The piers are open!  Start your day on the waterfront with a walk or run.  Starbucks opens at 6AM on Pier 55 next to Argosy Cruises (don’t miss the local artist studio and new Italian restaurant next door).

Spend time exploring, walking, whale watching, shopping, taking pictures, and eating.  Catch the last ride of the day on the Seattle Great Wheel at 9PM.  It is warm, dry, and comfortable inside the gondolas – terrific for those amazing Seattle sunsets.  

Seattle Aquarium hours are 9:30AM to 6:00PM daily (last entry at 5:00PM).  Advance ticket purchase online is convenient – secure your time window and skip the line.  For unlimited visits year-round, become a Seattle Aquarium member ($79).

On the celestial front, stargazers in April will see five planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, along with a full pink moon and two meteor shower peaks!  Between the start and end of April in Seattle, the days will jump from just under 13 hours to almost 14.5 hours of daylight!  

Tides will be active in April with tidal swings greater than 12 feet on several days, including daytime low tides below 0 feet.  Be sure to pee over the rails to spot salmon smolt, crabs, star fish, and seals along the peers.

Enjoy 2 hours of FREE garage parking when you get a voucher from a participating waterfront business!  

• Cruise ship season starts this month!
• Big changes are underway!  Alaskan Way along most of the waterfront has shifted to new pavement.  The liberated space is being turned into a new waterfront promenade park.  You must see it to fully appreciate it – amazing!
• Construction on Colman ferry dock (pier 52) continues.  Completion is expected this year (on time and under budget).  The new terminal lobby is open and operational.  Expect continued alterations for access and regress to the Bainbridge and Bremerton ferries.
• Construction of the new Marion Street pedestrian bridge to the ferry terminal is expected to finish and open soon.  It will become one of the busiest pedestrian bridges on the west coast.
• The new stairway between Western Avenue and Alaskan Way at Union Street is open and it’s a stunner!
• Alaskan Way in front of the aquarium will continue to see construction and lane reductions this month as the new pavilion takes shape.
• Use the SR99 tunnel instead of Alaskan Way to get from one end of the city to the other.  Expect surface road congestion on Alaskan Way during peak hours.
• Please drive slowly in construction zones!

• Boating operations between Piers 50-70 are OPEN and running on shoulder season schedule.  Sailing Seattle, Seattle’s Tall Ship, and the Des Moines Passenger Ferry are preparing to resume operations next month.
• Argosy on Pier 55 is running 1 hour Harbor Cruises daily and Ballard Locks Cruises most days this month. 
• Salish Sea Tours is running harbor tours daily from Pier 57.
• The high speed passenger catamaran, FRS Clipper, runs to Victoria daily starting in April from Pier 69.  Book ahead to reach downtown Victoria in 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Clipper Navigation also runs Seattle’s only whale watching tours from Seattle (guaranteed sightings) every weekend in April from Pier 69, starting at $80.
• Is your party arriving by boat to have lunch on the waterfront or to visit the Pike Place Market?  Short-term moorage is available at Bell Street Marina located next to Anthony’s Pier 66 in the heart of the city.
• Alaska cruise ships are running this month.

Seattle professional sports teams playing in town (home games) this month:

• Kraken (hockey) – YES
• Seawolves (rugby) – YES
• Sea Dragons (football) – YES
• Sounders FC (soccer) – YES
• Mariners (baseball) – YES
• OL Reign (soccer) – YES
• Emerald Downs (horse racing) – NO
• Storm (basketball) – NO
• Seahawks (football) – NO
• Supersonics (basketball) – NO

• Look for fish in the kelp and around pier pilings when the water is clear.
• This month is a great time to see schools of salmon smolt swimming along Seattle’s waterfront.  You may also see occasional adult salmon cruising the shore. 
• Recreational fishing for Dungeness crab in Seattle is now closed – it will reopen this summer.  If you see someone fishing, then feel free to ask them for a peek in their bucket to see for yourself.
• Public fishing piers are open in Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). Although there are no public fishing piers directly on Seattle’s waterfront, anglers can normally find a quiet place to cast a line.
• No fishing license is required for children and youth under 15 years old in Washington state.
• Species you are most likely to see: Salmon, schools of salmon smolt (babies), sea-run cutthroat, steelhead trout, shiner perch, piling perch, sculpin, greenlings, flounders, rock fish, and occasional ling cod.
• The Port of Seattle closed the fishing pier at Centennial Park (pier 86). The Port is working with WA Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine the fishing pier’s future.  In the meantime, the public is welcome to fish at the facilities at Pier 69 where the Port of Seattle is headquartered.  Try also Pier 62.
• Know the rules; check current regulations here.

• Whales and porpoises have been spotted swimming offshore from Seattle’s waterfront in the past month.  
• If an orca or humpback swims by while you are on the Seattle Great Wheel, then you will definitely see it!  Other great spots to look for whales along Seattle’s waterfront are Pier 54, Pier 62, and the observation deck at Pier 66.
• The most common cetaceans that you may spot along Seattle’s waterfront are: orcas (killer whales), gray whales, humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, and pseudorcas (dolphin easily mistaken for orca).
• Other wildlife you may see while on the waterfront include: blue herons, seagulls, seals, sea lions, cormorants, bald eagles, geese, peregrine falcons, ospreys, sea otters, and kraken.  For a close-up look at the Salish Sea ecosystem, head to the Seattle Aquarium.
• Whales are also spotted on a fairly regular basis from the ferries and local charter boats like Argosy (Pier 55) and Salish Sea Tours (Pier 57); keep your eyes peeled!
• Clipper Navigation offers whale-watching trips every weekend this month straight from Pier 69 (guaranteed sightings of next trip is free).
• See a whale?  Be sure to report it!  Read the most recent whale sighting reports here.

Spring Break for Seattle public schools is April 8-16.  The next federal holiday is in May!

• April 1 – April Fool’s Day
• April 2 – Palm Sunday
• April 5 – Passover begins (8 days)
• April 5 – Qingming Day
• April 7 – Good Friday
•  April 9 – Easter Sunday
• April 10 – Easter Monday
• April 15 – Tax day US
• April 17 – Patriot’s Day Third Monday
• April 21 – Eid-al-Fitr
• April 22 – Earth Day 
• April 27 – Take Your Daughter to Work Day 
• April 28 – Arbor Day last Friday in April
• Find more April holidays and celebrations here and here and here.

Pier 62 programming accelerates in April!

The new public Pier 62 is bringing the people of Seattle together in one of the city’s most Instagrammable settings.   Check out the activities and events happening in this amazing space on the water!   Take in the 360 degree views of Seattle, the ferries, and the Olympics! 

Cultural performances, classes, concerts, and community activities take place on Pier 62 year-round with activity levels reaching their peak during the summer months.  

Seattle companies and public entities are hiring along the waterfront.  Job and career opportunities are available with:

Anthony’s Restaurants

Argosy Cruises

The Edgewater Hotel

Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Ivar’s

Port of Seattle

Washington State Ferries

Should we add a link to your company’s job page?  Let us know