5 Places to Go Whale Watching in the Pacific Northwest

You may have heard going the United States’ west coast is good for whale watching, and you’re wondering where to visit in Oregon and Washington specifically to find out. But then, after deciding you DO want to go whale watching, you realize you need the “where to go whale watching in the Pacific Northwest” question answered and I am nothing if not here to serve! So here are five places to go whale watching in the Pacific Northwest, and the tours for each!

The Short Version

It is important to note that whale watching, no matter where you go, is an entirely unpredictable and uncontrollable experience. Whales are never guaranteed, as they are completely wild creatures when watching them in this way. BUT, these Pacific Northwest locations are known for having good whale watching!

And as a reminder, I may make a commission if you book any of these tours via one of my links. So thank you for supporting my blog and allowing me to continue providing you with helpful travel tips for the Pacific Northwest and beyond!

Want to rent camera equipment to use on your Pacific Northwest whale watching tour? Use code AMANDAWANDERS15 at LensRentals.com to save 15% on your rental!

The Long Version of Where to Whale Watch in the Pacific Northwest

It’s a fair assumption that you can get lucky and see whales from pretty much anywhere on the west coast HOWEVER these five Pacific Northwest locations are known for having some amazing whale watching tours.

San Juan Islands, Washington

The San Juan Islands are known for excellent whale watching, as there are many species that frequent the waters – including five whale species alone – plus tons of other marine animals, making it a whale’s playground.

Most San Juan Islands whale watching tours depart from one of the following islands:

• San Juan Island
• Orcas Island
• Lopez Island

The San Juan Islands are pretty amazing in that you are likely to see whales year-round, but to increase your chances, there are some recommended timeframes. So, when should you visit the San Juan Islands to see whales? Let me help you out:

• April through October: particularly for orcas
• August through October: particularly for humpbacks

I myself visited in March and had an EXCELLENT tour, where we saw lots of orcas and had beautiful weather.

Where to Book San Juan Islands Whale Watching

I took the Half Day Whales & Wildlife tour through Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching on San Juan Island and couldn’t recommend it enough.

For the other islands, take a look at this list of tour providers put together by the San Juans Visitors Bureau.

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Depoe Bay is home to resident gray whales as well as being a host to migrating ones, and is known as the whale watching capital of Oregon. Why is Depoe Bay one of the best places to whale watch in the Pacific Northwest? Because not only does it see thousands of gray whales pass as they migrate north and south, to/from breeding and feeding grounds. But this small Oregon coast town is also home to resident gray whales who live there year-round.

You might now be asking yourself, “okay well I know where to go whale watching in Oregon, but now I need to know when” and I’m here to help you out with that.

• Mid-December through mid-January: gray whales migrating south to have their calves
• Mid-March through June: gray whales migrating north with their calves
• June through mid-November: resident whales come closer to the coast to feed, but June – September is typically best

So basically, you are likely to see whales most of the year in Depoe Bay, Oregon!

Book a Depoe Bay Whale Watching Tour

I personally went with Whale Research EcoExcursions and it was absolutely phenomenal. It is run by one of the leading biologists studying gray whales and we learned so much and saw so many whales in a shorter (1.5 hr) tour.

Seattle, Washington

Conveniently, if you’re visiting Seattle you can also add whale watching to your itinerary. And if you need a one day Seattle itinerary, I’ve got you covered. However, when it comes to whale watching, you’ve got a couple of options:

• Hang out at Alki Beach on the west side of Seattle and hope to see them
• Join a tour out of the city

Similar to the San Juan Islands, it’s possible to see whales year-round but April through October continues to be the best viewing months of the year.

Book a Seattle Whale Watching Tour

I booked my tour via Puget Sound Express, which leaves out of Edmonds and is about an hour north. However, you can do the below tour out of Seattle, which is much more convenient!

There are also tours that leave out of Edmonds (~1 hr from Seattle) or Anacortes (~2 hr drive) that you can check out! Like I said I went out of Edmonds, but admittedly that’s because the Seattle one above was booked up.

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Olympic Peninsula of Washington is absolutely gorgeous and famous for Olympic National Park, but it’s also an amazing spot in the Pacific Northwest for whale watching.

Am I starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to Washington whale watching? For that, I’m sorry, but to answer your question April through October will be the luckiest whale watching months for you on the Olympic Peninsula.

Book an Olympic Peninsula Whale Watching Tour

For both of my whale watching experience along the Olympic peninsula towns, I booked my tour via Puget Sound Express.

So there you have it, five incredible places for whale watching in the Pacific northwest. If you have any questions, as always please feel free to reach out and I’m happy to answer them. I hope you have the absolute best time watching whales in this beautiful part of the country and enjoy your tour(s) as much as I did!

Resources: San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, Oregon State Parks, Whale Research EcoExcursions, Visit Seattle, Washington Tourism

Pin “Where to Whale Watch in the Pacific Northwest” For Later