Puget Sound Express
Puget Sound Express things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
Posts
We did the all day whale watching tour to the San Juan Islands. We had a great time, but the whales were missing. I’ll start by saying that animals can’t be controlled and I totally understand that. Before we went, I was expecting to see a lot of whales just based on the whale guarantee. I was definitely disappointed that our all day adventure only led us to find two humpback whales that were being mischievous and we couldn’t even get remotely close. We were dying to see some orcas! It has been a childhood dream of mine and we were expecting to see several, but we were left wanting. We did see several bald eagles, seals, sea lions, and a ton of different kinds of birds. The first hour or so, it was so foggy we couldn’t really see much. The ride: There are 10 booths of 4 seats in the boat (pictured) and they assign seats. There are no bad seats. As far as weather goes, it was about 15 degrees cooler in the islands than on the mainland and when the boat is going 25-30mph, it is cold! Bring a jacket and buy the $8 bottomless mug to get all the coffee, hot chocolate, and tea you can handle. The temp is fine inside the cabin. I was worried about getting seasick so I took some Dramamine and had no issues. My wife didn’t take any and said she didn’t feel queasy the entire trip. We left Port Townsend and went all around the San Juan Islands. Whales hiding aside: the entire experience with Puget Sound Express was exceptional. They were friendly when I called to ask questions, the woman checking us in was so nice, the captain was great, and our crew (Wendy) was the best. They felt so bad that we only saw two whales that they issued us vouchers to come back that never expire. The stop on San Juan Island: IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. A word of advice… eat something super fast to maximize your time for touring the island. We rented a coupe moped from Susie’s Moped Rentals on the island and we were able to drive 20 minutes to Cattle Point Lighthouse. DO. IT. Driving the coupe was so much fun and the scenery was breathtaking. Since we didn’t get to see any orcas, this was the definite highlight of our day. All in all, we had a great time with Puget Sound Express. I wish we had seen whales, but it was still a day we’ll never forget. Hopefully we’ll be able to use those vouchers for another ride sometime. We live about 2,000 miles away so it’ll be difficult but we definitely want to return even if it takes a decade.
Derek PutmanDerek Putman
00
The whale sighting part of the trip was decent because the captain was alerted to a large group humpback whales and he was able to get to the location and we spent ample time watching them. So much time that we had no time left to see other animals. My other feedback for potential customers and the company is this: 1. Expect to to crammed in like sardines. Any Covid precautions are long gone and we had to squish into one side of a booth. If it had been nice weather and we could have been outside the boat the majority of the time maybe this would not have been so bad, but it was freezing out and the gas fumes were pretty nauseating. It was quite uncomfortable. 2.If you are going to turn off the engine so that the patrons can hear the whales (which was as wonderful as seeing them), then maybe stop the staff microphone chatter. The two naturalists on board were quite the talkers…way too much in my opinion, especially when whale sounds would have been much preferred. 3. I emailed with the company beforehand to make sure that my disabled mother would be able to navigate the boat. They guaranteed they would ensure her safety and that she would be fine. They were true to their word as far as getting her on board. They escorted her ahead of the others and made sure she was settled. However, that was where the assistance ended. No where did anyone mention that there was a set of steep steps that she’d have to navigate down to a non accessible bathroom. This was extremely hard for her, so she refused to drink anything and was very thirsty. I’m not sure the ADA would approve. 4.Captain James was extraordinary rude the couple of interactions that I had with him. He was funny and gregarious when talking on the microphone, but any face-to-face talk was very unpleasant. He misspoke about our return time telling me it would be an hour and a half later than it was going to be, so I told him that we needed to be back before 4:30pm. He abruptly ended our conversation and the tour and told everyone that one person had to get back so we had to leave (making it obvious that person was me). It was not true…we had the time if he had told me the correct information. He was quite unpleasant, but the chatty naturalists (Monica and Paul) were super nice.
Celene Van BurenCelene Van Buren
00
I have been on many whale watches and this one was the best experience I've had, not only because we saw orcas (and there's a guaranty for a second trip if you don't see whales), but also because of the whole experience. We went on the Saratoga, which was built in 2018 specifically for whale watching. We were greeted by friendly crew and fresh cooking pastries that smelled delicious. There is also an option to have a pre-made meal ready for you along the trip, but you must sign up for it when you book the trip. There is hot coffee, cider, and cocoa which is refillable for life for $5 with the take home signature mug. There was a wild life photographer who helped answer questions about the animals we saw and also took pictures which were viewed on one of the three large flat screen tvs during the ride back inland. The pictures from your trip are purchasable on provided USB/DVDs. The entire trip you can see exactly where you are on the TV screens just like with GPS. The boat is super fast and comfortable with plenty of viewing for all (including bleacher like steps/levels so everyone can see), the inside is just as comfortable with windows to enjoy the ride out to the islands. Also at the end of the ride they outline your trip on a small hand out map as a cool little souvenir. We went from Edmonds out to the Vancouver area where we saw transient orcas with two babies. Also the crew is able to identify many of them by their given names including gender and relationship to the other orcas. Wonderful trip.
