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.

We went on the Orcas Only tour in the 3 oclock time slot. The process to check in was smooth and…read moreeasy. A thing to note: parking right by their building is about $13. I believe there was street parking farther away, but we didn't look. TJ and Sophia were great hosts to us. Sophia was very knowledgeable and so willing to answer any questions we had. On the tour, we saw a grey whale from a ways a way. Orcas were being scarce today but we traveled near Seattle and pungent sound. They really went the extra mile to make sure we were able to see orcas as this was not close by. The pod had a NEW BABY! Such an exciting experience. Not only that, they were also having fun socializing and slapping their tails. Then we saw some glorious breaching. It was honestly such a great experience. We were in awe!

I'm quite familiar with this company. I do not recommend you do business there…read more After the original managing partner left the company the remaining owners seemed to have set aside their commitment to quality service and customer safety. Granted, this is only my observation.

Chartered a 45 footer sail boat. Loved it. I had not checked reviews on Yelp prior to renting there…read more(luckily!): I found the staff and the owner to be great. They went the extra mile for us. The boat was in good shape. We had a fantastic time. I'd highly recommend this place and would come back in a heartbeat.

Absolutely Horrible. I can't believe this guy is in business. He hates people…read more Our group had the worst time imaginable. Darrel acts like he is totally being put out and has zero patience. Do yourselves a huge favor and avoid him. And another thing. Always check the filtered reviews. A member of our party checked his Yelp reviews and saw none. (didn't know reviews were filtered). So we wasted our rare time together as well as money. Read the filtered reviews. I have NO doubt they are accurate.

This was by far the worst guided fishing trip i have ever been on. When we booked the trip i had…read morespoken with Darrel about my parties interest in going for Halibut and Ling Cod. He had told me we would fish for both. after a ten minute boat ride, we tied off to an anchor for 6 hours and had 1 bite the entire 6 hours. We did not move once. Darrel was polite enough when he wasn't on his cell phone speaking to other guides and learning about where other fish were biting but still we sat in the same place. After not catching anything Darrel didn't even offer an apology for not catching anything. We all felt cheated at the end of the day and will never use Eagle Point Charters again. Nick

Brett took 4 of us out on 9/10/24 and was amazing. 2 of us were very experienced and 2 were…read moremoderately experienced. Boat and gear were in great shape. We felt he structured the trip to our skills. We limited out. Definitely do it again.

Pros: Beautiful nature, boat ride, fish you get to take home!, nice people, did I mention the…read moreviews!! Cons: none ! We planned a fishing trip with R&R Charters in February, and knowing nothing about fishing Captain Brett taught us so much! He was an awesome captain to have on the boat because he pointed out landmarks, took us north enough to see canada, explained every process on the fishing/gear/how it works, and he helped us catch fish! This was a great hands on experience that helped me understand and learn about fishing. We started kinda early in the morning, but the nice office had FREE COFFEE and a good heater. Then we went out on the boat which was loaded and ready to go (aka i didn't have to do anything ) and went out to multiple fishing spots. Just the boat ride out made me so happy. You could sit inside or outside the heated cabin on our boat which made the ride fun for my boyfriend who wanted to be outside and comfy for me inside. Then Captain Brett set up lines and taught us everything we needed to know! Honestly this was a great addition to our trip to anacortes and The best way to see the San Juan Islands, catch fish, it was educational, and we even got to see seals at the end! This was an awesome date, and would be great for a family trip or with kids. I can't wait to go back and do it again!!

What an incredible Greenling fishing trip with Highliner Charters in the San Juan Islands! We had a…read morephenomenal time, with everyone successfully catching a good amount of greenling for a delicious fish taco dinner. The wildlife viewing was spectacular, and we were absolutely charmed by a large pod of baby seals. The staff were outstanding--so friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely focused on making sure our entire family had a wonderful and fun experience!!

