We ♥ Whales: The Ultimate Guide to Seattle Gray Whale Watching

Originally published January 25, 2017 | Updated February 9, 2018

“Off the port side, at 10 o’clock, we have two gray whales!” The naturalist shouts exuberantly. With breathless anticipation, we scan the water trying to spot the gigantic mottled gray creatures and hopefully even grab a photo or two. It’s spring and the celebrated North Puget Sound gray whales are back! Returning once again to make a pit stop in our waters along their 5,000-mile journey from Mexico to Alaska.

Knowing the gray whales’ time in the Pacific Northwest is fleeting (a few weeks at most), we block out time on our calendar to welcome back these fascinating mammals. After all, it’s not very often a 50-foot-long mammal weighing up to 35 tons (the equivalent of five adult male African elephants) takes up residence in your own backyard.

9:00 am – Cruise and Gray Whale Watching Excursion

It’s early in the morning and as we stride onto the deck of the San Juan Clipper for our Seattle gray whale watching trip, the crew happily welcoming passengers aboard. The vessel eases out of downtown Seattle’s Pier 69, quickly coming to full speed with a full boat eagerly anticipating a day among the majestic creatures.

As we near the waters of Possession Sound, our onboard naturalist grabs her pair of trusty binoculars and slowly scans the waters. Somewhere below the chilly blue water 10-12 gray whales feed off the population of ghost shrimp at the south end of Camano and Whidbey Islands. The whales are frequently seen close to land, feeding along the shallow, muddy shorelines where those tasty shrimp and worms are found.

Silence is broken by a loud “whoosh” as the massive, 10-foot-long tail fluke of a gray whale is lifted out of the water. A few seconds later, the powerful tail crashes against the water with a sharp, resounding “flap!” as the mighty beast propels itself deep beneath the water to fill its large mouth with mud from the sea bottom that it then filters through its baleen to feed.

Mission accomplished! With two gray sightings under our belts, we navigate onward in search of a third opportunity to see these magnificent mammals. Our naturalist maintains a close eye on the waters, as we continue on to Langley. She pauses to mention that another good way to spot the whales is to look for heart-shaped misty jet of vapor of the whale’s blow when they come to the surface. Using her tips, we continue to search the horizon, cruising past small sailboats and tugboats, until we arriving at the Langley dock.

12:00 pm –  Lunch at Useless Bay Coffee Co.

We amble off the San Juan Clipper into the quaint waterfront village of Langley, population 1,097. Forest meets the beach with nature on full display with locals offering up an abundance of friendly hellos and kind waves to visitors. Rumbling stomachs make grabbing lunch our first priority ashore. With the delicious smells of freshly baked pastries, garlic and grilled meats drifting across town, there are plenty of options to tempt our taste buds.  We have a tough time deciding between French-inspired Northwest eats at Prima Bistro, fresh oysters and bubbly at Saltwater or cafe fare at the Useless Bay Coffee Co.

We settle on Useless Bay Coffee Co. and grab a seat one of the many tables scattered around the restaurant’s large patio. My travel companion orders up the classic Bacon Cheese Burger, while I, a sucker for anything spicy and that comes with avocado, go with the Southwest Chicken sandwich. Served on fresh baked bread and featuring house-made ingredients (some of which are grown in the cafe’s gardens), both meals are equally delicious.

We can’t leave without sampling the restaurant’s freshly roasted small-batch coffee, which is produced on site using a Probat UG15 drum roaster. To fuel our explorations around town, we each order a cup of cold brew to go.

12:45 pm – Stop in Langley Whale Center

Curious to learn more about the amazing animals we saw on the water, we pass under a massive blue whale jaw bone hanging in front of the entrance of the Langley Whale Center and make our way inside the quaint building. As you enter the space, there is an incredible amount of information on our marine neighbors everywhere you look.

Posters of various whales, maps of gray whale migration routes and lists of recent whale sightings blanket the walls. In addition, display cases featuring specimens such as a harbor porpoise skeleton as well as skulls and pelts from harbor seals, sea lions and sea otters are scattered around the rooms. This allows us to get an up-close view of some of the other marine animals that call the Salish Sea home.

1:15 pm – First & Second Street Boutique Shopping

With less than an hour left in town, we decide to make the most of our remaining time and do a quick tour of Langley’s famous galleries and eclectic shops. Meandering down Second Street, a blue-gray fire station adorned with glass bowls and sculptures catches our eye and draws us in.

Inside the aptly named Callahan’s Firehouse Studio & Gallery, expert glassblowers put on a show as they twist and turn vibrantly colored orbs of molten glass in a 2100 degree kiln to form an array of tumblers, bowls, pumpkins, wishing stones and various sculptures (if you have a 30 minutes you can even blow your own glass art).

From there, we make our way to First Street, and pop into the bright, airy edit, which brims with handmade items produced by 60 artisans on Whidbey, the U.S. and beyond. With an excellent selection of housewares, dishes, knits, candles and totes that have been carefully curated by the shop’s owner for their usefulness and thoughtful design, you are sure to find something to suit your fancy.

Next, we follow our noses inside Whidbey Island Natural. The experience is heavenly. We sniff our way through a collection of luxurious and organic soaps, lotions and potions made from fragrant essential oils in the shop’s island workshop. I select a tin of tropical lemon verbena body butter and we are on our way. As the last stop of the day, my travel companion and I duck into the adorable Foamy Wader to check out their affordable and delicate handmade jewelry.

Glancing at our watch, we realize it’s time to make the trek back to the San Juan Clipper. We’ve run out of time, but there is so much more to see! We add sampling the award-winning small-case wines at Ott & Murphy to our list of things we must do on a return visit. (Note to self: be sure to also swing by Double Bluff Brewery for a locally crafted brew or two.)

2:30 pm – Cruise Back to Seattle

As we settle in for the ride home, we kick back and relax in our comfy seats. As the sleek Clipper catamaran slices through the waters, bald eagles circle right over our boat and we catch sight of a harbor seal snacking on a dogfish. We slow down as we pass by a navigational maker where sea lions are hauled out of the water, basking in the sun. Later I pull out my camera and browse through my pics, especially the ones of the barnacle-nosed gray whales and reflect on the day’s spectacular adventures.

Recommended Stops in Langley:

Clipper Recommends:

• As you stroll along Second Street, be sure to check out the tasty truffles and caramels at Sweet Mona’s Chocolates (inside tip: peek into the shop’s window to see the chocolate making process in action) .

• Looking for some quick entertainment? Duck into the Machine SHOP, an amazing arcade featuring walls of vintage pinball machines and two Pacman tables with games at just 25 cents a pop!