Sea Quest Kayak Tours

Glad Mattyice

2024-04

Let me just first say that i read a lot of reviews from people complaining about having to help carry the kayaks off of the truck and into the water and let me just say that if that low amount of physical labor inconveniences you… you probably shouldn't be going kayaking in the ocean.ANYWAY the tour is just such an amazing experience whale or no whales. Our tour guide ben was super knowledgable and obviously cared a lot about the wildlife. Took us to some rads spots and just overall felt super comfortable and very easy going.Felt like if we had a suggestion or something we wanted to do or see he would have been all ears.My man, thanks a bunch-Mati and Carter

Alex Ov

2024-04

Our guide Martine was very knowledgeable in discussing about safety, and identifying the surrounding fauna and flora. She was invitingly friendly (same with our chauffeur Adam!) and tentative to ensuring both me and my sister were having a great time— which we did! The resting spots we had allowed us to soak in the silent beauty of the nature surrounding Dinner Island.

Scott Boucher

2024-04

Did a three day private lessons to prep me for a four day solo journey with Ben(owner). He did a fantastic job prepping me before I departed, ensuring I felt safe and confidant and then supported me the entire trip. Was not disappointed ever!

Candice Hines

2024-04

If you want to experience the beautiful islands of Washington state while exploring the water, Ben is your guy! Absolutely will be booking again for all of my future water/camping adventures. You will gain lots of new knowledge which will not only allow you to have a great time on the water, but you will also feel safe!

Haigh Angell

2023-09

After years of kayaking around the east coast we decided it was time to checkout the famed San Juan Islands.We reached out to Ben, inquiring on a self-guided 3 day trip that included remote camping, longer days and a schedule that enable us to deal with the ever-changing tides. Not only did he help us develop a rock solid plan, but he even went so far as to make us our own personal video outlining various logistical and geographic details for our selected trip. Simply exceptional. The flexibility, professionalism and quality of the vessels + gear was exactly what we were looking for - 5/5 trip and 5/5 company.Would we come back and use Sea Quest again? Absolutely.Thanks Ben & team for the incredible experience.

Robbyn Pilon

2024-04

Sierra was an amazing guide! Lucky us we got a private tour by us being the only booking of the morning! It was a windy morning but Sierra got us safely out and back; love that she had a few ideas of where to go based on the time of tide/weather/our skill. We very much enjoyed our time and got our fill of sea birds, local plants, saw a sea otter AND a sea lion up close! By far our favorite thing of our Friday Harbor weekend!

Jen Raven

2023-07

Amazing three day kayaking trip in the San Juan Islands with our guide Caleb. Everything was so well organized. We learned a lot about the geology of the islands, saw tons of wildlife including bald eagles, harbor seals, porpoises, salmon leaping out of the water. The route was spectacular. We felt very safe and had a fun adventure. Unfortunately no whales but hopefully we can come back and try again!

Josh Brown

2023-10

Great trip with Martine as our guide. We were in for a family wedding with limited time and she absolutely helped us make the most of it. We saw plenty of harbor seals, some bald eagles and lots of other wildlife.As a side from reading other reviews: kayaks are not exceptionally heavy and we all carried it down the 40 feet or so as a group. Two men and 2 women, zero trouble. I’m not certain why anyone would book a tour which requires you to be physically active and then be upset when you have to actually be active. Great operator and would absolutely use again.

George Kontaxis

2023-10

This was my first time kayaking and the kayak tour with SeaQuest exceeded my expectations! Our 2 tour guides JJ and Julia were simply awesome, very professional and fun at the same time, with great personalities, and sharing lots of information as they guided us around the stunning coast of San Juan Island in our kayaks. We got to see Orcas, Seals, stop at beautiful remote beaches and enjoy the stunning landscape of the San Juan Islands! Overall a fantastic experience that i would do again anytime!

Aaron S.

