The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

of the United States between the U.S.

state of Washington Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

and

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of San Juan County. In the archipelago, four islands are accessible to vehicular and foot traffic via the

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...

system.

Iceberg Point Lopez Island Washington USA

History

The Gulf of Georgia Culture Area encompasses the San Juan and

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia Coast, mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia", the original term used by Geor ...

, which share many archaeological similarities. These islands were home to various

Coast Salish The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...

peoples, including the

Nooksack Nooksack ( Nooksack: ''Noxwsʼáʔaq'') or Nootsack may refer to: * Nooksack people, an American Indian tribe in Whatcom County, Washington ** Nooksack language, the language of this tribe Places *Nooksack River, a river in Whatcom County, Washing ...

and Northern Straits groups (consisting of the

Lummi Lummi most commonly refers to: Lummi people *Lummi people, a Coast Salish people located in western Washington state **Lummi Nation The Lummi Nation ( ; Lummi dialect, Lummi: ' or '';'' officially known as the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi ...

Klallam The Klallam (; also known as the S'Klallam or Clallam) are a Coast Salish people Indigenous to the northern Olympic Peninsula. The language of the Klallam is the Klallam language (), a language closely related to the North Straits Salish lang ...

, Saanich,

Samish The Samish people are a Central Coast Salish people, who live in the U.S. state of Washington. It may also refer to: Places * Lake Samish in Whatcom County * Samish Bay in Puget Sound * Samish River * Samish Island, Washington, an unincorporated ...

, and

Songhees The Lekwungen peoples (natively lək̓ʷəŋən) are a Coast Salish people who reside on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Greater Victoria area. They are represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. Their trad ...

dialects). European exploration in the area introduced

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

in the 1770s. The Spanish explorer

Francisco de Eliza Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 – February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest. He was the commandant of the Spanish post in Nootka Sound on Vancouv ...

named the San Juan Islands ''Isla y Archipiélago de San Juan'' in 1791 while sailing under the authority of

Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

, the Viceroy of Mexico. Eliza named several places for the Viceroy, including

Orcas Island Orcas Island () is the largest of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, in northwestern Washington, United States. History and naming of the island The name "Orcas" is a shortened form of ''Horcasitas,'' from Juan Vicente de Güemes P ...

(short for "Horcasitas") and

Guemes Island Guemes Island is a small island in western Skagit County, Washington, United States. It is located north of Fidalgo Island and the city of Anacortes, and is accessible by private boat and by the Guemes Island ferry operated by Skagit County. Gu ...

. San Juan Island's first European discoverer was

Gonzalo López de Haro Gonzalo López de Haro (bef. 1788 in Puebla – 1823) was a Spanish naval officer and explorer, notable for his expeditions in the Pacific Northwest in the late 18th century. Background In 1788 two ships were sent north to investigate Russian ...

, one of Eliza's officers, for whom

Haro Strait The Haro Strait is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington (state), Washington st ...

is named. The Spanish had previously encountered the islands during

Manuel Quimper Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino (c. 1757 – April 2, 1844) was a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated in charting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Sandwich Islands in the late 18th ...

's exploring voyage on the '' Princesa Real'' in 1790, but they were not recognized as islands until Eliza's expedition.

José María Narváez José María Narváez (1768 – August 4, 1840) was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator notable for his work in the Gulf Islands and Lower Mainland of present-day British Columbia. In 1791, as commander of the schooner '' Santa ...

, one of Eliza's pilots, also helped explore the San Juans in 1791 and became the first European to explore the

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia () or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United Stat ...

. The

Vancouver Expedition The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...

, led by

George Vancouver Captain (Royal Navy), Captain George Vancouver (; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Uni ...

, explored the area in 1792 while a Spanish expedition led by

Dionisio Alcalá Galiano Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (8 October 1760 – 21 October 1805) was a Spanish Navy officer, cartographer, and explorer. He mapped various coastlines in Europe and the Americas with unprecedented accuracy using new technology such as chronomete ...

and

Cayetano Valdés y Flores Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán (28 September 1767 – 6 February 1835) was a Spanish Navy officer and explorer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, fighting on opposing sides at diffe ...

was also exploring. The British and Spanish ships met and cooperated in exploring the north. Vancouver encountered other Spanish ships and traded information, so he was aware of the names given by the Spanish expedition and kept them, although he renamed some features, such as the

. The

United States Exploring Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

, led by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

, explored the region in 1841. Wilkes named many coastal features after American heroes of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

or members of his crew, possibly unaware of the already existing Spanish names and charts.

