Puget Sound Express — Attraction in Port Townsend

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...

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:

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.

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)...

I recently went on a whale watching tour with Puget Sound Express and had a mixed experience. Let me break it down for you.

The beginning of the journey was enjoyable. The crew warmly introduced themselves, and the boarding process onto the large and comfortable vessel was smooth. I was pleased to see that the boat was impeccably clean, which added to the overall positive impression.

The crew and Captain were knowledgeable and attentive. They shared interesting facts about the wildlife we might encounter and were happy to answer any questions we had. Their expertise made me feel confident that we were in good hands.

However, the tour took a turn for the worse when the Captain decided to seek out a whale sighting. Despite a headwind and rough seas with white caps, the Captain pushed through, which made the journey quite challenging. The constant motion of the boat and large waves splashing onto the vessel made me feel sick, and moving around during these conditions was daunting.

After enduring about 30 minutes of rough seas, we finally spotted a lone humpback whale surfacing every 8 minutes, accompanied by two other vessels. Although the sighting was fascinating, it was overshadowed by the discomfort caused by the extreme conditions we had to endure to get there.

Thankfully, the tour improved as we moved into calmer waters. We had the opportunity to observe harbor seals basking in the sun and even caught sight of majestic bald eagles. These moments were truly enjoyable and provided a glimpse of the natural beauty of the area.

Overall, my experience with Puget Sound Express Whale Watching Tour was marred by the Captain's decision to navigate through extreme conditions in search of a whale sighting. While the crew and the boat itself were excellent, the rough seas and subsequent discomfort overshadowed much of the tour. If you have a tendency to get seasick or prefer smoother sailing, you might want to consider a different tour option.

I hope this review helps you make an informed decision. Happy...