The Secret Side of the San Juan Islands

The waters of Rosario Strait provide some of the most scenic backdrops anywhere in the world, and the diversity of wildlife will amaze even the most experienced traveler. This map will show some of the places you could see on one of our sea kayaking adventures.

1- Anacortes is located on Fidalgo Island and is known as the Home Port of the San Juan Islands. Anacortes was named after the town founder's lovely wife, Annie Curtis. The town adopted the Spanish sounding pronunciation to keep in "theme" with the surrounding islands which were named by the Spanish Explorers in the late 1700s. Fidalgo Island is connected to the mainland by bridges on Highway 20 and the Rainbow Bridge in LaConner. The Deception Pass Bridge connects Fidalgo to Whidbey Island to the south. With these connections and a ferry to Vancouver Island, Anacortes is a convenient area for all visitors to the San Juans.

2- Whidbey Island is the 5th longest island in the Lower 48 (thanks Cleve!), and home to Deception Pass State Park. 2 million people visit this beautiful park each year. Miles of trails wind through mature forest lands. The Deception Pass Bridge is nearly 200 feet off the water and is considered one of the most scenic places in Washington State. The pass is known for its strong currents and whirlpools, making it challenging at times for small boats and sea kayaks. The ferry on south Whidbey Island connects this rural landscape to the extended city inhabitants of Seattle.

3-Cap Sante Marina is the main marina in town with 1100 slips and is operated by the Port of Anacortes. It provides a sheltered harbor, convenient location, plenty of free parking, clean public restrooms, parks, walking paths, and a friendly atmosphere that all visitors appreciate. Our Outer Islands Kayak Tours depart from here.

4- Guemes Island is an extension of Anacortes with approximately 500 year-round residents. On the southwestern point of the island you will find a great walking beach known for its agate rocks and great bird watching. It also offers a county park at its northeastern tip. Guemes Island has a quaint resort on the north end, but few other amenities for the casual traveler.

5- The Guemes Ferry is a small county ferry that holds about 30 cars. It is a quick 5-minute boat ride across to Guemes Island. Arriving here is like stepping back in time. Like many of the San Juan Islands, this is a very pastoral place. Lovely farms and cool shaded forests, wonderful views of the San Juans, and one of the best views of Mt. Baker greet visitors driving the quiet roads.

6- Shannon Point is home to the Washington State Ferry terminal that services the four main islands in the San Juans: Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan. Western Washington University has its marine biology lab here on the point. If you hear a foghorn in town it is most likely coming from Shannon Point.

7- Washington Park is an Anacortes city park with great beaches and hiking trails. There is a 2.5-mile loop road that is very popular for walking and biking. From the loop road you may even see Orca whales swim by!

8- Burrows Island Lighthouse was built in 1910 as a manned Coast Guard Station and became fully automated in the early 70's. Our Burrows Island kayak tour continues to be one of the most popular sea kayaking trips in the San Juan Islands. It is by far the most conveniently located destination for sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands.

9- There is a shallow (80 ft.) sandy area out in front of the Burrows Island Lighthouse that holds baitfish year round. It is a popular spot to see local salmon and halibut fishers. For the wildlife watcher it is a great place to see birds, seals, and Harbor porpoises.

10-Allan Island is owned by millionaire Paul Allen of Microsoft, Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers, and EMP. The island was named after a Naval officer in the war of 1841, not after the current owner. The name coincidence no doubt aided Mr. Allen's eagerness to buy the island. Allan Island is also a great place to view Bald eagles, coyotes, and Harbor seals.

11-Williamson Rock is a National Wildlife Refuge, meaning it is illegal for people to set foot on this rock. However, we can paddle our sea kayaks around it while observing the list of best practices. Williamson Rock is home to Double-Crested cormorants, Harbor seals, and many different shorebirds such as Oystercatchers, Turnstones, and Yellowlegs.

12-Between Deception Island and Rosario Beach the water depth changes quickly from about 20 feet deep to 300 feet deep. When there is an outgoing tide this area creates an underwater back-eddy that holds a lot of life such as herring, candlefish and sand shark. This underwater activity attracts groups of Harbor porpoises which we often observe on the surface, feeding on the small fish.

13-Deception Pass Bridge is 182 feet off the water. Many people have stood at the top looking down or walked the great beaches around the pass, but the best way to see this landmark is from the water. On those special days, when everything lines up perfectly, we will take our guests up close to the bridge. The water has to be calm, the currents slack, but when we can do this they are some of the best trips of the year.