Henry Kellett Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, (2 November 1806 – 1 March 1875) was an Irish naval officer and explorer. Career Born at Clonacody in Tipperary County, Ireland, on 2 November 1806, Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822. He spent three years ...

led a project in 1847 to reorganize the official charts of the region for the British Admiralty. The project only applied to British territory, which at the time included the San Juan Islands but not

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

. Kellett removed most of the names given by Wilkes and kept British and Spanish names, sometimes moving Spanish names to replace those given by Wilkes. As a result, Wilkes' names are common in Puget Sound and Spanish names are rare, while the opposite is true for the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Wilkes had named the San Juan Islands the ''Navy Archipelago'' and individual islands after U.S. naval officers, such as ''Rodgers Island'' for San Juan Island, " Chauncey" for Lopez Island, and ''Hull Island'' for Orcas Island. Some of Wilkes' names, such as Shaw, Decatur, Jones, Blakely, and Sinclair, named after American naval officers, survived Kellett's editing.

Border dispute

In 1843, the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

established Fort Victoria on

. The 1846

Oregon Treaty The Oregon Treaty was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to ...

established the 49th parallel as the border between Canada and the US, with Vancouver Island remaining British. The treaty did not specify which channel the border should follow between the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, leading to a boundary dispute. In 1852, the

Territory of Oregon The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. O ...

created

Island County Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 86,857. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor. The county's name reflects the fact that it is compos ...

, including the San Juan Islands. In 1853, Island County became part of the

Washington Territory The Washington Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, which created

Whatcom County Whatcom County (, ) is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of the Canadian province of British Columbia to t ...

out of parts of Island County in 1854. The San Juan Islands were finally split off into present-day San Juan County in 1873. In 1855, Washington Territory levied a property tax on properties of the Hudson's Bay Company on San Juan Island, which the HBC refused to pay. This led to a dispute with the

Colony of Vancouver Island The Colony of Vancouver Island, officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies, was a Crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with the mainland to form the Colony of British Columbia. ...

over the ownership of the San Juan Islands, with the US claiming Haro Strait as the border and Britain claiming Rosario Strait. The resulting Pig War and San Juan Dispute were a diplomatic stalemate until the boundary issue was placed in the hands of Emperor

Wilhelm I of Germany Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany ...

for arbitration in 1871. The border through Haro Strait was established in 1872.

Post-border dispute

The surrounding bodies of water, including Puget Sound and the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca, were recognized collectively as the

Salish Sea The Salish Sea ( ) is a List of seas on Earth #Terminology, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the States of the United States , U.S. state of Washingto ...

, by the United States in 2009 and by Canada in 2010. On the 7th of June 2024, a T-34 plane flown by former astronaut and air force pilot,

Bill Anders William Alison Anders (17 October 1933 – 7 June 2024) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) major general, electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, he was a member of the crew of ...

, crashed on the San Juan Islands. Anders did not survive the crash.

Ecology

The islands were heavily logged in the nineteenth century, but now have an extensive second-growth coast Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii''),

Pacific madrone ''Arbutus menziesii'', or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae. It has waxy foliage, a contorted growth habit, and flaky bark ...

(''Arbutus menziesii''),

red alder ''Alnus rubra'', the red alder, is a deciduous broadleaf tree native to western North America (Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana). Description ''Alnus rubra'' is the largest species of alder in ...

(''Alnus rubra'') and

bigleaf maple ''Acer macrophyllum'', the bigleaf maple or Oregon maple, is a large deciduous tree in the genus '' Acer''. It is native to western North America. In addition to uses by animals, it is of some culinary and woodworking interest. Description Big ...

(''Acer macrophyllum'') forest. There are small strands of old-growth Douglas fir and

western redcedar ''Thuja plicata'' is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its common name is western redcedar in the U.S. or western red cedar in the UK, and it is also called pacific re ...

(''Thuja plicata''), mostly within long standing privately held property. In the highlands one also finds

grand fir ''Abies grandis'' (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to northwestern North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to . It is a major constituent of t ...

(''Abies grandis''),

western hemlock ''Tsuga heterophylla'', the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the northwest coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern ...

