Best San Juan island for whale watching & good beaches?

They're all great and wonderful, but personally I think Orcas is the most beautiful and has some excellent whale watching opportunities.

www.orcasislandwhales.com

www.thesanjuans.com

good luck and happy travels!

You've gotten some good advice so far.

I do not recommend Lopez for either whale watching or tours. Lopez is a much more sleepy, less touristy island, and the two good beaches on this island aren't in a good spot for whale watching. Not that I dislike Lopez - I've actually spent more time on Lopez than on the other 3 ferry-accessible islands (Love Shaw too, but the options there are MUCH more limited).

Haro strait is usually a good place for whale watching. Friday Harbor is a good place to hook up with some of the whale watching services in the area.

You've mentioned that you are in Seattle for 2 days - just to make sure you know, getting to the San Juans means either a floatplane trip (fantastic flight if you can afford it), or a 1.5 hour drive to Anacortes and then a 1+ hour ferry ride to the island of your choice. Either plan to take your car on the ferry or double check the public transport options on the island you choose before you get there - the ferry terminal locations aren't really great places for whale watching, and the islands are mostly rural.

So a one day trip to go up and go whale watching will be one long day.

I've had good luck walking on the Anacortes ferry to Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) and then taking a whale watching trip from there. DON'T plan on taking your car to the island unless you are staying there. You have to wait in really long ferry lines and it costs $40 for the car plus another $11 for the passenger. All of the whale watching services and restaurants in Friday Harbor are within walking distance of the ferry.

Anacortes has a big parking lot, so just park your car, walk on the ferry, enjoy the ride and then get off in Friday Harbor.

Here are links to Whale Watching companies I have either heard good things about or been on myself.

http://www.sanjuansafaris.com/

http://www.watchwhales.com/

http://www.orcawhalewatch.com/

Like the other person said, it's a long drive to Anacortes from Seattle. Taking the float plane(http://www.kenmoreair.com/content.php?content_id=3... ) is really the fastest way to get there. It's $100 each way.

During the winter, a few whale watching companies offer boats leaving from Seattle, but most of them have moved back to the islands now.

Good luck! It will be worth it!

Go to the San Juan Island county park and head south. There are some great opportunities to sit on the rocks and watch the whales swimming in the straights of Haro.