I signed up for the full day whale watch since it stopped at Friday Harbor and I always wanted to visit San Juan island. The check-in process was really easy and friendly. Paid parking is available just outside the building. Public bathrooms are down the street near a coffee shop. They had two boats in the harbor, we were on the smaller one: Redhead. The interior has about 12 booths that fit four people each with a wrap-around deck on the outside. The boat was nice and comfortable with table service. They have coffee and hot chocolate, and food including a blueberry buckle. We saw one Gray Whale, one pod of Orcas with a young one, and one pair of Orcas. We also saw Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Sea Otter, Bald Eagles, and lots of birds. It felt like most of the time we were driving really fast to get to the whales and then to Friday Harbor, then back. Most of the time is just moving quickly on the water. Though the experience was great, I probably wouldn't go on this trip again. We didn't see many whales. It was a very long day of just going quickly through the area. If I went again it would be at a different time of year and only for the half-day tour. read more

See all

Are you ready for an amazing adventure in the PNW? Then book your tour with the Puget Sound Express! Half-day tour was amazing; short and sweet. Went out and saw harbor seals and grey whales all within 3 hours. But we wanted more!! Signed up for the full day tour at with lunch at Friday Harbor. Not once, but twice and we're signing up again! Orcas, puffins, bald eagles, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, and so much more! The crew here will take great care of you and they're so knowledgeable about all the animals around the Puget Sound. Free or paid parking next to the harbor and beautiful docks to walk around up at Port Townsend. Book your tour quickly cause the minute you second guess if you want to go, they're fully booked! Worth every minute! read more

See all

This was so fun! The crew were professional and courteous. They tried very hard to make sure we got to see wildlife. We saw a couple types of whales, birds, porpoises, and sea lions. We loved our experience with the Puget Sound Express. read more

Christopher and Paul are a great tour team. They provide just enough marine life details and sprinkle in a few dad jokes to make for a fun, welcoming adventure. They also make sure everyone feels safe and attended to. We thoroughly enjoyed our full day whale watching and will recommend! read more

Puget Sound Express - Friday Harbor - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

See all

Absolutely wonderful experience! The captain, crew and wildlife experience was amazing. We were so lucky to see a pod of orcas hunting. We watched them for a big chunk of the trip. As we were heading back to shore, we got a bonus humpback whale. So much fun! read more

See all

I was kind of bummed about my experience. I went whale watching on 3/27 and unfortunately the whales were farther out. It was literally four hours of people throwing up (myself included). I was so sick that I could barely look up to see the whales when we finally found them. I get that they want to guarantee whale sightings but subjecting passengers to breakneck speeds with the boat slamming into waves was torture. When we finally got to the whales it was a brief stop because we had to turn around and go back due to time constraints. It was particularly frustrating to me because it was one of the things I was so excited to do on my trip. I hope others have better experience. :( read more

We saw so many whales!!!! It was a great day, very professional crew, very comfortable boat, and amazing whale watching. I was hoping to see orcas, but that didn't happen because they haven't been in Puget Sound for 8 to 9 weeks now. read more

Puget Sound Express - Bald eagles on the way back in! - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

See all

Great experience, food on board and a quality stand up show from the captain. The boat was well equipped and it was great to go out and go whale watching. read more

Puget Sound Express - Whales! - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

Half day tour. I was not expecting naturalists on board and enjoyed their knowledge. Everyone had a great sense of humor which set a good vibe on the boat. We saw a small pod of whales that had been previously identified. So we were able to get specific information about that pod! We also saw seals and otters right off the dock as we waited to board. Then seals again sunning on a buoy. Keep in mind that patience is a huge part of this. There is no guarantee you'll see any specific animal. They're sentient beings with their own agendas in mind. So when they find a pod, keeping with them for a bit so you can see and learn more about their behavior from the naturalist is a good move, in my opinion. The aforementioned patience. If you bring a young kid on board for a half day excursion, they're bound to get bored or restless. That's just how kids can be and is not the fault of the tour. This may not be the experience for them or you need to bring things to keep them engaged. read more

Puget Sound Express - I had a hard time getting a good photo but the memories will last and last! - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

half-day trip from Pt. Townsend with a speedy and comfortable boat. Over-the-top experience from true professionals. We saw over a dozen Orcas for over an hour, plus a grey whale upon returning. staff kept us safe and well-informed. Plus, very good food, including the blueberry buckle and all-you-can-drink hot chocolate with a souvenir mug. Ultimately made our day and was a very fun experience for adults & kids alike. read more

Puget Sound Express - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

See all

We had a fabulous whale watching trip. The boat was comfortable, the staff was friendly, and we had so much fun seeing Gray Whales!