(''Tsuga heterophylla'') and other subalpine trees. The San Juan Islands host the greatest concentration of

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

s (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') in the contiguous United States.

Great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as far northwestern South America, the Caribbea ...

s (''Ardea herodias''),

black oystercatcher The black oystercatcher (''Haematopus bachmani'') is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula. It is the only representat ...

s (''Haematopus bachman''), and numerous shorebirds are found along the shore and in winter, the islands are home to

trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm (6 ft 2 in ...

s (''Cygnus buccinator''),

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North ...

(''Branta canadensis'') and other waterfowl.

Peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

s (''Falco peregrinus''),

northern harrier The northern harrier (''Circus hudsonius''), also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost United States, USA. The northern ...

s (''Circus cyaneus''),

barred owl The barred owl (''Strix varia''), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl or eight-hooter owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus ...

s (''Strix varia'') and other birds of prey are found. In addition diving birds such as

rhinoceros auklet The rhinoceros auklet (''Cerorhinca monocerata'') is a seabird and a close relative of the puffins. It is the only extant species of the genus ''Cerorhinca''. Given its close relationship with the puffins, the common name rhinoceros puffin has b ...

s (''Cerorhinca monocerata''),

pigeon guillemot The pigeon guillemot (''Cepphus columba'') () is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae. One of three species in the genus ''Cepphus'', it is most closely related to the spectacled guillemot. There are five subspecies of the pigeon guille ...

s (''Cepphus columba'') and endangered

marbled murrelet The marbled murrelet (''Brachyramphus marmoratus'') is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the family Alcidae, which includes auklets, guillemots, murres and puffins. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at hig ...

s (''Brachyramphus marmoratus'') frequent the surrounding seas.

Western bluebird The western bluebird (''Sialia mexicana'') is a small North American thrush. Taxonomy The western bluebird was formally described by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1832 and given the binomial name ''Sialia mexicana''. Six subspec ...

s (''Sialia mexicana''), which were eliminated from the islands 50 years ago because of competition for nesting sites by non-native

European starling The common starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, and as European starling in North America, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and ha ...

s (''Sturnus vulgaris''), were recently restored to San Juan Island thanks to the efforts of volunteers and conservation organizations. The islands are famous for their resident pods of

orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...

s (''Orcinus orca''). There are three resident pods that eat salmon, but also some transient orcas that come to take

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

s (''Phoca vitulina''). Other marine mammals include river otters (''Lontra canadensis''),

Steller sea lion The Steller sea lion (''Eumetopias jubatus''), also known as Steller's sea lion or the northern sea lion, is a large, near-threatened species of sea lion, predominantly found in the coastal marine habitats of the northeast Pacific Ocean and th ...

s (''Eumetopias jubatus''),

common minke whale The common minke whale or northern minke whale (''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'') is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales. It is the smallest species of the rorquals and the second smallest species of baleen whale. Althoug ...

s (''Balaenoptera acutorostrata''),

Dall's porpoise Dall's porpoise (''Phocoenoides dalli'') is a species of porpoise endemic to the North Pacific. It is the largest of porpoises and the only member of the genus ''Phocoenoides''. The species is named after American naturalist William Healey Dall, ...

s (''Phocoenoides dalli'') and other

cetacean Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively c ...

Columbia black-tailed deer Black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupy coastal regions of western North America. There are two subspecies, the Columbian black-tailed deer (''Odocoileus hemionus columbianus'') which ranges from the Pacific Northwest of the United States and ...

(''Odocoileus hemionus columbianus'') are the largest mammals on the San Juan Islands, which are unusual in their historic absence of large carnivores, except for

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

(''Canis lupus'') which were

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

in the 1860s. Dr. Caleb B. R. Kennerly, surgeon and naturalist, collected a wolf specimen on Lopez Island, which is now in the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

, probably during the Northwest Boundary Survey from 1857 to 1861. Also, there is a specimen of

elk The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...

in the Slater Museum of Natural History at the

University of Puget Sound The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1888. The institution offers a variety of undergraduate degrees as well as five graduate programs in counseling, education, oc ...

that was collected on Orcas Island, and old-timers report finding elk antlers on both Lopez and Orcas Islands. Before 1850, most of the freshwater on the islands was held in

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

(''Castor canadensis'') ponds, although the aquatic mammal was extirpated by

fur stations at

Fort Langley Fort Langley is a village community in Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of approximately 3,400 people. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company ...

