San Juan Island, second largest in the San Juan Island Archipelago, is the most populated of all the islands. At high tide over 400 islands and rocks dot these waters, 128 of which are named. San Juan Island is one of four accessible by ferry.
One wouldn’t know it now, but this quiet little island was once on the brink of an international conflict between two world super powers, the British and the U.S.
The Pig War, a confrontation in 1859, spurred by the shooting of a pig, escalated to a boundary dispute between these two countries, both claiming rights to the island. Luckily no blood was shed. Well, not exactly true…there was the pig. Today remnants of both the American and British camps are available for touring.
Homesteaders moved in after this conflict, taking to the sea. Salmon fishing and harvesting clams and oysters was big business until the 20th century when the island vibe shifted to a gentler pace, focusing on nature and wildlife. Today the island draws those seeking outdoor adventures, kayaking, fishing, whale watching, and boating.
As the ferry docked at Friday Harbor, a vibrant seaport lay before us, filled with boutique shops, cafes, museums, and galleries, many honoring the natives, first inhabitants of the island. It is a town devoted to art, with festivals scattered throughout the year showcasing the unique talents of the local artists.
We made Demeter Bakery our first stop for great coffee and delicious pastry and when hunger pangs announced lunchtime, we headed to Market Chef for a yummy sandwich and salad.
A few of our favorite stops were the Arctic Raven Gallery, featuring intricate Indian carvings and colorful Arctic and coastal native art, wonderful little Griffin Bay Bookstore, and the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, where we were treated to a rare glimpse of Susan Middleton’s fascinating exhibit, Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, the Backbone of Life, and a unique installation called Liminal Currents.
As we lie on the floor, looking up at the swaying branches we experienced the dancing underwater world as perceived by an animal such as the orca, who uses sound to understand spatial relationships within its environment. Orca generated sounds, from the residents pods in the San Juans, have been added to enhance the experience.
I spent a few moments writing an intention, which I tied with ribbon to part of the linear sculpture. At the wrap-up of the exhibit, the contents, branches, and messages will be gathered and burned, “transforming the scribed energy into light”.
As we moved beyond Friday Harbor, a diverse landscape opened before us – pastoral farmland, driftwood-strewn beaches, and bluffs overlooking island-dotted shimmering water.
The hike up Mt. Finlayson, a lovely walk through Douglas fir and red-barked madrona trees, provided us a birds-eye view of Cattle Point Lighthouse from the top.
Lime Kiln Point, a day use park, is considered one of the première places in the world to view whales from land. Orcas are often spotted here but on our visit, gulls, terns, and an occasional oystercatcher were the only wildlife. This is where the little sentinel Lime Kiln Lighthouse stands watch, a navigational aid still today for ships traversing Haro Strait.
We passed on a whale-watching trip while in Port Townsend, joining Laurel and Eric (Raven & Chickadee) instead on a tour booked through Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching, where we grabbed the last remaining seats. Caption Jim uses a smaller boat for a more intimate experience, sprinkling in some history of the area as well. We had heard that it was the best tour around, and being two of only seven on the boat, we had to admit it was pretty special.
A quick stop to Roche Harbor, a charming marina harboring some of the most beautiful yachts in the world, and we took to sea in search of orca.
Before long a resident pod sighting was confirmed in an area they are seldom found, off the shore of Spencer Spit State Park, right where we are volunteering. It seems we needed to board a ferry to San Juan, hop on a whale-watching boat, and return back to the very spit we have walked most days since arriving on Lopez, just to see these beautiful creatures. Go figure!
(Not very clear shots but gives a perspective of how close these amazing creatures were to the spit.)
For their safety, we had to stay within 200 yards of the orcas, so my camera could not do these beauties justice. Captain Jim graciously allowed me to share some of his stunning photos.
The above images are photo courtesy of Captain Jim of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching. If you plan a whale-watching trip on San Juan Island, we highly recommend this tour company for a more intimate experience. You won’t be disappointed. 🙂
A visit to the Sculpture Garden near Roche Harbor rounded out our visits to San Juan Island. We know there is much more to see, giving us reason to return.
We are most grateful to Laurel and Eric, for introducing us to the islands that have become their second home, providing us great recommendations, and including us on the whale-watching adventure. You two are the best!
Next Up: Orcas Island
Paint Your Landscape 
What great fun! Beautiful.
The islands are beautiful Luanne. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Wonderful photos and I’m sure seeing the Orcas was pretty amazing, even if you did have to go back where you came from lol. Interesting tale about the Brits, Americans, and a pig.
We all had a good laugh about returning to where we started to see the orcas. We are loving the islands Ingrid! Have you ever been?
