Half day San Juan Island Kayak Tours: Kayaking with Killer Whales

 

Half Day San Juan Island Kayak Tours: Killer Whale Watching Trips - Seattle Washington

Why choose Sea Quest for your Half Day Kayak Tour on San Juan Island?

  • Lowest price for kayak tours from San Juan Island, Washington near Seattle.
     
  • Two routes to choose from: protected east side or more exposed west side.
     
  • East side route is very close to town for guests with limited time and is excellent for seals & eagles. West side route is the best place in the US for kayaking with killer whales.
     
  • Two kayak tour times to choose from: both morning and sunset departures are available.
     
  • Longest history of operating kayak day tours on San Juan Island - since 1989 - and a perfect safety record thanks to expert guides with extensive safety training and expedition-quality kayaks.
     
  • Unlike other companies in the area, we provide only high-performance fiberglass kayaks on our day tours. We have the best maintained fleet of modern, sleek and fast kayaks in the San Juans!

Sunset & Morning Half Day (3 hour) San Juan Island Kayak Tours

Half day morning and sunset kayak tours are the perfect choice for those who have very limited time but really want to experience sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands. Half day kayak trips also work well for people who aren’t sure if they will enjoy sea kayaking and want to get a brief first taste of the sport.

We have two choices of half day tour routes from San Juan Island. You can explore either the east side of the island or the west side. The east side is conveniently just a few minutes from Friday Harbor and is best for groups that have the most limited time and /or prefer a very sheltered route. Features include a visit to a National Wildlife Refuge that is home to many dozens of harbor seals, nesting bald eagles and numerous other marine birds.Kayaking with Orcas Whales on a Half Day San Juan Island Kayak Trip

The west side route takes you the best orca whale watching waters in the United States. The launch site is about a half hour drive from Friday Harbor so it does add a bit of time to the tour length. Of course, you won’t mind this if you manage to find and kayak with killer whales!

Note: If your main goal is to see orca whales, we recommend the afternoon kayaking tour as it spends twice the time in the whale's habitat and this statistically increases your chances for a killer whale watching experience.

Quick Trip Facts
Morning Kayak Tours scheduled daily; Sunset Kayak Tours only available from spring equinox to fall equinox - trip fee for both is $79 per person (except Saturdays in July & August $89)
Meeting Place: San Juan Island. Look for our dark van with kayak trailer next to the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal in the traffic circle.
Meeting Time: Half day San Juan Island kayak trips begin at 7:45am for morning tours and 5:45pm for sunset trips. Ask about earlier or later meeting times if these don't work for you!
Itinerary:
A kayak lesson on the beach takes up the first hour as everyone needs to familiarized with the basic skills before we launch the sea kayaks. We then explore for about 1½ to 2 hours, covering 2 to 4 miles during the kayak adventure. We will take several floating rest breaks in scenic locations to stay energized, take pictures and enjoy the wildlife.
Finish Time & Place:
Friday Harbor at either 11:15am or 9:15pm depending on morning or sunset kayak tour.
Total Time:
Approximately 3 and a half hours from meeting your guides to finish.

Our San Juan Island Kayak Trips are a:

● Top 10 Adventure Bargain in the World by USA Today Travel
● Top 20 American Adventure by the Guardian Observer
● Top 100 Global Adventure by Men's Journal Magazine

Sea Quest Kayak Expeditions Provides:
Sea kayak and all related sea kayaking tour gear, lesson and expert guides.

You Will Provide:
Suitable clothing and footwear for the beach, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Click here for some tips on how to prepare for a San Juan Islands kayak tour.

Half Day Morning & Sunset San Juan Island Kayak Tour Map: The green zone is the primary orca whale watching area. Our half-day tour (available on demand) visits the west side of San Juan Island in the best killer whale waters found in the US. The east side route is for private kayaking charter trips with different goals.

Click on this map to open a full-size map in PDF format that you can save, zoom, or print!

Half Day Morning & Sunset San Juan Island Kayak Tours Map

Kayak with Orca Whales on a Half Day San Juan Island Kayak Trip