Puget Sound Express - A Spy Hop Away
When living in the Pacific Northwest, one of the most common activities tourist sign up for is a whale watching tour in the Puget Sound. Most whale watching groups are located north in the San Juan Islands however Mr. Mustang and myself found a local tour company that is about a 20 minute drive north from Seattle.
Puget Sound Express is the most southern whale watching tour company in Washington State that is located in downtown Edmonds near the ferry terminal. The company offers tours daily starting in early march and ends sometime in early October with each month offer a new batch of animals to spot. If you decide to sign up early on in the season, chances are you are going to spot some humpback whales and possibly gray whales or late in the summer you’ll have a higher chance of spotting several pods of Orcas.
Mr. Mustang and I hit the sweet spot of whale watching which was late May where many whale migration patterns overlap. The tour starts at the docks of Edmonds near the Anthony’s Homeport restaurant where we boarded the ship, Saratoga which is the newest boat in the Puget Express Fleet. There were around 50 people who were onboard during the tour but the ship can hold over a 100 people. The ship and it’s interior is similar to the Victoria Clipper with three sections of seats to choose from, window, middle or top view seats. We were one of the last people to board the ship so by the time we were able to sit down, all the window seats were taken.
After a brief safety talk, the captain took the ship out of the harbor and into the Puget Sound. Despite the Saratoga being one of the fastest ships on the water available for commercial use, it still takes 45 minutes to an hour to arrive at the Strait of Juan de Fuca where the majority of the whale watching takes place. During the voyage, guests are able to purchase food like in-house baked blueberry crumble coffee cake and special mugs that grants you unlimited refills for life.
We were on the water for 45 minutes when the captain spots the first whales of the day - a pod of transient orcas. As we approached the pod, the captain informs us that we caught the whales mid hunt as they were chasing down a porpoise for their breakfast. There was plenty of splashes but no gore during the hunt and after observing the hunt for 30 minutes, the orcas finally took down the porpoise and the water became eerily calm. The captain announces we’re about to leave for a new location where there were rumors of mink whales and left just before a herd of competing whale watching tours start to surround the orca pod.
As we cruised across the Strait, we were fortunate to come across a diverse array of animal life. Spotting mink whales briefly feeding, we also got to see a puffin colony on the rocks nearby, a swarm of harbor seals sunbathing on the stoney beach and as we reached the northern tip of Whidbey Island, three gray whales fattening up for the journey to the Arctic.
After the gray whales, the captain informs everyone that the tour is wrapping up and needed to start heading back to Edmonds for the day. The entire time Mr. Mustang and I were actively exploring the ship and rarely sat down to take a rest so after hearing the tour is nearly done we thought this was a perfect opportunity for lunch. Since the tour lasts around 5 hours, the ship also serves boxed lunches that can be purchased in advance. Everyone is given a choice between three sandwiches, turkey, ham or caprese with a side of Tims Chips and a drink of either water, soda or juice. The cruise back was smooth and calm since we were traveling through Skagit Bay where the waters are protected from the wind and busy boat traffic so we were able to squeeze in a quick nap after lunch as well.
Tips on what to do:
Arrive early. Your experience is night and day if you arrive early and snag a window seat - even better if you call ahead and request a row with a table. I didn’t know this was an option but you can call ahead and request your own private table on the ship beforehand but it might cost a little extra.
Bring your own lunch. The sandwiches were good but there were extremely simple and something that you could of easily made at home. You can bring anything onboard and that includes wine and beer so act as though you were on a classy picnic on the water and bring a fabulous lunch that doesn’t cost $15 a person.
Bring a camera with a memory card with more than 1 gig. Why I did this is still a mystery to me. I had my camera on sports mode the entire time so I was taking 6 pictures a second and by the time we reached the gray whales, my camera flashed ‘memory full’.
Overall
I believe this is the best whale watching tour available in Washington State but I also believe it is the most expensive. Costing at $135 a person, not including tax or food is a high price to pay but you are on the water the longest (5+ hours) and the ship is the most comfortable option. I’ve been on a couple whale watching boats before and most tours last for maybe 2 hours and some can be quite rugged. The Saratoga is the Rolls Royce of whale watching in the Puget Sound with spectacular viewing platforms that gives you 360 degree angles of viewing and a comfortable inside cabin to chill and relax.
If you want to see multiple species whales and marine life but in a comfortable atmosphere, Puget Sound Express is your guide.
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