and San Juan Island. Remnants of beaver dams number in the hundreds across the archipelago. Gnawed stumps and beaver sign are now seen on Orcas and other islands, and recolonization by this

keystone species A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance. The concept was introduced in 1969 by the zoologist Robert T. Paine. Keystone species play a critical role in main ...

is likely to lead to increased abundance and diversity of birds, amphibians, reptiles and plants. In spring 2011 a pair of beaver appeared at Killebrew Lake on Orcas Island, but were killed to avoid flooding a phone company switch box buried under Dolphin Bay Road. These beaver likely swam from the mainland and could have recolonized the islands. Northern sea otter (''Enhydra lutis kenyoni'') remains are documented on

Sucia Island Sucia Island () is located north of Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands, San Juan County, Washington, United States. It is the largest of an archipelago of ten islands including Sucia Island, Little Sucia, Ewing, Justice, Herndon, the Clust ...

in the San Juan Islands archipelago. In 1790, Spanish explorer

traded copper sheets for sea otter pelts at

Discovery Bay Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island. The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...

, for live sea otters captured north of the bay in the "interior" of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Although historical records of sea otter in the San Juan Islands are sparse, there is a sea otter specimen collected in 1897 in the "Strait of Fuca" in the

. When the sea otter finally received federal protection in 1911, Washington's sea otter had been hunted to extinction, and although a small remnant population still existed in British Columbia, it soon died out. Fifty-nine sea otters were re-introduced to the Washington coast from

Amchitka Island Amchitka (; ;) is a volcanic, tectonically unstable and uninhabited island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island, with a land area of rou ...

, Alaska, in the summers of 1969 and 1970, and these have expanded by 8% per year, mainly along the outer west and northwest coast of the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large peninsula in Western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...

. Professional marine mammal biologists verified a single sea otter observed near Cattle Point, San Juan Island, in October 1996. Although the historical numbers of sea otter in the San Juan Islands is not known, the habitat for them may have once been ideal. In the 1890s non-native

European rabbit The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal and Andorra) and southwestern France. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Oryctolagus''. The European rab ...

s, an exotic

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

, began to infest the islands as the result of the release of domestic rabbits on Smith Island. Rabbits from the San Juan Islands were used later for several introductions of European rabbits into other, usually Midwestern, states. The rabbits are pursued by Eurasian

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

(''Vulpes vulpes''), another non-native species introduced intermittently through the twentieth century. On the islands is the

San Juan Islands National Monument San Juan Islands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the Salish Sea in the state of Washington. The monument protects archaeological sites of the Coast Salish peoples, lighthouses and relics of early European American settl ...

with 75 sections.Presidential Proclamation – San Juan Islands National Monument
/ref>

Geography

The

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

(USGS) defines the San Juan Islands as the archipelago north of the

Strait of Juan de Fuca The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Canada–United States border, international boundary between Canada and the ...

, west of

Rosario Strait Rosario Strait is a strait in northern Washington state, separating San Juan County and Skagit and Whatcom Counties. It extends from the Strait of Juan de Fuca about north to the Strait of Georgia. The USGS defines its southern boundary as a ...

, east of

, and south of

Boundary Pass Boundary Pass is a strait that runs for about along the boundary between the U.S. state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. It connects Haro Strait to the south with the Strait of Georgia to the north. The USGS defin ...

. To the north lie the open waters of the

. All these waters are within the

. The USGS definition of the San Juan archipelago coincides with San Juan County. Islands not in San Juan County are not part of the San Juan Islands, according to the USGS.

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploratio ...

notes that, while geopolitically divided, the San Juan Islands and Canadian

geologically form part of a larger Gulf Archipelago. At mean high tide, the San Juan Islands comprise over 400 islands and rocks, 128 of which are named, and over of shoreline. The majority of the San Juan Islands are quite hilly, with some flat areas and valleys in between, often quite fertile. The tallest peak is

Mount Constitution Mount Constitution is a mountain on Orcas Island, the highest point in the San Juan Islands and the second highest mountain on an ocean island in the contiguous 48 states. Only Devils Peak in the Channel Islands of California is higher. Sto ...

