Jeff Friedman never imagined that a childhood fascination with whales would lead him from Cleveland Heights to the waters of Washington state’s San Juan Islands.

But, for more than 10 years now, Friedman has been captain of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching in Friday Harbor, Washington where he spends much of the year guiding guests across the Salish Sea in search of orcas, humpback whales, and other marine wildlife.

2026 marks the 12th year that Shaker Heights native Jeff Friedan has captained Maya's Legacy.Now, Maya’s Legacy is gaining national recognition as a nominee in the USA Today 10Best Readers Poll for Best Whale Watching Tour, where readers can vote once a day, online for their favorites.

The poll highlights some of the country’s top boat tours, kayak outings, whale watching excursions, and other on-the-water adventures. An expert panel nominated their picks for the best tour companies across six categories for the poll, and readers can choose the winners by voting for their favorites throughout the month.

Friedman and Maya’s Legacy are currently alternating between first and second place in their category.

From Lake Erie to Salish Sea
Friedman’s path to whale watching was anything but direct.

“I’ve been fascinated by whales and other marine life since I was a kid, but growing up in Cleveland my passion just remained in the background,” Friedman says. “I didn’t realize I could actually do something with it until much later on and I ended up just being in the right place at the right time.”

Before following his dream, Friedman grew up in Shaker Heights and studied political science at the University of Wisconsin. He earned a master’s degree in urban studies at Cleveland State University Maxine Goodman School of Urban Affairs, followed by earning a law degree at CSU’s School of Law.

“I grew up there and moved back after college, and went to grad school at CSU,” Friedman says of his local ties. “Then I spent 18 years living in Cleveland Heights and was working in IT with two great friends that I have known since I was five.”

At the time, whale watching was a hobby Friedman pursued during vacations. He says he spent his free time traveling, reading, and learning as much as possible about whales and marine life.

“I became friends with a guy who owned a whale watching company on San Juan Island and the universe just lined everything up for me,” Friedman says. “He was ready to sell his company right around the time I started thinking, ‘hey, I could do this.’”

However, Friedman admits that he initially viewed a career move into whale watching as something that might happen years later.

“In my mind it was something I would do down the road, closer to retirement,” he recalls. “And when I mentioned this to [the owner], his reply was ‘what’s wrong with right now?’”

A humpback breaches in the Salish Sea.Taking the leap
Making the move from Cleveland to San Juan Island was not easy.

“Leaving Cleveland was by far the most difficult decision I have ever made,” Friedman says. “You think that chasing your dream would be an easy thing to do but it was scary.”

He says the decision meant leaving behind nearly everything familiar.

“I had to leave my hometown, family, life-long friends, my business partners, and really everything I knew,” he recalls. “It was so scary and I was full of anxiety. I was just trying to take it one step at a time.”

Two things ultimately convinced him to make the leap.

“First, I had a real opportunity to pursue something I loved and was passionate about,” he says. “If I didn’t take the opportunity when it was there, what would my life be like?”

The second convincing factor came from Friedman’s wife, Joelle.

“When I started to get cold feet and mentioned that I might not make the leap she said, ‘that’s ok, you do what you feel is best, even if that means staying in Cleveland,’” Friedman recalls. “She said, ‘I am moving to San Juan Island, and you can come visit me any time you want.’”

“Well, that was it. I realized then that I was moving.”

Friedman says his family and friends also encouraged him, because they understood his love of whales and wildlife.

“My friends and family were super supportive because they knew how passionate I was about being around whales and sharing them with others,” he says. “And of course, at the time, they all thought I was crazy. But I think now they see, like I do, that this is my fit, it is what I am here to do.”

Exhaling in Friday Harbor
Jeff and Joelle moved to Friday Harbor in early 2015, and Friedman says about 20 friends and family members have since visited to experience Maya’s Legacy firsthand.
A dramatic day in the waters off Washington's San Juan Islands.2026 marks Friedman’s 12th season running whale watching tours.

“It never gets old,” he says. “I am so grateful that I get to share some of the most amazing wildlife with people from all over the world.”

Friedman operates his tours most of the year, with peak season running from June through September. During the busiest months, Friedman says his days begin with fueling the boat around 8 a.m., checking weather forecasts, and monitoring early whale sighting reports before leading two four-hour tours each day.

The long days are worth it, Friedman says, because no two experiences on the water are ever the same.

“I would never have imagined a kid from Cleveland would end up observing, learning about, and teaching others about individual orca families, humpback whales, and other wildlife, and witnessing ‘National Geographic’ moments,” he says.

Those moments include witnessing everything from orcas hunting seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals, to humpback whales traveling in massive groups while feeding on up to 3,000 pounds of krill and fish daily.

“A few years ago we got to see two families of orcas in a high speed chase of a minke whale,” Friedman recalls enthusiastically. “Seeing the coordination was mind blowing.”

On another occasion, Friedman says the crew spotted a huge gathering of humpback whales feeding in a single area.

“We have seen over 50 humpback whales feeding in an area where you can see them and hear their exhales all over the place,” he says.

