Bird Migration & Puffin Cruises

Our Itinerary

Whether you are a “lister” or an explorer, the marine environment near Port Townsend offers tremendous bird watching opportunities. Puget Sound Express offers the Pacific Northwest’s only bird watching tours dedicated to getting you out to see marine birds.

Just outside of Port Townsend are two iconic National Wildlife Refuges — Protection Island and Smith Island. Nearly 70 percent of the nesting seabird population of Puget Sound and the Straits nest there, including one of the largest nesting colonies of rhinoceros auklets in the world, as well as the largest nesting colony of glaucous-winged gulls in Washington. Protection Island contains one of the last 2 nesting colonies of tufted puffins in the Puget Sound area. About 1,000 harbor seals depend upon the island for a pupping and rest area. A special treat each summer is a chance to view tufted puffins. In recent years more puffins have been returning to Smith Island so depending on the greater population the captain will ultimately determine which Refuge is best to visit for any particular tour.

Depending on the time of year, some of the more common species we see include California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Heermann’s Gull, Rhinoceros Auklet, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Murre, Red-necked Grebe, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Sanderling, Black Turnstone, Surf Scooter, Ring-billed Gull, Tufted Puffin, Caspian Tern, White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Black Oystercatcher, Brant, and Red-necked Phalarope.

However, we see many other types of species as well.

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center – in collaboration with Puget Sound Express – hosts dedicated bird watching expeditions to these special Refuges (one or the other per trip, depending on sightings). As every birder knows, no guarantee can be made that they will be sighted on every outing, but chances are very good that they will be spotted.

Photo by David Gluckman