3-Day Birdwatching & Wildlife Cruise
Partnered with Olympic Peninsula Birdfest, join us on an amazing 3-day birdwatching and wildlife cruise in the San Juan islands of Washington State
Upcoming Tours
April 7-9, 2025
Round TRIP FARES
Double Occupancy per person (be sure to reserve 2):
$1395
Single Occupancy per person:
$1595
King Suite Upgrade: $350
DURATION
3 Days/2 Nights
Days will be spent viewing wildlife onboard the MV Glacier Spirit. We will spend our nights on San Juan Island in historic Roche Harbor.
The San Juan Islands are famous worldwide as National Geographic’s #3 World Travel Destination, and our tour will connect you with the best of the San Juan Island experience.
AMAZING BIRDWATCHING
The waters around the San Juan Islands are home to a dizzying array of sea and shore birds including Sanderlings, Rhinoceros Auklets, Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres, Short-billed and Glaucos-winged Gulls, multiple species of Cormorants, Grebes, and Scoters, as well as Great Blue Herons, Mergansers, Buffleheads and many more.
Wonderful Boat Trip!
We spent 3 days cruising the San Juan Islands looking at seabirds, whales, and wildlife. It was a wonderful time. The crew made sure we were well fed and well-cared for. The captain was professional and very safety-conscious. We had a professional bird guide to help us with sea birds. A wonderful trip all around.
Comfort
The MV Glacier Spirit is perhaps the most comfortable wildlife vessel in the Pacific Northwest. It features comfortable indoor seating for everyone, a wrap-around outside viewing deck, as well as a snack bar and restroom. Along with viewing birds, we often see orcas, gray whales and humback whales, harbor seals, California and Steller sea lions, and many other species of marine life.
Our Itinerary
Day One
We’ll leave Port Townsend, WA at 10am on Day One, and cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is bordered by three mountain ranges, the Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juan Islands. It is one of the most beautiful seas to cross in the world.
Along the way, we will point out many seabirds and mammals that frequent these waters. Depending on where the orcas are traveling that day, we may also be fortunate to see them in transit. We’ll have breakfast and lunch on-board.
Each night we’ll be staying on San Juan Island. For our April cruise, we’ll stay in Roche Harbor – in 1886, a sleepy Hudson Bay camp that was transformed into a full-fledged lime works and company town. Today because of it’s beauty and location to Canada, Roche Harbor is the most popular boating resort in the Pacific Northwest and the Resort is renowned as the centerpiece of this harbor.
After arrival at our evening destination, you will have plenty of time to explore the scenery on your own. Hiking, kayak and bike rentals, tennis and swimming, are all possibilities for you to enjoy. Dinner is on your own in the evening.
Day Two
On Day 2 we’ll board the Glacier Spirit at 9:30 for a wonderful day of sightseeing through the San Juan Islands. We will journey to famous Sucia Island State Park for 2 hours of walking and wildlife spotting.
Sucia Island State Park is a 564-acre marine park with 77,700 feet of shoreline. It is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system and is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world. The shoreline is famous for its evocative, highly eroded sandstone formations – with cliffs, hoodoos, arches, and caves. Sucia Island is also a tremendous viewing area for seals, porpoise, eagles, seabirds, and whales.
Upon arrival at Sucia, a sack lunch is provided for you as you explore the island for the next two hours. We’ll return to San Juan Island at 4:30 where you can enjoy the late afternoon and dinner on your own.
Day Three
On Day 3, we begin our return loop back to Port Townsend. We’ll say goodbye to San Juan Island at 9am. We will head on a new course through the islands, south through the Swinomish Slough and on through Deception Pass. Wildlife should be plentiful and the scenery simply stunning. After taking in the historic La Conner waterfront and the nearby tidelands, soaking in the views and the endless variety of shorebirds, we will journey through the wild tide currents of Deception Pass.
Back out on Strait of Juan de Fuca we will head south past Smith Island Marine Sanctuary – an island in the middle of the sea that is home to thousands of seabirds and mammals. Weather permitting, we expect to arrive in Port Townsend at 3pm.
Whales We See
Bigg’s Orcas (aka Transients)
Bigg’s orcas are apex predators – mammal-eating orcas that feed on a variety of prey – from harbor seals to sea lions, and even dolphins and small whales. Bigg’s orcas generally travel in small groups, usually of two to six animals, and can range from Southern California up to the Arctic circle. These are the orcas that we see most often in the Salish Sea, and they often put on quite a show after they complete a successful hunting foray! Bigg’s orcas are named in honor of cetologist Michael Bigg.