We went on the Saratoga from Port Townsend. What a great boat!! They designed this boat specifically for whale watching. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful also! We saw so many whales. Best whale watching we have experienced! read more

This is a tough one to assign a rating as I think the average visitor would be happy (as long as they got to see the whale of their choice) but critical thinkers would know they've been tricked into a one-and-done whale watch followed by a pre-planned wildlife drive-by. The Edmonds boat in San Juan was currently on orcas so we made a beeline to them which took about 40 minutes. We ended up on a pod of 7 females & youth and viewed them from the legal distance. Excellent experience - exactly what we wanted! After about 20 minutes, everyone on the boat started going inside, my kid got restless, I told my wife we were probably going to move on in a few minutes and see if we can find some more. No, we stayed on the same pod for over an hour. The orcas were just tooling around a couple hundred yards away. Honestly, it got pretty boring for everyone on the boat and multiple other tours came and left. Very clearly there was never any intention to find more whales. Had Edmonds found a humpback, we would have seen a humpback that day. On the way back, you could see the GPS marked for 2 stops 1. an island with puffins 2. a channel marker with basking sea lions --- It was enjoyable unadvertised experience I guess but it's not whale watching. We got in right at 3 hours (advertised 3-4 hours). With the excessive time spent at the pod and the side stops, we could have easily looked for more whales for another hour and still came into town at 3 hours. It seems they have a daily agenda and do not deviate from it. We had another tour with them in Port Angeles scheduled a few days later. We canceled it as we didn't feel it was worth spending the money if we got the same experience. You will see whales, but don't be disappointed if they aren't the type you came for. read more

Amazing whale watching experience! We were up close to a pod of transient Orcas and witnessed their feeding behaviors. Christopher has excellent instincts on where to find and follow whales. Wendy was a great host and is very knowledgeable about the marine wildlife in the area. We had a 2 hour stop in Friday Harbor for lunch. I highly recommend the all-day trip. read more

Puget Sound Express - With the crew of the Red Head! - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

Love this tour, boat, and the wonderful staff that hosted us. We saw 3 types of whales on our trip! The boat goes so fast and allows you to get out to the whales in record time. Bring a jacket if you're planning on being on the outside of the boat while it's moving. It can get cold quickly. Opt in for the delicious homemade blueberry buckle. Drinks, snacks, and lunch are also available for purchase on board. Unlimited refills on coffee and hot chocolate! Be sure to check in early, in order to get parking and get in line. You can bring your own cameras, but the in staff photographer also sells USB pictures that you pick up and pay for on the boat. We had a great experience and will come back next time we are in the area. read more

Puget Sound Express - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

We had an exceptional experience on this tour- wonderful guides, a comfortable boat, lunch was delicious, and we saw the most beautiful hump back whales! read more

Very fun experience! First time on a catamaran. Saw whales within 20 minutes - two humpback whales. Also saw a pod of orcas and various seals and birds. Had their ham sandwich lunch which was filling but the best part of the food was their blueberry buckle - delicious! Once in a lifetime experience for us. Got plenty of mementos from the trip (tons of pictures, a hoodie, a mug). Loved every minute. The crew was very nice and knowledgeable, also very funny at times. read more

See all

We went on the half day tour out of Port Townsend on the Saratoga. It was great. About 15 minutes in we were able to see a Humpback whale. We got to see a pod of 3 Biggs Orcas, Puffins, Bald Eagles, Sea Lions napping on a buoy, and multiple other sea birds. The inside was comfortable, and there was plenty of space outside on the decks to watch and take pictures. The crew was awesome, friendly, and very knowledgeable, particularly Captain Tony, and Claire. They stopped and gave plenty of time to watch at each sighting. We had a great time! read more

See all

BOOK THIS TRIP! This was by far the most rewarding experience I've ever had- besides childbirth. We went out with the hope, that we'd see a whale or two. We got excited when the boat stopped and we had spotted our first two whale. Boy, oh boy! What a sight they were. They were off in the distance, rolling and slapping their fins- which you could hear the strength from inside the boat. It was amazing. Then they slowly started getting closer(the whales, not the boat) and before we knew it, the captain had shut down the engine and the whales(one know as two spot) were feet away from the boat and soon under us! They held our boat hostage and gave us the most amazing 30 minute show of rolls, spouting, fin flapping, and playing with each other. Let's talk about the staff. The most friendly and helpful people around. They took some pretty epic photos, knew loads of information and could help us identify the whales. The boat was beautiful, the coffee was delicious and the blueberry buckles are a MUST! You won't regret booking this trip, not one bit. read more

See all

Great trip on the Saratoga. I've been on rougher car rides. Crew was great - informative, funny, and helpful. Saw minke whales, orcas, harbor seals, harbor porpoises, puffin... Thanks for a great experience. read more

Puget Sound Express - Transient orca. - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