2023-07

What an amazing tour. We did the 11 am tour on Saturday the 1st and our guides were awesome. Super energetic, knowledgeable, and engaging. They did a great job to ensure everyone was very safe and ensured our path in the water didn't cause any issues. We got to see seals, bald eagles, jellyfish, stellar seal, and a swimming deer. Anyone can see a whale but who can say they saw a swimming deer?!?! My one recommendation is potentially to do the morning or evening trip as there may be a higher chance to see whales but nature has its own agenda. They also offer a bioluminescent kayak tour that we plan to return and do. Great staff and company!

Andrea Cribbs

2023-08

Sea Quest Kayak Tours are amazing.I was on the 5-day trip lead by Caleb. It was the most challenging and most amazing thing I have done. Caleb was a wonderful guide. He is so knowledgeable about everything we were seeing and experiencing. It was obvious how much he loves both the area and his job. He is also a fantastic cook!For anyone thinking about doing this trip solo I can recommend it. Our group was made up of one couple and three solo travelers. I loved meeting and getting to know the other people in the group. We started as strangers and ended the week as friends.If you are concerned that the experience might be too physically challenging do not worry. The guides take everyone's physicality and experience into account when planning the trip. Plus, it is wonderful to see what you are capable of. I am a 50+ year old, out of shape, overworked mom and I had the best time. I was both tired and energized at the end of every day. As a result, I had the four best night's sleep I have had in years.Thank you for such a wonderful experience. I hope to return with my children so that I can share it with them.

Maisy Webster

2023-11

Had a great time out on the water with Ben! He was very knowledgeable and we felt safe even with some pretty strong wind. Got to see lots of harbor seals among other wildlife! Would recommend to anyone looking for a challenging but memorable way to explore the area.

Emily McKeag

2024-04

We just did are kayak tour yesterday. They gave us clear instructions on where to meet up. Martine (I hope I spelled her name right) was our guide and the poor woman put up with my husband all day. He would like to say she is an amazing woman and her amazing stories alone were worth it:) she is very knowledgeable and was able to talk a lot about the marine life. Thanks for the great time! Also John would like to thank you for the brief encounter with big foot.

Lisa Jager

2023-07

We were visiting and did an impromptu overnight tour, Ben was able to accommodate us and we were lucky to have Chad and JJ as our guides. We had a large group of 15 including the 2 guides and they did an amazing job - from guiding us around the islands, to educating us about the local wildlife, to cooking us awesome meals. To top off the experience we hiked to a bluff for lunch and were treated with a show by a group of orcas and the most beautiful sunset paddle after dinner. We couldn’t be more impressed with the care and amount of work the guides put into our trip. We look forward to our next adventure with Sea Quest.

Tami Grant

2023-05

Boom with Sea Quest! We had an amazing sunset kayaking adventure 8/18/22. Ben and Isabella were great! (Isabella was in training but she could have handled our trip!) We saw seals, jellyfish, bald eagles and more. Very relaxing, we had the place to ourselves 99% of the time which was an added bonus. Ben was extremely knowledgeable and shared a lot of interesting facts, we will book with Sea Quest when we return to the San Juan Islands!

Sara Shier

2024-03

We took a trip to San Juan Island last July (2023) and spontaneously booked a bioluminescence kayak tour. It was the most amazing experience we’ve ever had! Our guides, Eliza and Luke, were kind and knowledgeable. All of the gear and instruction were great and despite never having sea kayaked, our whole family felt comfortable and confident. Once we got out on the water, it was magical! The bioluminescence was beautiful and we even heard whales spouting nearby! I was so glad we happened to be visiting at the right time and found this company for a tour. 10/10 would highly recommend to anyone! The owner, Ben, followed up with us after the trip to ensure we had a good time. If you have even the slightest interest in doing something like this, don’t hesitate to book this adventure with them!

