Are you a nature lover? Or, do you just want to get away? Northwestern Washington is a great place to relax during any season and one of the must-do adventures starts in Anacortes and goes through the San Juan Islands.
The San Juan Islands are beautiful and full of wildlife. Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, is a small, peaceful town with many exciting activities like sea kayaking, fishing, diving, and mountain biking. And it is the terminal point for Washington State and British Columbia ferries.
Just a few miles south of Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, you can see the only island in an island in the world. Photo courtesy: Kenton Main
Anacortes was founded by Amos Bowman in 1876. He built a home and in 1879 was granted the right to a post office which he named Anacortes, after his wife Anna Curtis.
A whale watching adventure is a must do when visiting this area. There are approximately 90 whales in J, K, and L, the three local pods. For the past 30 years, biologists and researchers have been studying these pods. Most of the world’s knowledge about wild orcas has come from these studies.
The boat will take you through a series of islands, the San Juans, which are composed of 175 named islands, and reefs, which you can only reach by ferry, boat or plane. There are three main islands, San Juan, Orcas and Lopez.
The port of Friday Harbor is on San Juan Island. On San Juan Island you can find the British and American Camps from the "Pig War."
As the boat maneuvers through the San Juan’s the crew talks to you about the islands’ history and helps you spot wildlife. Bald eagles fishing and feasting on the rocky shores of the islands is a common sight, but be sure to keep a sharp look out because the wildlife passes by quickly. Wildlife is out at different times during all the seasons but for all seasons bring a sweater because the weather in these islands can always be cool.
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