Georgia Strait, BC to the San Juan Islands, WA
The day dawned bright and clear as we continued to make our way south through British Columbia today, passing through the wide open waters of Georgia Strait and back into U.S. waters. We crossed the border somewhere between Saturna Island, B.C. and Stuart Island, WA, making our first stop at John’s Pass which separates Stuart Island from John’s Island. Our first point of interest was a traditional Coast Salish long house which naturalist/artist David Stephens coined Bill’s Big House, after the Northwest’s best known native artist, Bill Holm. Having participated in its construction, David was able to give some interesting background information on the beautiful designs that adorned its outside.
We then made our way east and a bit south, to pass around John’s Island and then back west so we could travel along the unique topography of three-mile-long Speiden Island. Its southern exposure, natural stands of Garry oaks and lack of undergrowth make this an ideal to area to spot large populations of exotic ungulates, most notably fallow deer from Europe, Sitka deer from Asia and mouflon sheep from Corsica. All imports to support a wild game safari in the 1960s, the state government shut the operation down but the animals stayed. Its 550 acres are now in private ownership as a vacation retreat.
Passing around Roche Harbor and its famous yachting resort at the north end of San Juan Island, we skirted the west side through Haro Strait looking for cetaceans as we went, but none were to be seen today. Several pinnipeds were spotted in Cattle Pass, lounging in the sun, most notably stellar sea lions and harbor seals. We cruised into Friday Harbor, the county seat and largest settlement in the archipelago, shortly after lunch and disembarked after getting the go-ahead from customs. Three hours in this quaint village of 2200 residents gave everyone the chance to explore the various shops, bookstores, cafes and museums on their own.
After an early evening lecture from noted whale researcher Ken Balcomb, and a fun guest slideshow, we enjoyed our last dinner together, a delicious feast of Dungeness crab and beef ribs. What a day! What a trip! Tomorrow we will say our goodbyes and go our own way after arriving in Seattle by breakfast time.