Kronus Guillory

2023-08

This was a trip I had been looking to make since I was a kid, so to say I was excited would be an understatement. I did the 5 day trip and while it was exhausting, every bit of it was worth it because of our guide Caleb. He kept a steady pace throughout as well as made sure everyone in the group had been accomodated, which is impressive considering the 50 plus miles we kayaked with sudden wind/current changes lol! Did I mention the man can cook?! We also explored each island, to which he was very knowledgeable and engaging with the area and wildlife. Seeing the harbor seals, bald eagles, and porpoises in their natural state was beautiful. Unfortunately we did not see any orca which is no ones fault, nothing was promised. So if that's considered a non negotiable, save yourself the disappointment and money. Overall with what all I listed above on top of hanging with a great group, I'd definitely recommend these guys if you're considering a trip!

Danika Edvalson

2023-06

Super fun! My husband and I had never been out sea kayaking before but had a great time. We had a harbor seal hang out and follow us for about an hour or two, it was super fun. No orcas, which was sad, but that's just the luck of the draw, plus we came earlier in the season. We had some issues because we made our reservation last minute, but Ben was super helpful and made sure we had lots of options and was very attentive to us and our trip.

Rupert Mayo

2023-09

JJ was a super guide. Our party consisted of 2 adults (50 plus) and a 12 year-old.We have limited experience in kayaking and JJ took us through all the steps. Booking in and signing all the waivers was also very easy. We did it on the ferry using our iPhones!We took the 5-hour cruise and remembered to take packed lunch with us. Meeting up was straightforward and we were driven to the launchlocation and provided with all the kit. I would certainly recommend this company which is small and very well-run.

Kirsten Transue

2023-11

We had a perfect day out on the water with Ben. My husband and I were in a triple kayak with our 14 year old. The San Juan Islands are a magical place, full of wildlife and so peaceful.

Karen Garcia

2023-05

Our family had a great experience kayaking with Sea Quest. Our kids are young, 11, 9 and 5. We did 2 3-person kayaks and it was perfect. We saw lots of wild life and the weather was perfect. It took us about an hour to drive to the location, get our equipment on and review safety but we had a wonderful 2 hours on the water.We were so happy that Sea Quest was still open late in the season since mid-October was the only time we could come with our family. Other touring companies were closed for the season.Ben, our guide was both fun and knowledgeable.

Andrew Hard

2023-08

We had the most amazing 2 day kayaking and camping trip with Sea Quest and our guide Gabriel! There were only two of us on this particular voyage, so we basically got a private tour of western San Juan Island. Camping on Posey Island was lovely -- I've rarely seen such spectacular sunsets. The dinner (burritos) and breakfast (french toast) were delicious, particularly after a long day full of paddling. We didn't see any orcas (apparently none had been in the area for several days), but that was fine because we got to see so many other aspects of the ecosystem including seals, fish, bald eagles and other birds, kelp forests, and more. Gabriel was really knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic. He made our trip truly unforgettable!

Melanie McKinley

2021-05

We had a wonderful 5 day, 4 night kayaking trip with Sea Quest tours. We were a family of 8 ranging in age from 15-54. Our guides, Jonathan and Katie, were fabulous. They cooked delicious food and took great care of us. Jonathan was exceptionally knowledgeable about the area: the currents, the weather, the animal life, the plant life, EVERYTHING! We were so grateful to be able to go on a very socially-distant, safe vacation during these uncertain times. I would highly recommend this as the vacation to take right now!