MorganMorgan
00
Absolutely fabulous company and crew. We toured onboard the Saratoga on the half day tour and had the time of our lives! We sailed around the San Juan's observing several pods of Biggs Orca's, I think the final tally was 4 separate family pods and lots of babies and juveniles. My bestie is visually impaired and I can't say enough about the accomodations they made for her. She got a personal escort from the captain himself and a great seat and the captain always tried to position the boat so that she had excellent opportunities to be able to see as much as everyone else. They really went out of their way to make certain that she had a very special trip. They are truly wonderful people. I would like to add that occasionally I see accusations of harassment of the whales by individuals on FB, usually people who were not on any tours. I have been fortunate to have taken several tours with this company from a couple of locations and it's always a unique wonderful experience every time. I have never seen any of the boats approaching too closely or following or anything but showing space and respect to these amazing creatures. If you want to observe whales in their natural environment in a fully respectable manner these are the people to take you.
Monica HolmesMonica Holmes
00
No second thoughts here if I am going whale watching again. The staff is amazing. A great experience from booking to collecting your boarding passes to getting on board, whale watching to getting off the board. Everything was near perfection. The waves were pretty rough when we went in which we resulted in a few people throwing up. The crew were so helpful and making sure everyone on board were comfortable. They cleaned up the restrooms pretty quick. They had some fresh baked food as well. We were graced by the presence of two orcas and a dozen humpback whales. It was nothing less than what I had expected to see. Got to see a few breaches as well. It was more than what one could wish to see in one single trip. Also saw a whale feeding close to the surface of the water. They guarantee a whale sighting or give away a free ticket for another time to visit them. I want to empathize, not only we had a great sighting on the Salish sea but their crew is one of the best, friendly and concerned. I rarely give a five star review and this team surely deserves one! (The photos and videos from my average phone doesn't obviously do justice to the experience we had. I'll try to put better photos on another post)
Rachith S ThipperiRachith S Thipperi
00
What a great trip! We booked the cruise that takes you to the San Juan Island and you get to spend some time in Friday Harbor. We had absolutely perfect weather for it. Clear and sunny, so you could see the mountains all around. The water was so smooth that day that it made it very easy to spot the gray whale and the Orca family we saw! They do a great job of letting you know all of the things you are passing, while on the way to San Juan Island, and they also communicate with all the other boaters, and whale watchers, out and about, to share info and make it easier to find these elusive beauties. While we did indeed get to see some whales (and a couple of sea lions) I was wondering why we didn't see any of the local pods, J,K, and L. Turns out they had not been spotted in the area for the past 50 days (at that time), but had been seen out around the Victoria area, as there is a better supply of Salmon there, than in their old hunting grounds, thanks in part to some of the local hatcheries allowing some of their modified fish escape and contaminate/kill the natural supply. But even if we had not seen any whales (which we did) it still would have been a great time. Highly recommend!
Wendy MurphyWendy Murphy
00
Nearby Attractions Of Puget Sound Express
Chetzemoka Park
Rose Theatre (1907)
Palace Hotel Port Townsend
Soak on the Sound
Quimper Mercantile Company
Port Townsend Plaza
Pope Marine Park
Port Townsend Antique Mall
The Bishop Hotel
The Monarch Hotel
Chetzemoka Park
4.8
(503)Click for details
Rose Theatre (1907)
4.8
(297)Click for details
Palace Hotel Port Townsend
4.6
(248)Click for details
Soak on the Sound
4.6
(245)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Puget Sound Express
Sirens Pub
Salish Grill
The Old Whiskey Mill
Better Living Through Coffee
PT Soda Fountain & Diner
Silverwater Cafe
Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty
Waterfront Pizza
Pizza Factory Port Townsend
Khu Larb
Sirens Pub
4.4
(1.1K)Click for details
Salish Grill
4.4
(946)Click for details
The Old Whiskey Mill
4.3
(632)Click for details
Better Living Through Coffee
4.6
(474)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
227 Jackson St, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Map
Phone
(360) 385-5288
Call
Website
pugetsoundexpress.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.8
(453 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Chetzemoka Park, Rose Theatre (1907), Palace Hotel Port Townsend, Soak on the Sound, Quimper Mercantile Company, Port Townsend Plaza, Pope Marine Park, Port Townsend Antique Mall, The Bishop Hotel, The Monarch Hotel, restaurants: Sirens Pub, Salish Grill, The Old Whiskey Mill, Better Living Through Coffee, PT Soda Fountain & Diner, Silverwater Cafe, Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty, Waterfront Pizza, Pizza Factory Port Townsend, Khu Larb
