SAN JUAN ISLAND
For every whale lover and Free Willy fan, there’s one must-visit spot in the U.S. (or Canada): the San Juan Islands.
I spent two days here in the beginning of September 2024. I experienced a mix of fog and sun with mild temperatures which I found quite pleasing for the activities I did.
Scroll down to read about my adventures at the sea and on the bike as I discover the second largest island in the archipelago – San Juan Island.
Crash Course
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago consisting of multiple islands, with Orcas Island being the largest. It’s located in the Pacific Northwest, just outside Seattle, WA. I was initially puzzled by its Spanish name, but it turns out that it originates from a Spanish expedition in 1791 led by Francisco de Eliza. It wasn’t uncommon for Spanish explorers to name places after religious figures as they explored the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, “San Juan” refers to the Jewish preacher Saint John the Baptist. Google for more info.
As I hinted in the beginning, orcas and humpback whales are frequent visitors in these areas. Best time to get a glimpse of them is April through October. You can even see them from the shoreline if you’re lucky.
Getting There
There are a couple of ways to get to San Juan Island and Friday Harbor, but it really comes down to either taking a seaplane or the ferry (check Visit San Juans for all the options).
With just a couple of days to spend on the island, I went with the seaplane. It takes about 50 minutes from Seattle, whereas the ferry option can take multiple hours (including a bus ride). The plane ride is obviously a bit pricier, but totally worth it—I paid around 400 USD for a round trip. And how often do you get to fly in a seaplane? Plus, you get fantastic views of both the archipelago and the Seattle skyline on your way there. I booked my plane ride with https://fridayharborseaplanes.com/.
Whale Watching
You can’t go to these islands without going on a boat looking for whales. I went with San Juan Safaris (https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/) on a 4-hour tour that took us from Friday Harbor, around Pender Island up in Canada, and then back to Friday Harbor.
It all started with a short briefing at the docks by our tour guides. They told us how they had ended up at Friday Harbor, gave us general information about the archipelago, and what types of wildflife we were likely to see.
There were around 20 people who had signed up for this safari and the boat we were about to embark was the Sea Lion, which had more than enough space for us.
And off we went. After a second briefing onboard, we set sail and headed towards Pender Island. I positioned myself at the bow to get the panoramic view. Having woken up to a quite cloudy day, the clouds now started to disperse as we reached further out on the sea.
About an hour into the trip, the boat suddenly slowed down. We had reached the eastern side of Pender Island when someone spotted black fins breaking the surface about 100m out. This was it—Willy had officially arrived. As the tallest person on board, firmly positioned at the bow, I wasn’t going to miss this moment. And there he was, surfacing for air just 50 meters in front of me.
It was actually a female orca with two calves by her side, but in my 6-year old mind, it was Willy. Free as bird.
We followed the mother (or cow) and her two calves for quite some time before we rounded Pender Island and began to steer towards Friday Harbor again. We came across a couple of bald eagles and deers walking around on the shorelines, but no humpback whale or other types of marine animals had the decency to show up, unfortunately.
On our way back and closing in on Friday Harbor, I was standing at the bow trying to get a last glimpse of some orcas. One of our guides had seen a loner whale catching air a bit further away just before.
Suddenly, standing right at the bow, a huge orca appears just beneath me. I grasped for air as it broke the surface and went back down. It happened so fast that I couldn’t get a picture of it (which I was kind of upset about later but I stood no chance). It was like it was playing with the boat and it almost rammed us. It was pretty much as close as you want to get to a killer whale and it was definitely the highlight of the safari.
Apparently, the name of the orca is Nelson and he is known to roam the seas alone, which is quite peculiar given that orcas are social animals. He showed up moments after and I managed to take a picture of him in the sunlight (above). The photo doesn’t do his size any justice, though – he appears much smaller than he actually is.
After approximately four hours out, we were back at Friday Harbor and super happy of what we had seen and experienced. I recommend anyone that visits the archipelago to do a whale watching trip. After all, there are only so many places to see wild orcas at.
And a shout out to San Juan Safaris for making this possible!
Check them out here: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/
Biking to Lime Kiln Point State Park
For my next adventure on the next day, I rented a bike at Discovery Adventure Tours at Friday Harbor (https://discoveryadventuretours.com/). I had read that the island was very bike friendly and the only hazards were a few minor hills (boy did someone fool me).
My destination was Lime Kiln Point State Park, one of the best land-based whale-watching spots in the world. Located on the opposite side of San Juan Island from Friday Harbor, the park spans 14.6 hectares..
I woke up to a foggy morning and set out early. It didn’t take long—just a few hundred meters—for me to realize that I hadn’t been on a bike in quite some time. I knew I’d be feeling it the next day.
I had mapped out my route beforehand, happily unaware of the hills and slopes that would push my body to its limits. And I don’t say that lightly—this island is no joke on a bike, at least on the path I happen to choose.
Barely alive, after pedaling through farms, forests, and some brutal inclines, I finally reached the west coast after about an hour (including a few wrong turns).
The fog still had its grip on the landscape when I arrived on the west coast. On a clear day, you’re able to see Canada across the strait. Clearly I wasn’t that lucky. But, beautful nonetheless.
Having completed the first milestone by reaching the coast, I took aim at Lime Kiln Point State Park that was just 1,5 km north (from a birds-eye view).
Upon finally arriving at Lime Kiln Point State Park, I parked my bike and made my way down to the water. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Canada in the distance, but the fog had other plans.
I walked down to the iconic lighthouse, gazing out over the strait, hoping to spot some black fins breaking the surface. Sadly, no luck today.
There is a short hike you can take along the water from the lighthouse down to Deadman Bay Preserve. It’s difficult to not keep your eye out for whales as you walk along the stony seashore.
Arriving at Deadman Bay Preserve, I kicked myself for not bringing swim shorts. It was a bit chilly, but the water was so clear it was hard to resist. Definitely a note-to-self for next time.
After snapping a group photo for some elderly folks on the pebble beach, I made my way back to the lighthouse and eventually to my bike.
My plan was to head up to San Juan County Park and then return to Friday Harbor. In hindsight, this route could’ve been skipped. It involved walking my bike through narrow forest trails and pedaling up monstrous hills, only to arrive at a campsite with barely any people. I’m not sure what I expected, but if you’ve already visited Lime Kiln Point State Park, you can give this spot a pass. It’s a nice camping area, but not worth the visit unless you’re staying overnight.
Being exhausted arriving at San Juan County Park, this little mishap of a route only extended the distance to Friday Harbor, which I obviously wasn’t happy about.
Safe to say, I ended up walking my bike quite a bit on the way back to Friday Harbor. But that gave me more time to really take in the tranquility and beauty of the forest around me.
When I eventually made it back to Friday Harbor, I collapsed in my bed and ended up missing lunch. Even though the ride was more physically demanding than I expected, the trip was incredible. I loved the scenery, and the temperature was just perfect. I’d happily do it all over again, but hopefully with clearer skies next time.