Puget Sound offers year-round opportunities to see a wide range of marine wildlife, with species presence varying by season and movement patterns.
Harbor porpoises and Dall’s porpoises can be seen throughout the year. Minke whales are present but remain very rare in Puget Sound.
Transient killer whales, also known as Bigg’s or mammal-eating orcas, are present year-round. These orcas are highly mobile and can travel up to 60 miles in a single day, but they regularly move through Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea, giving us consistent opportunities to encounter them.
Humpback whales are now seen in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea most of the year, with the highest likelihood of sightings between May and October, when feeding activity peaks.
Gray whales are most commonly observed in the region during their spring migration, particularly from March through June. In recent years, a small group of gray whales known as the “Sounders” has been documented feeding in Puget Sound for extended periods, allowing for occasional summer sightings as well.
Southern Resident killer whales are also present year-round but are critically endangered, with approximately 73 individuals remaining. We do not actively search for or follow Southern Resident orcas.
Sea lions, including Steller sea lions and California sea lions, as well as harbor seals, can be seen year-round throughout Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. Bald eagles are a common sight in all seasons, along with a variety of pelagic and coastal bird species. Year-round and seasonal birdlife may include tufted puffins, brown pelicans, cormorants, gulls, murres, and other seabirds that frequent the Salish Sea ecosystem.
We suggest the following:
- Arrive early. We begin boarding half an hour before the scheduled departure time. Note, we will leave the terminal promptly at 9 AM for May through November sailings, and 2:30 PM for additional sailings June through September.
- Bring sun protection. We suggest hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses to help protect you from the sun and glare out on the water.
Wear warm clothes. We recommend layering clothes for any potential weather changes throughout the trip. It also is about 10 degrees cooler out on the ocean compared to on land. - Bring binoculars if you have them. If not, binoculars are available for rent onboard.
- Consider a camera. We encourage our guests to capture photos onboard but will also offer the opportunity to purchase photos from your tour, taken by our naturalists.
- Curiosity at the ready. In addition to the beautiful sights and sounds of the Salish Sea, you will have access to various educational materials for the duration of your voyage, as well as commentary from and access to our professional marine naturalist who will guide you through the experience as we explore our waterways.
Yes, we offer a variety of locally-sourced food, drink and snack options as well as various gift shop items.
You can easily update or cancel your Wildlife & Whale Watching tickets by visiting our reservation portal. You can also call our Reservations team at 800-888-2535.
Yes. Parking can be found at the Bell Street Pier Garage, located at 9 Wall Street, diagonally across Alaskan Way from the Clipper Terminals at pier 69.
Entrances: There are entrances to the garage on both 9 Wall Street and 2323 Elliot Ave. The garage has a height restriction of 6’6″.
Garage hours: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
FRS Clipper exclusive rate*: $10.00 per calendar day.
Cost: $10.00 per calendar day for Clipper passengers. Must obtain parking validation from the Victoria Clipper terminal.
Exiting: When exiting the garage, please use the 5th floor, Elliot Avenue exit as this exit has 2 lanes and is typically staffed
Once onboard the vessel, an announcement will be made to retrieve parking validations at the galley. Should you miss this announcement, our crew will make sure you receive a parking validation ticket when arriving back at Pier 69 in Seattle.
Yes, the Emerald Clipper can accommodate standard manual wheelchairs and has a standard manual wheelchair accessible restroom onboard. When booking online, please mark the box noting that a guest will require standard wheelchair assistance and contact us with any questions so that we may add a note to your reservation. Please note that we are unable to accommodate motorized wheelchairs on Emerald Clipper due to space and boarding constraints.
As part of our Whale Watching Guarantee, if you don’t see whales on your wildlife & whale watching trip, you will receive a voucher for another trip on us. Please note that the voucher is not valid for seeing a specific whale species and is also not valid for a cash back exchange.
Our cancellation and refund policy for all trips booked on the Emerald Clipper and all associated whale watching tours is the following:
Standard Fare: Fully refundable for cancellations received 2 or more days prior to travel, non-changeable/non-refundable within 2 days. Should you want to change your booking in any capacity, a $15 USD fee will be charged.