Amazing whale watching experience! Orcas and a minke whale! The morning was overcast when we set out and we worried a bit on whether we'd have an enjoyable day. The Captain seemed very aware that a boat of folks wouldn't do well in rough seas and we quickly found whales (orcas playing with their food) in calmer waters. The minke whale seemed to excite the captain and naturalist as it stuck around for a minute and played hide and seek in the sense that we would see it off the 9:00 and then the 3:00 and then the 11:00 etc... Lots of seals and bald eagles as well. Whale worth the cost (hahahaha) read more

Great experience, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and clean boat. Would highly recommend. Saw seals, orcas, whales. Small cafe on board for hot tea, coffee, cider and lunch can be purchased. Round trip is about 4 hours. During Covid the group was pretty small leaving lots of empty seats. Can go on deck or stay warm inside. Recommendation for business: consider adding beer and wine to menu. Recommendation for customer: bring binoculars and/or camera with zoom lens as the phone cameras have a limit on zooming in. read more

See all

You may have sticker shock when booking a whale watching tour. Move past that, much like a helicopter tour of Hawaii, its worth it. You aren't doing it every day so take it in and enjoy it. I selected Puget Sound Express some months ago, and considered several options. We are happy we went with Puget Sound. Great crew, with a super sense of humor. Captain Trevor did a great job with his safety briefing and steerage of getting us to great spots for photo's. We boarded the Swiftsure, a catamaran at the Port of Edmonds, a very clean, beautiful harbor area. Plenty of parking. The check-in was simple. A small booth is in the parking lot where you check in, then walk across the street to the boarding line. After boarding Captain Trevor did a great job focusing on the important and half joking about the flushing of the head. The three other crew: Coleen, Kyla and Rachel were fantastic providing in-depth insight as well as concessions. A point of note, this boat can fly, as many who went out on deck found out. Outside air temp of 55 F and a boat moving at 35 MPH is a really cold ride. So, you go inside and get a coffee and a treat like the Blueberry buckle, a wonderful light baked cake. Trevor took us out the the area where the whales hang out and we were afforded plenty of views. You are out there with all the other whale viewing vendors. We had the best platform to view them. It was a great tour. I would recommend Puget Sound Express as the tour of choice. Great dock area at Port Edmonds, great vessel and crew with a vast knowledge of the area, the wildlife on the water and what they do. Beautiful blue skies, the surrounding landscape and the whales were entertaining along with the crew. Thanks Puget Sound Express! read more

See all

Great time out for 5 hours which was 2 hours longer than expected? But all was awesome. only a glimpse of a couple of Minkle's but looking more like logs until they submerged. Lots of Orca's though two pods. All told the day was relaxing and a chance to break my regular routine and reflect with the aqua-wild life we saw? I might do this again sometime? read more

Puget Sound Express - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

My friends and I loved doing the half day whale watching tour with Puget Sound Express. I booked 4 adults and it ran us $600 (plus tip once we left the boat). The tour starts at 930am and runs about 5 hours. So if you get sea sick on any level, come prepared! They sell some snacks on board, but you can also bring some of your own if you like. We each purchased their Puget Sound mugs. You can get as many refills as you like of tea, coffee or hot chocolate, plus a souvenir branded mug. They also said if you come on another tour, you can bring it back and continue getting refills. They are known for "Sherri's Famous Blueberry Buckle" which is a great breakfast pastry to get your morning going. It was very tasty! The tour guide explained things so well and seemed truly passionate about the sea creatures. We were really lucky to see many pods of Killer Whales. We even saw them feasting on a seal...sad for me as an animal lover, but it's the circle of life and was interesting to see. We went just says after the Mama Orca carried her baby who passed away for days and days, so I had been following the orca pods for over a month. Some random notes I wrote during my tour - We saw T35 who was born in 1998. Killer whales are distinguished by patches and dorsal fins so our guide was zooming in, taking pictures, and then could quite easily identify the various whales to us. T38 a white patch on her and you don't see her often so it was fairly rare to spot her, she was born in 2000. We saw T99 b whale, pod of 4 frequently seen in the area. These pods were all swimming together, but they could separate or hang for days or weeks. We only saw transient orcas during our tour which are carniverous whales feasting on harbor seals (as we saw), Dall's porpoises, Steller sea lions, minke whales or grey whales. We saw a humpback whale from quite a distance and just the top of him! This tour was well worth it to me and my friends. Life is complete seeing killer whales in all their natural beauty and natural homes. One older lady exclaimed "I CAN DIE NOW" to which our captain replied "Oh no, please don't!" Legit though, one of those bucket list items I am so thankful I did. read more

We sailed with the Puget Sound Express out of Port Angeles on Sunday, Oct 2nd. What an amazing experience!! The captain and crew were really great; friendly and very knowledgeable. We saw whales!! Orcas and humpbacks! Definitely go out with them. Well worth it. read more

