beth were our guides. It was a gorgeous day, very relaxing and they made you feel like you could stay with them forever. We were able to explore Pt. Doughty and see the beautiful landscape, then hop back on for a ride back seeing seals and starfish on the rocks. Best way I have spent 3 hours in a long time. Definitely a memory I will carry with me for a long time. Thank you. read more

We have now done three trips with Outer Island Expeditions over the course of three years: the Point Doughty kayak trip, the Sucia Island trip, and the whale watch trip. All three were very good experiences. The Point Doughty trip was my personal favorite -- our knowledgeable guide took us past the seal whelping grounds. The really impressive thing was that he seemed to have no particular educational background in the region's biology, and had only been on Orcas a relatively short time, but had amassed a pretty decent understanding of the region's ecosystems and wildlife -- they seem to value that at OIE. Sucia Island went smoothly and was well worth the money. The whale watch trip encountered a pretty significant problem -- no whales within several hours of Orcas -- but I thought OIE handled it really well. They offered us a choice of re-booking on a different day, or using the time to do a wildlife tour of the local area. We did the latter, and I thought they did a very good job for a spontaneous unplanned expedition. Overall, I find their service to be friendly and relaxed without being sloppy. As a point of comparison, I called their competition (Shearwater) before the most recent trip and asked about taking my 8 year old son on a kayak trip. They were snotty and condescending over the phone, but OIE reps were patient and informative; and on the trip they were really great with my son, who had never paddled a kayak before (but did great with the guide's instruction and help). read more

Salmon fishing from Lopez Island didn't include any salmon, but captain Jake was great. He taught us all about the various salmon species, lures, equipment, fishing spots, tides and currents. He took us to see whales nearby after we all agreed there weren't any salmon to catch that day. The 26' boat was comfortable for the 4 passengers and captain. It would have been crowded with more. I wish someone would have told me before I booked the trip that fishing gets better later in the season, as I would have booked our trip for a couple of weeks later. Also don't expect any extras like snacks or drinks from Outer Island Expeditions. But, we had a special 4.5 hour outing, all thanks to Captain Jake. read more

Had a great experience with the crew yesterday and were fortunate to see orcas and a humpback whale...on the same trip! I understand this is not common and we were happy just to be out there. There are many choices for whale watching but we will definitely come back to the Outer Island team. read more

My father, sister and I went on the Sucia kayak tour. Our guide, Bobby, was a class act -- helping my father into the kayak and fielding his myriad questions. We also saw a good variety of fauna: saw bald eagles, cool anemone, seals, mink, unending starfish -- and did some great swimming. Money well spent. read more

Went with teenage sons on a sea kayak tour with our leader, Bobby. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day or informative guide. Highly recommend exploring the north beach area. We saw varieties of jellyfish, harbour seals, bald eagles and more ... read more