Friday Harbor & the San Juan Islands
The green, forested hills of the San Juan Islands greeted us this morning as we entered U.S. waters for the first time on our voyage. The San Juan archipelago, consisting of nearly 743 islands and reefs (at low tide), separates the Georgia Straight in the north from the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the south and west. Spanish explorers first explored these islands in the late 1700s. In the mid-19th century, both the United States and Great Britain claimed the islands. In 1859, a minor incident involving the death of a settler’s pig nearly led to a war between the two nations for control of the islands. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the San Juan Islands peacefully entered the U.S. as part of the State of Washington in 1871. These days, the islands provide an ideal location for recreation and adventure, both on land and at sea.
Our morning’s destination was the community of Friday Harbor, tucked into a protected cove on the east side of San Juan Island. Shortly after breakfast, the Sea Bird pulled into the docks at Friday Harbor. From this central location, guests took a pleasant stroll to the Whale Museum, an institution dedicated to the history and preservation of whale species found in the Salish Sea, the sheltered body of water bounded by Vancouver Island and Puget Sound. A number of whale species pass through the region each year during their annual migrations, but perhaps the most well known species are the killer whales (or orcas) who call this region home. Pods of resident killer whales are often found in the San Juan Islands feasting on the annual migratory runs of salmon. We hoped that we might have the opportunity to see orcas later in the day after we left Friday Harbor.
After lunch, the Sea Bird slipped out of Friday Harbor and sailed south along the west side of San Juan Island in search of killer whales. Near Lime Kiln Point, we spotted spouts in the distance. A few moments later, the rapidly moving silhouettes of large dorsal fins confirmed that we had indeed found a pod of killer whales. As the Sea Bird drew closer, we discovered that the whales filled the horizon in front of us. In all, we counted over thirty whales, both male and female. During the course of the afternoon, we observed the resident killer whales engaging in feeding, play, and mating behaviors. It was truly an amazing opportunity to view these beautiful and intelligent mammals in their natural environment for such an extended period of time. As the sun set over the Straight of Juan de Fuca, we bid farewell to our traveling companions and resumed our own journey south to our final destination in Seattle.
The green, forested hills of the San Juan Islands greeted us this morning as we entered U.S. waters for the first time on our voyage. The San Juan archipelago, consisting of nearly 743 islands and reefs (at low tide), separates the Georgia Straight in the north from the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the south and west. Spanish explorers first explored these islands in the late 1700s. In the mid-19th century, both the United States and Great Britain claimed the islands. In 1859, a minor incident involving the death of a settler’s pig nearly led to a war between the two nations for control of the islands. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the San Juan Islands peacefully entered the U.S. as part of the State of Washington in 1871. These days, the islands provide an ideal location for recreation and adventure, both on land and at sea.
Our morning’s destination was the community of Friday Harbor, tucked into a protected cove on the east side of San Juan Island. Shortly after breakfast, the Sea Bird pulled into the docks at Friday Harbor. From this central location, guests took a pleasant stroll to the Whale Museum, an institution dedicated to the history and preservation of whale species found in the Salish Sea, the sheltered body of water bounded by Vancouver Island and Puget Sound. A number of whale species pass through the region each year during their annual migrations, but perhaps the most well known species are the killer whales (or orcas) who call this region home. Pods of resident killer whales are often found in the San Juan Islands feasting on the annual migratory runs of salmon. We hoped that we might have the opportunity to see orcas later in the day after we left Friday Harbor.
After lunch, the Sea Bird slipped out of Friday Harbor and sailed south along the west side of San Juan Island in search of killer whales. Near Lime Kiln Point, we spotted spouts in the distance. A few moments later, the rapidly moving silhouettes of large dorsal fins confirmed that we had indeed found a pod of killer whales. As the Sea Bird drew closer, we discovered that the whales filled the horizon in front of us. In all, we counted over thirty whales, both male and female. During the course of the afternoon, we observed the resident killer whales engaging in feeding, play, and mating behaviors. It was truly an amazing opportunity to view these beautiful and intelligent mammals in their natural environment for such an extended period of time. As the sun set over the Straight of Juan de Fuca, we bid farewell to our traveling companions and resumed our own journey south to our final destination in Seattle.