Puget Sound Express - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

The whale experience was great. The boat was a good large size, very comfortable, and they didn't pack it, it was at half capacity for Covid. They had binoculars to use if you needed. There was a snack counter for coffee and stuff. The bathroom was huge as far as boats go. The boat staff was very nice. They explained all the sea life we saw and even ones we didn't. The only negative thing I can say is that at the actual business where you order your trip, the women in there were a bit snooty. Sidenotes: They will try to get you for $10 parking next to their building, there's free parking all over. read more

Puget Sound Express - Charting map to see where you are. - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

We loved our trip out. The service was awesome They were timely and they cleaned the boat too to bottom between rides out. We saw amazing hump back whales and they took their time so we got plenty of whale time! You can bring your own snacks and water which is great. I highly recommend this knowledgable and fun excursion. read more

See all

Absolutely incredible! We saw lots of orcas, seals, puffins and more. The crew was funny, super friendly and passionate. I'd definitely recommend coming in August. read more

We had a delightful half-day on the water with PSE. The weather was absolutely perfect, with the water sparkling like diamonds. We spent quite a bit of time with a pod of transient orcas, although I wished we could have gotten closer. Then we motored around Protection Island and returned to the same orca pod. The crew was entirely women, which was a nice change of pace. The blueberry buckle was insanely delicious ... you've gotta try it! read more

We went on the half day whale watching tour today. It was AMAZING!!! The staff was fantastic and sooooooo knowledgeable. The boat was very stable even in choppy water. The seats were comfortable and the cabin was very nice to get out of the conditions. We saw 2 types of whales. We saw a humpback whale and a family of Orca. We also saw 2 types of puffin. Just an amazing time. I would highly recommend this to all my friends and family. read more

Amazing tour and the staff was so knowledgeable and friendly! We saw about 7 orcas - it was such a fun and unique experience. Highly recommend read more

The folks at Puget Sound Express were amazing! The tour I was on was 4 hours long aboard their newest ship. First the boat, totally new. Great viewing decks and the inside seating and interior is spacious and comfortable. Next, the tour...we saw Killer Whales from the T-100 pod and a grey whale among other creatures and a lung from a Killer Whale kill. The Naturalist on board, Rene was knowledgeable and accessible to answer questions. The Captain and crew were professional but fun. Loved this tour! read more

Great 4 hour whale watching tour out of Port Townsend! We rode the Redhead, which was intimate and quaint. The crew was very informative, professional, and humorous. We saw several orcas and sea lions, and a grey whale. We did not order lunch, but the sandwiches looked decent. Definitely recommend this tour! read more

They are not professional. I'm was a paid customer whom was pushed out of my preferred seats after I found seats for my family. The crew improperly did not label my seats as "reserved" but after I found my desired available seat they pushed me to junk seats as the boat was already mostly boarded at that time. They should have offered and given us a free lunch or something (anything would have been appreciated). I would have been satisfied by a sincere apology but I got a sneer response to my dismay. They forget that each customer paid their fair share and deserve to be treated as such. read more

Puget Sound Express provided us a great experience even during the Covid pandemic. They had plenty of social distancing safety protocols in order. Shoutout to one of the crew members named Lacey. Lacey was great at making sure everyone was enjoying there time. The Blueberry Buckle was tasty. The best part was seeing orcas in the wild. The crew provided us with tons of information about the pod that was spotted. Following up with showing us pictures of the whales we identified. I would highly recommend this family owned business. read more

Puget Sound Express - Mask up to whale watch! - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

Wonderful ride, very polite and accommodating crew. Rachel, the naturalist, was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the area in general. Highly recommend this crew! read more

Amazing whale watching tour out of Port Townsend! We did the half-day tour, and we saw seals, porpoise, sea lions, a bald eagle, a river otter, tons of seabirds, and three Minke whales feeding together! Our guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and the boat has good watching areas both inside and outside. We would absolutely take another tour with PSE! read more

We went on the Saratoga with captain Brian. Had a great time and saw several whales. The orcas even came closer towards our boat. The water is calm and the grew is fun. They have a great sense of humor and make you feel comfortable. We've done whale watching on the east coast and it was terrible. This made us want to make it a daily activity. The blueberry buckle is incredible. We would have ordered 5 if we knew how good. It's got a fresh blueberry taste with a nice punch of cinnamon and buttery bread. Definitely get it. Highly recommend. You'll have a great time. read more

Puget Sound Express - Orca - Boat Charters Near Me - Port Townsend, Washington

See all

We were unable to make the trip because our truck broke down on the way to the port. They refused refund any portion of the trip. Re-scheduling was not an option, because we were leaving the next day. Some friends of ours said the trip was fine, but they didn't see any whales. They recommended taking the tour from Victoria, where they have always seen whales. read more