New Tours for 2025
At Island Adventures, our number one goal is to provide you with an unparalleled experience, showcasing as many whales and diverse wildlife as possible, all while exploring the Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands. Throughout our history, we’ve offered a diverse range of tour lengths, from the initial 7-8 hour tours back in 1996 to the more compact 4-5 hour tours, introduced with the launch of the Island Explorer 5. However, we understand that many of our guests may not have the flexibility to allocate 4-5 hours to a whale-watching adventure. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce our brand-new 3-3.5 hour tours, starting in 2025. These guaranteed whale-watching tours from Anacortes will now offer a convenient and enjoyable experience for all, regardless of their schedule constraints.
Signature Whale Watch
3-3.5 Hour Tours
February-November
Our flagship tour has a brand-new trip duration with a wide variety of departure times throughout the season. This expanded schedule provides guests with more potential adventures to pick from and greater flexibility to accommodate your schedule. Our signature whale watch is signature for a reason, look no further for the best value in whale watching.
Full Day Whale Watch
6-7 Hour Tours
May 6 | June 16 | September 19
For those seeking more time on the water and more wildlife, we are thrilled to introduce our inaugural set of full-day excursions departing May 16th, July 16th, and September 19th. These 6-7 hour tours provide us with a broader range and the opportunity to spend more time with whales and other marine life. Dedicate your day to adventure with us!
Extended Range Tours
10-12 Hour Tours
April 22 | June 20 | August 19
Our 10-12 hour Extended Range tours offer the ultimate whale and wildlife adventure. These specialty trips are designed for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and true adventurers. We’re excited to announce three Extended Range Tours in 2025 on April 22nd, June 20th, and August 19th. Plan ahead, pick your dates, and book early… these tours are a favorite!
4th of July Fireworks
2 Hour Cruise
July 4th, 2025
Skip the hassle of finding a good spot for your folding chair this 4th of July and enjoy a front-row fireworks view! This year, our Independence Day celebration is dedicated to providing you with the best possible view of the fireworks—from the water. Our tour will depart at 9:00 PM, and we’ll head out of Cap Sante Marina to position ourselves with an unparalleled view of Anacortes’ breathtaking fireworks display.
Historical Cruise
3 Hour Tour
June 6 | August 22 | September 5
Island Adventures is partnering with the Anacortes Museum to provide unforgettable 3 hr historical adventures! Enjoy expert narration from local historians, photos from museum archives, scenic views, and wildlife sightings as we circumnavigate Fidalgo Island. We’ll highlight history surrounding Anacortes, Guemes Channel, early explorers, landmarks, and so much more. This evening cruise is a must for history buffs, local residents, and visitors desiring to learn more about our incredible region!
Your questions answered.
Why is the tour length of your signature whale watch tour changing?
The Island Explorer 5 is not only the most comfortable boat in the region, she is also one of the fastest. In her first 6 years of being on the water, we were not using her to her full capacity. By utilizing more of IE5’s power we can accomplish an amazing whale-watching tour in less time.
Will I see whales?
We guarantee whale sightings on all of our whale watch tours! Island Adventures was one of the first companies to guarantee whales in the San Juan Islands. We are the leaders in whale sightings with an overall sighting success rate over 97%. The guarantee isn't a stand-by pass and there are no blackout dates, it's an offer to come again for 50% off your next tour in hopes of fulfilling our guests' wish to see whales.
What will be offered in the onboard gift shop?
Merchandise and more! Several years ago, we had a gift shop on Commercial Avenue that offered a diverse range of souvenirs, clothing, and gifts. Since relocating to an administrative office, our guests have requested more gift options onboard. We’ve listened to their feedback and are excited to announce that you’ll find a wider selection of retail items in our onboard gift shop. From exclusive shirts and hats to stickers, postcards, souvenir mugs, and more, we’ve got a little something for everyone.
What about the onboard cafe?
In order to give you the best whale watching experience, we’re staffing the boat with two naturalists. With the shorter tour durations, our goal is to provide more one-on-one naturalist time and less time behind the cafe counter. An assortment of prepackaged snacks and beverages will be for sale during the tour. You’ll be so busy watching whales and wildlife that you won’t miss the old cafe offerings!
Do you offer longer tours?
Yes! Starting in April through September, each month will host a different longer tour option. One date in May, July, and September will have a 6-7 hour Full Day Tour available, while one date in April, June, and August will be set aside for one 10-12 hour Extended Range tour option.
Does this affect the annual 50% off gift certificate sale?
No! We will still offer our best sale of the year Black Friday through Cyber Monday (November 29th - December 1st) — prices will be 50% off the regular adult/child cost. No additional discounts will apply. Please see the holiday gift certificate page for more information.
What tour can I use my gift certificate on?
If you purchase a gift certificate (holiday or otherwise), these will be valid on our Signature whale-watching tours only. Gift certificates cannot be purchased for, or redeemed towards specialty tours at this time.
If you have a previously purchased gift certificate from a past year, it will still be valid for the Signature 3 - 3.5 hour tours in 2025!