, on Orcas Island, at an elevation of . The coastlines are a mix of sandy and rocky beaches, shallow inlets and deep harbors, placid coves and reef-studded bays. Gnarled, ochre-colored madrona trees (''

Arbutus ''Arbutus'' is a genus of 12 accepted speciesAct. Bot. Mex no.99 Pátzcuaro abr. 2012.''Arbutus bicolor''/ref> of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islands a ...

'') grace much of the shorelines, while evergreen fir and pine forests cover large inland areas. The San Juan Islands get substantially less rainfall than

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, about to the south, due to their location in the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

of the

Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus (Washington), Mount Olympus is the high ...

to the southwest. Summertime high temperatures are around , while average wintertime lows are in the high 30s and low 40s Fahrenheit (around 5 degrees Celsius). Snow is infrequent in winter, except for the higher elevations, but the islands are subject to high winds at times; those from the northeast sometimes bring brief periods of freezing.

Present

In the present, the San Juan Islands are an important tourist destination, with

sea kayak A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak used for the sport of Watercraft paddling, paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and oceans. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They t ...

ing and

whale-watching (by boat or air tours) being two of the primary attractions. San Juan Island's

Lime Kiln Point State Park Lime Kiln Point State Park is a 42-acre Washington state park on the western shore of San Juan Island in the San Juan archipelago. The park is considered one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas from a land-based facility. Due to ...

is a prime whale-watching site, with knowledgeable interpreters often on site. Politically, the San Juan Islands comprise by definition,

San Juan County, Washington San Juan County is a county in the Salish Sea in the far northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,788. The county seat and only incorporated town is Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island ...

. Media based in and/or concerning the islands includes the ''

Journal of the San Juan Islands The ''Journal of the San Juan Islands'' is a newspaper based in Friday Harbor, Washington. The Journal publishes on Wednesdays. It also publishes SanJuanJournal.com; Springtide, an annual magazine for visitors; The Book of the San Juan Islands, an ...

'' and the ''

Islands' Sounder The ''Islands' Sounder'' is a newspaper published in Eastsound, Washington, Eastsound in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It was founded as ''The Orcas Sounder'' in 1964 by Al and Nickee Magnuson. It was expanded from 15 issues ...

''. Generally speaking, the resident population of San Juan County is well educated. In the period 2016 to 2020, 51.7 percent of the resident population aged 25 and up have earned a bachelor’s degree or attained a higher level of formal education. Statewide, 36.7 percent of the adult population have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Transportation

There are no bridges to the San Juan Islands; therefore, all travel from the mainland is either by water or by air.

Water

Four ferry systems serve some of the San Juan Islands. *

serves

Lopez Island Lopez Island is the third largest of the San Juan Islands and an unincorporated town in San Juan County, Washington, United States. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2020 census population was 3,156, though the population swells in the summe ...

Shaw Island Shaw Island is the smallest of the four San Juan Islands served by the Washington State Ferries. The island has a land area of and a small year-round population of 188 (United States Census, 2020, 2020 census). During the summer time, weeken ...

, and

San Juan Island San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km2 (55.053 sq mi) and a population of 8,632 as of the 2020 census. Washington State F ...

from terminals in

Anacortes, Washington Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Sidney, British Columbia Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. It is one of the thirteen Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,583. Sidney ...

.San Juan Islands Route Map
, Washington State Ferries * Puget Sound Express provides passenger-only service from

Port Townsend Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...

, on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. *''M/V San Juan Clipper'' of

Clipper Navigation Clipper Navigation, Inc., is an American ferry operator and subsidiary of Förde Reederei Seetouristik based in Seattle, Washington. They provide multiple transportation and vacation packages—many of which are offered under the name Clipper Vac ...

, Inc. provides high-speed water-jet–powered catamaran ferry service between

and

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

. Passenger-only ferries serve more islands. Passenger-only ferry service is usually seasonal and offered by private business. *San Juan Cruises offers charter service to Eliza Island, Sinclair Island,

Blakely Island Blakely Island (SENĆOŦEN: XEMXEMIȽĆ) in San Juan County, Washington is the sixth largest island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, United States, encompassing a land area of 16.852 km (6.507 sq m). It is separated from Cypres ...

and daily seasonal service to

from the

Bellingham Cruise Terminal The Bellingham Cruise Terminal is a ferry terminal and transportation hub located near the Fairhaven neighborhood in Bellingham, Washington, United States. It was completed in 1989 and provides easy interchange between various modes of trans ...

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...