I enjoyed going out with Brett and his mate. They were both very knowledgeable on where and how to…read morefish. I will take his lesson that he taught with me whenever I go out for Lingcod again for the rest of my life. Also I went out for my first mother's day which is one I'll never forget thanks to my to my husband booking Highliner charters which in result gave me an opportunity to catch one of the biggest Lingcods I ever hooked. I highly recommend going out with him, I have no complaints. Bring your snacks and drinks, I didn't end up eating due to all the time being used catching fish.

I've seen some of the negative reviews and I think they should be removed because the ownership has…read morechanged since they were posted and Island Express is a 5 star operation. They are convenient and friendly. The boats are meticulously maintained and very comfortable. The crews are always willing to help and as my wife and I have aged it is most needed and appreciated. So if you're looking for transportation in and around the US San Juan Islands to a non publicly ferried island you won't do better.

My husband & I have been using Island Express Charters for years to get to our cabin on Sinclair…read moreIsland. They're amazing. 2 boats ferrying people to various San Juan Islands, usually the ones not serviced by the Ferries. Decatur, Blakey, Center, Sinclair, and many more. The owner is so nice (Scott, he's new). Scott has kept all the things that were working, improved the things that weren't. We Love the Captains!! Everyone is very nice, helpful & skilled. For those of you not familiar, they aren't like a ferry where they have regular published times. You call, tell them when & where, and they will let you know the available times. It's like a personalized ferry. They can often drop you off on your beach if you have a beachfront cabin (not always). Don't forget, the times are very dependent on the tides!! The boats are bow-loaders, with a lot of room inside. Very easy to load & unload stuff & people. They are functional work boats though. So don't expect fancy. They can also move cargo for you. Lumber, small tractors, 4-wheelers, etc. Very dog friendly!!

My group of 3 chartered a sailboat from Here for a five day,…read morefour night trip and bundled it with the ASA training courses to make you a certified sailor and it was AWESOME! We had Mitchell as our skipper who taught us everything we needed to know and was great with recommendations, general knowledge, and fun to hangout with. The boat was great and the trip couldn't have gone better. Already looking to book here again soon.

We had an outstanding experience with AYC. Esther is an excellent communicator and we knew exactly…read morewhat expect and how much it would cost. We arrived on the morning of the full eclipse, and AYC offered us special glasses so we could view the eclipse safely. After our safety briefing, we met the moorage captain for a brief (well, rushed) training on the boat. It didn't matter that the trainer was cursory because we were on a learn and curse, and our training captain had our backs. We learned so much on our weeklong cruise. Captain Larry is an outstanding teacher and coach. I know at least 5 new hitches and feel more confident on a boat, both as crew and as captain. We also learned to crab and cook crab. We hiked throughout the week and learned how to deploy the dinghy. What a blast! We will certainly be back for more, especially in the "off" season of October. The weather was still beautiful and the wildlife was abundant.

We had a Wonderful experience and the staff is friendly with great service! Would definitely…read morerecommend them!

Oh my! This ferry is just lovely! There is an adventurer area for kids, a gift shop filled w neat…read moreclothes and high end quality items. The ferry is upscale and very comfortable. Windows are easy to see out of. They have delis and bars, lots to choose from. Time flew as we enjoyed the boat...so sad to get off!

Captain Tom Griffin is extremely educated in boating. We wanted to do a refresher class with him as…read morehe was highly recommended as well as credentials and years of experience. Tom was very informative and helpful in every aspect from safety to etiquette. His teaching skills are extremely easy to understand and straight forward. Captain Tom is a very kind man who has patience and compassion for others and he demonstrates this every day. From the moment we spoke with him on the phone, we knew he was definitely the Captain we wanted to learn from. Very reasonably priced and well worth every penny and then some!

I found Captain Tom Griffin at the Seattle boat show, where I spoke with several other captains and…read moreboat schools. I had a dream of buying a boat and living on it, though I'd had next to no large boat experience. Tom helped make that dream come true. He is very knowledgeable, and was very flexible as we had to change dates a couple of times. Not only did he help me get my boat from Port Townsend to Brinnon, he taught me all kinds of things on the way and when we got there - using charts, navigation, rules of the road, proper dock tying, etc. And all in one day. Decent rates too!