Ahoy!New encounters
While the 2026 season is just beginning, Friedman says he and other crews have encountered a new group of orcas.

“There was almost no prior documentation of them from anywhere else—other than a few sightings last year up in Alaska,” he says. “We still don’t know what population they belong to.”

Maya’s Legacy attracts visitors from around the world, and Friedman says many passengers have never experienced the kind of marine wildlife commonly seen on Maya’s Legacy tours.

“Most of them are people who have always wanted to see orcas in the wild, and this is probably the best place in the world for that,” he says of the Salish Sea, adding that he likes to keep his tour groups small—allowing for plenty of time with the knowledgeable crew.

“It really is a very personal experience for guests because it is always a small group and there is a lot of personal interaction with the crew,” he explains. “Guests can tell how we, as the crew, are into seeing the whales too.”

Friedman boasts that their passengers see whales on nearly every outing, although there is never a guarantee. “We see some species of whales on almost every tour, and see orcas on over 90% of the tours,” he says.

Even on days without whale sightings, the marine ecosystem provides plenty to see.

“There is always abundant wildlife on every tour—seals, sea lions, porpoise, eagles, and seabirds—we even see puffins on some tours,” he says. “It’s an incredible ecosystem and there is always a lot to see.”

One of Friedman’s favorite parts of the job is helping people reconnect with nature.

“Being able to get people out of their day-to-day [routines] and witness something that is real, part of the nature, beautiful and awe inspiring,” he says. “It can be life- and perspective-changing for a lot of people—especially in the craziness of the world today.”

Orcas on the hunt.Education for preservation
In addition to providing spectacular experiences on the Salish Sea, education and conservation are also priorities to the Maya’s Legacy crew.

“All of our tours are rooted in education, and we provide our guests with a lot of information about the entire ecosystem, the whales, and the wildlife,” Friedman says. “We tell a lot of stories about the different whale populations, families, and individuals.”

Friedman adds that he likes to share conservation success stories with his passengers and, hopefully, encourage similar conservation behaviors.

“I personally like telling the encouraging stories about the different whale populations and wildlife that are doing really well,” he says. “We are so inundated by negative information and there are success stories out there. I believe the more we share the positive, the more positive we will create.”

Maya’s Legacy passengers not only learn about the wildlife they observe, but they also learn about the policies and environmental factors that help whale populations recover and thrive.

“It is important to not only share these positive stories with people, but to also make people aware of why these populations are doing well,” Friedman explains. “Then, they are aware of policy issues that impact the reasons behind their success.”

Additionally, Friedman says the Maya’s Legacy team contributes to whale research and conservation efforts.

An orca breaches at dusk.“We share all of our whale sightings information with several research organizations and many of our crew members are personally involved in whale research,” Friedman says, noting that he is involved in advocacy work related to the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

“Personally, I have visited Washington, D.C. and Olympia, Washington to brief national and state senators, representatives, and congressional staff on the current status of one of the orca populations we see—endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales—and the critical conservation issues they face,” he says.

Friedman also served on former Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force. “I helped create and shape policy recommendations to help recover the Southern Residents and the Chinook salmon the whales depend on,” he says.

“The whales are always moving, and we have to find them every day,” Friedman says. “It really changes hour-to-hour, so it is a challenge every day. But it is exciting and fun.”

No place like home
Even after relocating to San Juan Island, Cleveland remains a huge part of Friedman’s life.

“I’m full of gratitude that this has worked out so well—I have no real regrets,” he says. “But I do miss Cleveland. I miss my friends, my favorite bars and restaurants, the smell in spring, and summer, the hot summers.”

A pod of orcas cruise the Salish.Friedman especially misses Cleveland sports culture.

“I still watch every Browns game, and most Cavs games, but it isn’t the same,” he concedes, adding that when the Cavaliers won the NBA championship in 2016, Friedman was watching from Friday Harbor.

“I really missed being in Cleveland that night,” he admits.

He still returns to his hometown whenever he can, however. “I always come back to Cleveland for a visit, even though it is during the winter,” Friedman says.

Cleveland favoritism
And yes, Clevelanders can earn a special discount aboard Maya’s Legacy tours. “But you have to prove it,” Friedman says. “Talk about the old Flats, The Drive, Jose Mesa, the Kardiac Kids.”

Friedman does have one hard and fast rule, however:

“I do not allow people to wear Steelers or Ravens gear onboard,” Friedman declares. “Ever.”

Now, Friedman and the Maya’s Legacy crew are hoping for a strong showing in USA Today’s 10Best Whale Watching Tour rankings. People can vote once a day, per device, throughout the contest, which ends Monday, May 25 at 12 p.m.

“We put so much care, heart, passion, and effort into what we do because we love it,” Friedman says. “To have that recognized in such a prominent reader’s choice award is amazing.”

If Maya’s Legacy takes the top spot, Friedman says part of the celebration will belong to Cleveland.

“I’ll also have some of that Cleveland pride,” he promises, “and maybe I will shout out: ‘Cleveland, this one’s for you!’”