. *North Shore Charters provides high-speed water taxi service to all of the main San Juan Islands.

Air

There are a number of public and private airports and seaplane bases throughout the San Juan Islands. Airports: * Lopez Island:

Lopez Island Airport Lopez Island Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Lopez, a village on Lopez Island in San Juan County, Washington, United States. It is owned by the Port of Lopez. ...

(S31) * Orcas Island: Orcas Island Airport (KORS) * San Juan Island:

Friday Harbor Airport } Friday Harbor Airport is a public use airport located just southwest of the town center of Friday Harbor, Washington, Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is owned by the Port of Friday Harbo ...

(KHFR), Roche Harbor (W39) Seaplane bases: * Orcas Island: Rosairo (W49) * San Juan Island: Friday Harbor (W33) Scheduled and on demand service to the San Juan Islands is provided by: *

Kenmore Air Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc., doing business as Kenmore Air, is an American airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Kenmore Air Harbor in Kenmore, Washington, United States, north of Seattle. It operates scheduled and charter seaplane and l ...

(to and from Roche Harbor, Orcas Island, Seattle/Boeing Field, Seattle/Lake Union) * San Juan Airlines (to and from Anacortes, Bellingham, Eastsound (Orcas Island), Lopez Island, Blakely, Decatur). They merged with Northwest Sky Ferry, an inter-island carrier serving Bellingham, Anacortes, Friday and Roche Harbors (San Juan Island), Eastsound (Orcas Island) and Lopez, Waldron, Shaw, Stuart, Blakely, Center, Crane, Decatur and Eliza Islands, as well as Seattle. *Friday Harbor Seaplanes (to and from Renton Municipal Airport/Lake Washington, Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor)

Shipping

The San Juan Islands are surrounded by major shipping channels. Haro Strait, along with Boundary Pass, is the westernmost and most heavily used channel connecting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia. It is the main route connecting the

Port of Vancouver The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and the fourth largest in North America by tonnes of cargo, facilitating trade between Canada and more than 170 world economies. The port is managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, whic ...

and other ports around the Strait of Georgia with the Pacific Ocean. Haro Strait joins Boundary Pass at Turn Point on Stuart Island, where a major navigation beacon,

Turn Point Light The Turn Point Light Station is an active aid to navigation overlooking Haro Strait from the western tip of Stuart Island, San Juan County, Washington, in the northwest of the United States. The light marks a sharp turn in the shipping lanes ...

, is located. Strong, dangerous

rip tide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal f ...

s occur near Turn Point, as well as near the northern end of Boundary Pass, between Patos Island Light on

Patos Island Patos Island is a small island in the San Juan Islands of the U.S. state of Washington. Since 1893, it has been home to the Patos Island Lighthouse, guiding vessels through Boundary Pass between Canada and the United States. The island ...

and East Point on

Saturna Island Saturna Island is a mountainous island, about in size, in the Southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated approximately midway between the Lower Mainland of B.C. and Vancouver Island, and is the most easterly of the ...

.Strait of Juan De Fuca and Georgia, Washington; Chapter 12 - Coast Pilot 7 - Edition 43, 2011
,

Rosario Strait is also a major shipping channel. More than 500

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...

s pass through the strait each year, to and from the Cherry Point Refinery and refineries near Anacortes. The strait is in constant use by vessels bound for Cherry Point, Bellingham, Anacortes, and the San Juan Islands. Vessels bound for British Columbia or Alaska also frequently use it in preference to the passages farther west, when greater advantage can be taken of the tidal currents.

List of islands

This list includes only those islands that are part of San Juan County as defined by the USGS, bounded by the

, and the

. 2016 populations estimates for inhabited islands are in parentheses, though some have major seasonal changes. Islands protected as

state parks State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

are marked with an asterisk. Additional small rocks are listed at

. *Aleck Rocks *Alegria Island (aka Little Double Island) *Armitage Island *Bare Island * Barnes Island *Barren Island * Battleship Island *Bell Island *Big Rock *Bird Rock *Bird Rocks *Black Rock *

(42) *Blind Island (Lopez) * Blind Island * *Boulder Island * Brown Island (21) *Buck Island *Cactus Islands * Canoe Island * Castle Island *Cayou Island (aka Rum Island) *Cemetery Island * Center Island (20) *Charles Island * Clark Island * *Cliff Island *Cluster Islands *

Colville Island Colville Island is an island in the San Juan Islands of the U.S. state of Washington. It lies near Point Colville, on the southeastern tip of Lopez Island. The island and the point were named for Andrew Colville, the governor of the Hudson's Bay Co ...