14-South Lopez is a very special place in the San Juan Islands. It connects Rosario Strait with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is outside  of normal vessel traffic lanes. Many of the small islands in this area are wildlife refuges and are home to numerous sea birds. We often watch them hunt for fish and then return to their nests on the steep cliff sides. Our guides know these waters well and often travel behind Castle Rock and Blind Island over a lush kelp forest where you may see a resting seal or a hunting eagle.

15-Lopez Pass is between Lopez Island and Decatur Island. It is a popular spot for catching fall black-mouth salmon (juvenile Chinooks). It is also one of the most scenic spots anywhere in the San Juans. It is not uncommon to see river otters on the shore here. There is a large eagle's nest quite visible from the pass. The protected waters of Lopez pass give visitors a peaceful feeling just by passing through. In 2005 we were graced with the presence of a young gray whale for the duration of the summer. Our guests took home a lot of great whale photos from those trips!

16-Decatur Island is a private island divided into individual home plots. There are some year-round residents but most homes are for summer use or are second homes. The numerous evergreen trees on the island provide a great habitat for many species of birds and we often see eagles and hawks soaring over the island. The only way out to Decatur is by private boat, water taxi, or airplane.

17-James Island is a State Park with one dock, a handful of mooring buoys, and a campground. Hiking trails weave all around the island and hikers have a great chance of seeing the resident Black-Tailed deer foraging in the forest. Sea kayaking or boating around James provides a prime opportunity to view these deer as well as Bald eagles perched in one of many large snags on the island. James Island also has some great camp sites. We sometimes paddle out here on our overnight kayak trips

18-Armitage Island is a private island. We occasionally pass between Armitage and Blakely Island on way into the inner San Juans. Wildlife is frequently seen in here, including Bald eagles, River otters, and Harbor seals hauled out on the island's small dock.

19-Pointer Island is a great place to find seals hauled out.    Many birds spend a lot of their time on this rock and it is their evidence that gives this island its nickname, White Rock.

20-Black Rock is the first place Steller sea lions used when they appeared in the islands in the winter of 1994-95. Steller sea lions can weigh over 2000 pounds and have been described as large Volkswagons hauled out on the rocks. These animals can be a highlight for any trip. The best time too see Stellers are March, April, May or October, Novemeber, and December.

21-Blakely Island's east shoreline has more eagle nests than homes. The water depth drops off quite deep and we can get very close to the rugged shoreline. Here you can see deer trails coming out of the forest down to the water's edge. The Pacific Madrona tree is common throughout this shoreline and grows right out of the rocky cliffs. This deciduous tree has a unique red bark that burns bright with the setting sun.

22-Obstruction Pass is on the north side of Obstruction Island and is a great place to see Marbled murrelets, Bonaparte's gulls, Turkey vultures, and other fall wildlife. Because of the currents this small area holds lots of food for a variety of different wildlife.

23-Peapod Rocks is another wildlife refuge. It is a great spot to find seals and sea lions hauled out. The waters around the rocks are teeming with life and bring in hunting animals such as eagles, porpoises, and humans (fishermen).

24-Point Lawrence on Orcas Island is a spot like Obstruction Pass. The biomass is often high here and it is not uncommon to see Harbor porpoises and Minke whales taking advantage of the food supply.

25-Lummi Rocks is a congregation of small rocks on the west side of Lummi Island. It is one of the best spots you could imagine to watch the sun set. The sight of the rocks framed between Lummi Mt. And Mt. Constitution with the sun disappearing into the Straits of Georgia will leave you speechless.

26-Viti Rocks is another National Wildlife Refuge. This is one of the areas were Sea otter sightings have been recently documented. There are also lots of other San Juan Island residents that call this rock home including birds and seals.

28-The East shore of Guemes Island is one of the best cliff sites anywhere in the archipelago to watch Pelagic cormorants. They nest on the steep rock building small nests out of debris and sticks. We often watch them fly out to fish in the water and then return back home on the cliff side.

29-Southeast Point- A new eagle's nest was built here in the spring of 2001. The proud parents fledged their first bird during the spring of 2002. We often slow down here to check on their reproductive progress and hope they are successful in the years to come.

