New ferry, seaplane service around Puget Sound this summer

There will be two new ways to travel around Puget Sound this summer - one by air, one by sea.

A returning seaplane service produced by Kenmore Air and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians will start its seasonal flights June 4 and continue through Sept. 8, the tribe announced in a news release.

The service features flights from Tacoma's Ruston Way waterfront to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, B.C., and a short scenic flight over the South Sound.

This year, Kenmore Air will add connection flights between Seattle's Lake Union and Tacoma, which the tribe said is ideal for city date nights, travel to sports games and matches with an overnight stay or in-person work meetings without the long drive.

One-way flights from Tacoma to various locations in the San Juan Islands start at $249 per person and last an hour and 40 minutes. To Victoria, B.C., flights start at $257 per person and last just under two hours.

One-way flights to Seattle start at $94 per person.

The South Sound scenic flight lasts about 25 minutes and costs $99 per person. The tribe is also offering a Wings + Woven package that allows passengers to bundle the scenic flight with a voucher good for one beverage and an appetizer at Woven Seafood & Chophouse, which is beside the seaplane dock in Tacoma.

There's also a much less expensive way to travel around the Sound starting the same day.

The ports of Everett and South Whidbey are launching a pilot passenger foot ferry service between Everett and Langley between June 4 and Aug. 29.

The "Harbor Hopper" will run two round-trip sailings on select Thursdays and Saturdays, one in the morning and evening, for the price of $20. A one-way trip will run you $12. The sailing lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

The pilot foot ferry service will "be used to test demand for potential of permanent tourism and commuter service options between Everett and Whidbey Island in the future," the ports said in a news release.

It is "designed with tourism trips in mind," the ports went on. "Now spontaneous day trips, weekend getaways or longer summer stays on either side of the water are just a hop across the harbor."

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 9:46 AM.