b martinez

2023-05

This was an incredible experience! We did the full day tour with the hope of seeing some interesting wildlife. While we didn’t see Orcas, we did see seals (lots of seals), bald eagles, and loons.Our guide was excellent - we were lucky to have the owner, Ben, as our guide and he was very thorough in walking us through everything about the sea kayaks including using the rudder pedals and skirts which we had never used before. Once out on the water, he was pointing out specific features along the coast and could recognize specific bird calls as well as share interesting facts about Orcas (SRKW versus the Transient and their different food supply). We passed some rocks with seals relaxing and then saw some seals in the water about 25 feet from our kayaks. We kayaked about 3-4 miles to Turn Island and stopped for lunch there. After lunch we did a short hike around the island which was beautiful, then kayaked back to the original launch point seeing more seals on the way back. Overall, we kayaked about 7-8 miles. Everyone in our group had kayaked before and were strong paddlers, which made for a good time on the water.I’d recommend kayaking here and one reason we went with Seaquest was they shuttled us right from Friday Harbor to the launch point - not all the kayak tours do this and some require you to drive. We did not want to take our car to the island so getting the shuttle service was key.

Adam Bates

2024-04

Our group had a great time with our guides Ben and Martijn! They were flexible and adaptive to our group's needs and the inclement weather, ensuring the safety and satisfaction of everyone. We'd love to come back and work with them again!

Julie Titus

2023-05

We had a delightful 1/2 day kayak rental on 3/22/23. Ben met us at Jackson Beach with the kayaks and got us all set up for our paddle around Griffin Bay. We saw many seals, an eagle, other birds, and even spotted some dolphins in the distance.

Lauren Galt

2022-05

From start to finish, this was an incredible experience!To start, we thought that we may be late because the ferry was running behind schedule. I tend to be a worrywart, so I gave the office a call and a lovely woman reassured me that they would wait for us and gave us very clear directions on where to meet our guide. It's a super short walk from the ferry terminal and really easy to find where to go.Right off the bat, our guide Jesse was super entertaining and obviously very knowledgeable. We took a short van ride with our small group (7 people) to a beach where we started our adventure! The entire time Jesse was telling us stories and history about San Juan Island as well as telling us all about the wildlife and ecosystem. Although we didn't see any whales, it was incredibly informative and super fun to be out on the water. We saw so many seals and other wildlife.This should definitely be on your bucket list!

Brynn O'Connor

2022-05

This excursion was fantastic. Our tour guide was Gabby, she was so knowledgeable and you could tell the ocean is her passion. Unfortunately no whales but Gabby was able to explain due to the lack of Salmon the orcas are basically starving. We saw tons of seals and overall had an amazing time!

Courtney Para

2024-01

If I could give 0 stars, I would. We booked a Sea Quest Kayak tour within 24 hours of the event (so it's not like our reservation was being held for months). We were supposed to depart at 2PM. At 930AM we get a call to confirm. We took the ferry from Orcas to Friday Harbor. At 1:40PM we get a text that they need to look at the weather.At 2:15PM (15 min past start time) we get a call that the water is choppy and in order to go out on the water, we need to be in great physical shape. Ok.. well now I'm concerned about my 11 year old son and how he would do. I'm not in extreme physical shape but my husband is. It just sounded like it was going to be stressful and miserable.I told SeaQuest we didn't feel comfortable with this and they asked if we could go out the next day. I had to work, then we were heading back to Phoenix so I said no. We paid $360 and had to ask for compensation. Then the fight began. We went back and forth on phone calls going from $50 off to 50% off. They kept quoting their cancellation policy.The thing that really irritated me was that we also booked a whale watching tour (same cancellation policy, different company) and due to weather they offered a voucher or a 100% refund. We took the refund and will definitely choose them when we come back up next year.SeaQuest opted to give us 50% back. I don't understand this.. they made $180 off of us for what? Less than 24 hr booking, no other tours that day, telling us 15 min past start time that we need to be in great physically condition for the chopy water.Like shoot, I should get into this business and make $180 for a 20 min drive to the beach and a 37 sec phone call.Just puts a very sour flavor in your mouth. If you love them, great, it's probably because you actually got to go on a tour.

joshua davidson

2023-10

Fantastic overnight tour with Cody! From thegreat food, to organized schedule, friendly folks and multiple picturesque stops - Would definitely recommend!!