Puget Sound Express — Local services in Port Angeles

This one is difficult for me. First off for everyone else this seemed to be a five-star experience. I heard many around me who seemed happy. It was a beautiful boat, and the captain was both personable and competent. The naturalist on board, Paul, knew so much, and that was evident. There wasn’t a bad seat on the boat, and the food that we ordered ahead of time was very good. So why do I sound a bit sad? Well, it’s largely my fault, I really expected more in the actual whale department, and perhaps my expectations were too high.

Some years back, I did a whale watching tour in New England that was fantastic, and that memory, along with following Puget Sound Express’ account on Instagram I had convinced myself that this would for sure be as good if not better. So I am sharing my disappointment to help other people who go on the same trip. I still believe it is worth it: they absolutely know what they are doing, and they do it well (note my 5 stars). It was a gorgeous day and honestly I shouldn’t be complaining about anything, but I do want to perhaps help temper the expectations of those who are thinking about going who might feel the same way I did at the end. It didn’t feel like an encounter to me, it felt like we got to see four whales for about 10 seconds each from far away. Again, this is not the fault of the company, but I was pretty bummed after spending a fair amount of money and anticipating this day for the past few months. Hopefully our experience was just a...

We had an amazing experience. Our group was six adults, seven children, and an infant. The ship and crew were very accommodating. Two kids in our group were pretty sick (along with a number of others on the boat) when the water was choppy. The crew was very helpful and compassionate. As the website says, if you are prone to motion sickness I'd highly recommend managing that with something over-the-counter before getting on the boat. But DON'T let it stop you from taking the trip.

I left my kids' extra "layers" - jackets and everything - at the hotel in Sequim. But, again, the crew came to the rescue with blankets that allowed us to salvage the trip and still spend time outside on the viewing deck. The crew even expressed understanding rather than judgment at my stupidity.

And, of course, the wildlife viewing was incredible. We saw a number of whales and sea life at a reasonable distance, but then had a humpback hang out "mugging" the boat right beneath us for sixteen minutes! It sounds cheesy, but it was actually a really moving and transformative experience.

In short, if you're headed to this part of the world on vacation, don't miss this as...

This trip was fun and intense! The boat was very nice and comfortable. You got a great view from the outer deck and the inside cabin. They offered great food and drinks. There is a small bathroom on board. On our trip we saw several humpback whales and sea lions. Fair warning, our ride was bumpier than normal due to tidal changes. Once we arrived to the destination with whales, the water was calm and it was fairly calm on the way back. The wave loaded ride on the way out felt like a water roller coaster, but it was perfectly safe. The captain did an awesome job navigating the sea and the staff did a great job providing people with barf bags and ginger candies to settle their stomach if needed. Again, the crew said this was a rare experience due to tidal changes.

Overall, it was a great experience. The staff was very friendly and took the time to educate us on ocean life, answer questions, and serve us food and drinks. Seeing the wildlife was extraordinary & the views of the mountains on the way out and back were wonderful. I also recommend hanging out at the wharf. Really cool art on the walls, a unique art gallery and gift shop, and a...