30-The sand flat in Secret Harbor is a great spot to drift with the birds. In the fall it is not uncommon to see Western, Red-necked, and Horned grebes as well as Surf scoters, White-winged scoters, Marbled murrelets and Ancient murrelets in this cove.

31-Secret Harbor has fish pens that raise Atlantic salmon. If you purchase Atlantic salmon in the market it may have come from this harbor.

32-Strawberry Bay is where most of the houses are on Cypress Island. They are mostly summer use with a year-round caretaker. It is also a great spot for bird watching.

33-Eagle Cliff is one of the most unique rock formations in the islands. When viewing this cliff from the water many want to hike to the peak. There is a trail from Pelican Beach that leads to the top and the scenic view is well worth the 880-foot climb.

34-Pelican Beach is a DNR campground named after the Pelican Sailboats that still have their regattas on the beach. There are no resident pelicans in the San Juan Islands, however, Brown pelicans have been seen on the south shore of Lopez Island in the past. Pelican Beach is one of our primary landing sites for our Outer Islands kayak tours. The entire north end of Cypress Island is protected as a Natural Area Preserve- the highest form of public lands protection in Washington State. Consequently the kayaking here is tremendous.

35-The Cone Islands are a group of islands off the east shore of Cypress Island. This area is a no take zone for fishermen and divers. This is a voluntary program to protect bottom fish. The lush kelp forests in this area provides prime habitat for these fish as well as many other undersea creatures. The Cone Islands made it into Hollywood when the movie Free Willy filmed the opening scene here in 1992. When conditions are right our guides are sure to get our sea kayakers out to these scenic spots.

36-Eagle Harbor is a protected anchorage we occasionally pass through. This is the main landing on the east shore of Cypress Island. There are trailheads as well as roads left over from the logging that occurred here throughout the 20's and 30's. There are some stands of old growth left on Cypress which you can see from this protected harbor.

37-Cypress Head is another DNR campground. Campers from the head often talk about hearing Orcas swim past in the night or see them surface in the moonlight. These campsites have a great view of Mt. Baker, a prominent glaciated peak in the Cascades that stands 10,778 feet high. It is also a terrific place to see Harbor porpoise, seals, alcids (puffin family birds), and Bald eagles, all catching food in the swirling current.

38-Sinclair Island is another private island that has many different owners. There is a surprisingly high number of year-round residents that commute back and forth to work with private boats. There is one county dock and a water taxi service. Western Washington University has property here but to take advantage of it students and alumni need to find a way to get to the island. If you see Sinclair Island you will know why it is worth the effort.

39- Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island is the tallest point in the San Juans at 2454 feet. This island was not named for the Orca whales but after the commissioner of the late 1700s Spanish Exploration. His name was Don Juan Vincente de Guemes Pacheco de Padilla Horcasitees y Aguayo, Conde Revilla de Gigedo (you can find Orcas in Horcasitees). Orcas Island is also the largest island in the San Juans.

40-Lopez Island is serviced by the San Juan Islands ferries and has a year-round population of about 1000 people. It is flat in comparison to Orcas and San Juan Island, making it popular for biking. It is also known as the friendly island, if you are biking, driving, or boating the locals will most likely wave and smile. Many days during July and August our tours are plying the calm waters of Lopez Sound.

41-Cypress Island is one of the most scenic islands in the San Juans with quite an interesting name origin. George Vancouver's expedition party came to this island in June of 1792. While on the island one of the men, Lieutenant William Broughton, thought the island should be named after the cypress trees he saw everywhere. It was decreed Cypress Island, however, Mr. Broughton confused the native juniper trees with the cypress he was familiar with back home in England. And there is not a single cypress tree on all of Cypress Island.

This is a unique island in the already incredible San Juan Islands. Nearly 90% of the island has been protected as a Natural Resources Conservation Area. This means that it is protected from the development that has changed the character of places like Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

This is one of our favorite destinations in the San Juan Islands. We run kayak tours out here almost every day in the summer. See our description of the Outer Island tours.

42-Orca Route- The dashed line represents the Orca whale travel patterns. Our sea kayaking trips are not meant to be guaranteed whale-watching trips, but if the whales are around, we will know it and you will see them. Sea kayaking with whales is one of the most exciting things that can happen on a kayak tour. Unfortunately, many in the industry continue to create an unreasonable expectation in the hopes to sell more trips. Be wary of any company making boasts about kayaking with whales.