Getting Here
If you are joining one of our three-hour kayak tours, please meet at the tour location, not at our shop in Eastsound. These tours meet at several different locations on the island. It’s easy to confuse some names on the island, so pay attention to the details (ex: Deer Harbor or Doe Bay, and West Beach or West Sound). Directions to our tour locations.
More Information
Shearwater is located on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, about 70 miles north of Seattle, and just south of the Canadian border. Traveling to Orcas Island is part of the fun! Whether you come by ferry or plane, you enjoy fantastic views of the hundreds of small islands set in the Salish Sea — the body of water between Puget Sound to the South, the Strait of Juan de Fuca (leading to the Pacific) to the West, and the Straits of Georgia (in Canada) to the North. These waters and islands form a kayaker’s playground!
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Washington State Ferries accepts reservations for the San Juan Islands route. We highly recommend making reservations online in advance. It’s easy to change or cancel a reservation up to 5 p.m. the day before with no charge, so it is best to reserve well in advance.
Reservations are available two months in advance of each schedule change (spring, summer, fall, winter), with additional space available at 7 a.m. (Pacific) two weeks before specific sailing dates, and again two days before.
Ferry Reservations
Ferry Schedule -
Regular scheduled bus service from SeaTac Airport (and several points in between) to the San Juan Islands Ferry Terminal.
Airporter Shuttle 800-235-5247 -
Flying over the islands can be an adventure in itself! The following small local airlines fly provide servie from Seattle or Bellingham to the islands.
Kenmore Air 800-543-9595
San Juan Airlines 800-690-0086 -
It is possible to come to the island by way of Vancouver Island in Canada. WA State Ferries serves Sidney, about 20 miles north of Victoria, BC. Reservations are strongly recommended for the international ferry.
Ferry Schedule -
Orcas Island has very limited transit options. Due to the size and layout of the island, it is most convenient to bring or rent a car. Rental cars, bikes, taxis, and limited summer bus service are available.
Car Rentals 800-516-9010
Taxi 360-298-1639 or 360-376-8294
Shuttle Bus 360-378-8887