*Coon Island *Crab Island * Crane Island (10) * Deadman Island *

Decatur Island Decatur Island is one of the San Juan Islands in Washington state, USA. Located just east of Lopez Island across Lopez Sound and just south of Blakely Island across Thatcher Pass, it is 3.524 square miles (9.127 km²) in area, and was nam ...

(89) * Dinner Island * Doe Island * *Double Island *Ewing Island *Fawn Island *

Flattop Island Flattop Island is an island in the San Juan Islands of the U.S. state of Washington. The name was given by Charles Wilkes during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838–1842, describing the island's terrain. During World War II World War II ...

Flower Island ''Flower Island'' () is a 2001 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. This was Song's first feature-length film after directing several award-winning short films. Plot The film is in three parts. The first introduces three women who are sepa ...

* Fortress Island * Freeman Island * Frost Island *Geese Islets *Giffin Rocks * Goose Island *Gossip Island *Gull Rock * Guss Island *Hall Island *Harnden Island * Henry Island (27) * Iceberg Island *Iowa Rock * James Island * * Johns Island (5) * Jones Island * *Justice Island *Little Patos Island *Little Sister Island *Little Sucia Island *Lone Tree Island *Long Island *

(2,466) *Low Island *

Matia Island Matia Island () is an island in the San Juan Islands of the U.S. state of Washington. The island's entire comes under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is cooperatively managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreat ...

* * McConnell Island *Mummy Rocks *Nob Island *North Finger Island *North Peapod Island * O'Neal Island *Oak Island *

Obstruction Island Obstruction Island is one of the San Juan Islands in San Juan County, Washington, United States. It lies off the southeast tip of Orcas Island, between it and Blakely Island. Obstruction Island has a land area of 0.882 km2 (0.3406 sq mi, or ...

(14) *

(5,395) *

* *Peapod Rocks * Pearl Island (11) * Picnic Island (aka Sheep Island) *Pointer Island *Pole Island * Posey Island * *Puffin Island *Ram Island *Reads Bay Island *Reef Island *Reef Point Island *Richardson Rock *Rim Island *Ripple Island * Saddlebag Island * *

(7,810) *

Satellite Island Satellite Island may refer to: * Satellite Island (Tasmania), Australia * Satellite Island (Washington) Satellite Island lies in Prevost Harbor on the north side of Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands of San Juan County, Washington, United Stat ...

*Secar Rock *Sentinel Island *Shag Rock *

(241) * Skipjack Island *Skull Island (Lopez) *

Skull Island Skull Island may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Skull Island (King Kong) Skull Island is the name most often used to describe a fictional island that first appeared in the 1933 film ''King Kong'' and later appearing in its sequels, the thr ...

*Small Island *South Finger Island *South Peapod Island *

Spieden Island Spieden Island is a privately owned island in the San Juan Archipelago in the U.S. state of Washington. It has a land area of and no permanent resident population as of the 2000 census, although several structures are present on various parts ...

* Stuart Island (11) * *

(4) * *Swirl Island *The Sisters *Tift Rocks *Trump Island *

Turn Island Turn Island is a island in the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea in the U.S. state of Washington. The island sits in the San Juan Channel about 900 feet off the east coast of San Juan Island. It is preserved as Turn Island Marine State Park a ...

* *Twin Rocks * Vendovi Island * Victim Island *

Waldron Island Waldron, also known as Waldron Island, is an unincorporated community in San Juan County, Washington, United States. Its population was 104 at the 2000 census. Waldron is in the San Juan Islands. It is designated as a Limited Development Distric ...

(109) * Wasp Islands *Whale Rocks *White Rocks *Willow Island * Yellow Island

References

External links

* *
Kwiaht Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea

SeaDoc Society, University of California Davis scientific organization doing marine ecosystem research and education in the Salish SeaFriday Harbor Laboratories
of the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

The San Juan Preservation Trust is a private, non-profit and membership-based land trust dedicated to helping people and communities conserve land in the San Juan Islands.
{{Coord, 48.532066, -123.029251, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-WA_scale:500000 Regions of Washington (state) Landforms of San Juan County, Washington Archipelagoes of the United States