Gray Whales
The gray whale is a species of baleen whale, with a dark slate-gray color, and frequently covered by gray/white scars left by parasites which drop off in its cold feeding grounds. Grays have two blowholes on top of their head, which can create a distinctive heart-shaped blow at the surface. Adults range in length from 43–49 feet and weigh up to 40 tons. Each spring, gray whales migrate from the southern waters near Baja, north to Alaska. A small group of Grays nicknamed “Sounders” often turn east into Washington’s inland waters during the spring northern migration.
Humpback whales
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale, and has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. They are known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors. Adults range in length from 39–52 feet and weigh nearly 40 tons. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Until commercial whaling was banned in 1996, humpbacks were nearly hunted to extinction. They have rebounded, however, and we are thrilled to have them back in our neighborhood.
Minke whales
The elusive minke whale is among the smallest of the baleen whales. Previously known as a ‘piked whale’ or ‘lesser finback’, the minke has a dark gray back and white undersides. Their pectoral fins have a distinctive white patch or band. Minkes range in length from 23-33 feet and weigh up to 10 tons. Minke whales are widely distributed throughout the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They migrate seasonally from polar feeding grounds to equatorial waters, where they breed and calve. Minkes feed on small schooling fish, crustaceans, and plankton.
The Hanke Family
from our family to yours
Three generations of our family have helped visitors have life-changing experiences with some of the most majestic creatures on the planet. We’re blessed to live in what’s been called “the American Serengeti,” with some of the highest concentration of whales and dolphins and sea life anywhere in the world — including our totem species, the orca. Few people know these waters like we do. Our experience and dedication makes it possible for us to guarantee that you’ll see whales on your trip — or we’ll give you another trip absolutely free.
Whale-wise Whale Watching
Puget Sound Express is a proud member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA), dedicated to responsible, sustainable marine wildlife viewing and conservation in the Pacific Northwest. We’re also dedicated to reducing our footprint out there. The Saratoga and Chilkat Express are sound-proofed, hydrofoil jet boats with no propellers, making them the quietest vessels in the whale watch fleet.
Learn about our practices and our conservation partners.
Things to Know
TOURS DEPART FROM
Port Townsend, WA
227 Jackson Street, Port Townsend, WA
We are located in downtown Port Townsend in the Point Hudson marina.
Checking-in
Passengers must be checked-in no later than 30 minutes prior to sailing. Boarding closes 15 minutes before departure. If you are traveling from out of the area please bear in mind that ferries and bridge openings can make the trip slightly longer than map and GPS software might indicate!
Changes/Cancellations
For multi-day excursions, any cancellation of a confirmed reservation 30 days prior to departure is fully-refundable, less a $10 cancellation fee. Inside of 30 days, there are no refunds available. (A tour reservation is considered confirmed once payment is processed OR you receive a confirmation email.)
Rescheduling
Outside of our 30 day cancellation policy rescheduling can be made and accommodated. Inside of 30 days, rescheduling can be requested and at the discretion of the office and our ability to re-sell. If approved a $10/person change fee is applied to the booking.
A Great Gift
Our 3-day cruise is a great opportunity to see what makes this part of the country so special. And it makes for one terrific anniversary experience!
Package Inclusions
Three days aboard Glacier Spirit
Breakfasts; Lunch aboard the vessel
Two nights accommodation Roche Harbor Resort.
Note, your booking will reflect a 5% service fee. This is an included gratuity that will go to your crew.
Parking
Our office is located in Point Hudson Marina. Throughout the Marina there are many paid and free parking lots available. For overnight parking, continue past our office, along the one way street to the first stop sign. Once at the stop sign continue straight, through the boat yard, and there will be another parking lot after the boat yard on your right. This lot is free up to 9 hours and then paid parking for longer hours or overnight parking, $10.00/day or night. This is the best parking lot to use for overnight or RV parking.
If you have any questions or need assistance with parking for the tour our office has “check-in” parking spaces next to our building. Any payments for parking are done on the day of your tour and on site through the park mobile parking app. Instructions and QR codes are posted in each lot and easy to use when you arrive. If you or your group have difficultly using the app, our office team can help at check in. We will need the make, model and license plate of your car. All rates are out of our control and subject to change through the Port of Port Townsend.
Latest News
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Humpbacks - orcas - mountains - sunshine! The glories of summer all in one trip on June 30, 2025. Our afternoon Port Angeles tour had it all with breaching humpbacks, hunting orcas and scenery as far as the eye could see. We started the trip watching the T46B family...
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Get the latest updates on the whales we’re seeing as well as tour updates and announcements. We send 1-2 emails/month. We respect your time and privacy; we will never share your email.