See up to 4 Types of Whales from 4 Departure Locations!
Join us for a 4th of July you'll never forget!
You've seen fireworks from your lawn chair or picnic blanket, but have you ever been on the water to celebrate USA's birthday? At Island Adventures, we're offering a special 4th of July wildlife and fireworks cruise out of Anacortes and Port Angeles. These 2.5 hour tours will depart at 8:30 PM in search of wildlife before sunset, then we'll position ourselves for a front-row view of the fireworks display. Our full menus will be available and features Ivar's clam chowder, Nathan's hot dogs, nachos, beer, wine, and more! Beat the crowd and enjoy the 4th on the water!
All tickets are only $29 plus tax/fees
Simply click the button below for the departure below to make reservations.
Remember to select the 8:30 departure on July 4th to purchase tickets for the fireworks cruise!
Interested in a guaranteed whale watching tour?
Join us for an adventure of a lifetime!
Our boats are specifically designed for whale watching.
Our goal is to show you as many whales as possible, and with our fleet of specifically designed whale watch vessels, we do that better than any other company. Our vessels are never booked to capacity. Every passenger has unobstructed front-row viewing - you won’t be stuck inside looking through glass or forced to stand behind strangers.
Due to the design and stability of our vessels, we don’t force you to to sit down while we’re underway. Grab a hot Ivar’s clam chowder or a cold local brew while moving freely around our fully walk-around viewing decks. When you’d like to sit, however, we have plenty of options for everyone. All of our vessels have comfortable indoor heated cabins and outdoor, wind-protected areas with padded seating. No other vessel comes close to the comfort of the Island Explorer fleet.
Some of the features that set us apart from the pack are things you’ll never see. Our vessels are equipped with large, low-noise propellers and above-water exhaust to create a quiter experience for the whales. While watching whales, our vessels make less noise than the ambient sound of rain hitting the surface. We’ve modernized our vessels by investing in equipment that not only meets but exceeds current emissions standards.
At Island Adventures, we are serious about finding whales.
This is a challenge every day because the whales never stop moving! Orca, humpback, and minke whales can travel over 100 miles in a 24 hour period. We use many different resources (cooperatively working together) to help in the search every morning. Over the past 20 years, our spotting network has evolved into the most sophisticated spotting network on the entire west coast — strategically placed land-based spotters using spotting scopes, many other whale watch vessels with a private encrypted radio system, exclusive industry based online sighting network, researchers, dive boats, early morning fishermen, water taxis, tug boats, and ferry boats. If the whales are in the area, we know it.
We understand our guests’ passion to see whales — especially orca whales in the wild. The waters surrounding Anacortes and Port Angeles are in the core whale watching zone. Every day is different and no two tours are the same — that’s why we’ve developed three different guarantee options.
By offering multi-day orca guarantees, we’re not trying to sell you more tickets or force you to go multiple days. We just want to maximize your chances to experience orca whales in the wild, which is a life-long dream for so many of our guests. If you see orca whales on one of your tours, you can cancel any remaining tours at no charge — no questions asked. We also want to set reasonable expectations that this is wildlife in the wild, and we have no control what the whales do or where the whales go each day. What we can give you is the highest possible chance to see whales in the wild due to our vessel speed, location, and tour length. No company sees orcas more than Island Adventures/Port Angeles Whale Watch Company — the proof is in our whale report.
Whale Sighting Records
Our 96% success rate speaks for itself. See how the 2017 season is shaping up in the Whale Report.
- 2018: 587 of 600 tours – 98.4%
- 2017: 571 of 603 tours – 94.7%
- 2016: 515 of 525 tours – 98.1%
- 2015: 429 of 433 tours – 99.1%
- 2014: 363 of 375 tours – 96.8%
- 2013: 260 of 266 tours – 97.7%
- 2012: 212 of 225 tours – 94.2%
- 2011: 262 of 266 tours – 98.5%
- 2010: 477 of 488 tours – 97.7%
- 2009: 239 of 248 tours – 96.4%
- 2008: 258 of 264 tours – 97.7%
- 2007: 244 of 256 tours – 95.3%
- 2006: 479 of 505 tours – 94.9%
- 2005: 269 of 274 tours – 98.2%
- 2004: 205 of 210 tours – 97.6%
- 2003: 221 of 230 tours – 96.1%
- 2002: 193 of 198 tours – 97.5%
Online Reservations
Make a reservation online with our secure system and receive an immediate email confirmation.
Whale Report
See what we've seen on the water. There's a detailed account from every tour since 2002!
Prepare for your tour
It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. See our tips, suggestions, and frequently asked questions.
Whales and Wildlife
Our goal is to share as much local wildlife, scenery, and history as possible on each and every tour.