The PNW has eluded our travels thus far, but with some impending changes with our daughter, I think the PNW may soon be on the schedule 🙂
We have really enjoyed our time here Ingrid and feel that we have only scratched the surface. 🙂
Wow! It looks like it was fantastic. More than fantastic. Thank you for sharing with us LuAnn.
The islands are pretty special Al. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
You’re welcome. I don’t get a lot of time at the moment, but I try when I can 🙂
So interesting nd and super pics. You find all the super spots. Must have been great to see whales so well. Amazing!
Thanks Ute! The San Juan Islands have been very interesting and the orcas are beautiful!
What a great post, LuAnn. We so enjoyed our month co-hosting with you on Lopez and all of the adventures we shared. That whale watching trip was a blast! So crazy that we could have just stayed home and seen the whales from Spencer Spit — but I’m still glad we went. Love your photos of our trip. Miss you guys!!
We can’t thank you two enough for making the introduction that brought us to Lopez, then being our tour guides and offering so many recommendations. You made our summer very special. It is pretty sad to look over at your site and not have you two there. Miss you!
Brings back so many wonderful memories of our visit there last year. Looks like you got Some fabulous weather for your trip…plus good friends to accompany you. Perfect!
Nina
We have really enjoyed our time in the islands. Hard to believe that summer is drawing to an end and that I am sooo far behind on posting. 😦 We are planning one more visit to Orcas today.
What a lovely place. I would love to see the Orcas in the wild. What a treat.
Your photos are a piece of art…each one.
Thanks so much Marsha! The islands are very special and each one so unique.
How interesting to learn about The Pig War. Thanks for sharing the history:)
I like the idea of a very small group on the whale watching boat. Glad you did get to see the orca. Boy, they were close to the shore. What a treat:)
I’m confused…did Laurel and Eric come to see you on San Juan? Weren’t they already on Lopez Island working? So you and Terry toured a few other islands before you settled in for your month of volunteering?!
Having such a small group on our whale watching trip made all the difference, especially when we passed large boats packed with people. Laurel and Eric were on Lopez when we arrived and we toured a few of the islands. Since I am so far behind on posting, I decided to do San Juan first. I will probably do a wrap-up of Lopez with lots of pictures, in an attempt to finally get caught up. 🙂 So glad to see you and John back out on the trails. We hope one day to do some serious hiking with you two.
I had no idea about the pig! the whale photos are astounding and many thanks to the Captain for sharing them. It must have been incredible to see them.
I didn’t know about the pig either until we came to the islands Sue. Truth be told I knew little about the San Juans before this summer. The orcas are amazing! 🙂
So beautiful LuAnn!
The islands are pretty special Nicole!
Thank you LuAnn for the Pig history and the background history of the stops you made. The island is beautiful and quaint but we did not get a chance to really enjoy it. We biked the entire island in one day and barely made it to the last ferry that day. It was all a blur to me 🙂 but now very clear with your narratives and great photos.
It sounds like another trip is in order when you get back to the Pacific NW. 🙂
How different history could have been had there been a full scale conflict over a pig, we could be hearing propaganda about each other had the conclusion been something of a more messy variety, yay for diplomacy!
Its lovely seeing Whales in their natural habitat.
Indeed, yay for diplomacy, seeing that you and I would have been on opposite sides of the conflict. 😉 This was my first opportunity to see orcas in their natural habitat. It was a wonderful experience. 🙂
I couldn’t have done without making your acquaintance my friend. I’d take you over the Orcas anyday!
I wholeheartedly agree! 🙂
I just love that header shot. We loved the San Juans and are hoping that we are not too late to visit on our way down. A couple that we met down in Anza Borrego has just settled in Orcas Island, after having hosted a year or so ago and we are hoping to visit. We too took a small boat (six-person maximum), but not being too familiar with the options, the boat was not the most comfortable ride (one person had to sit on a cooler), although we still had a good time. Looks like you were on a much nicer boat.
Thanks Brenda! I was thinking about you and Hector when we did our whale watching tour, wishing I had Hector’s big lens. 🙂
What a beautiful San Juan island tour! Love those whale images. We saw a few in the Big Island in January, I wonder when is the season there.
Thanks Amy! The orcas that we saw are a resident pod so they are always hanging out there. I’m not sure exactly of the migrating timeframe for the transients.
It’d be an awesome show during migration.
I wish I could be here for that!
I bet observing those orcas in person was somethin’ else & then some!
It was a very special experience for us!
Had a great time in June on San Juan Island, and was lucky enough to ride with Capt Jim on one of two whale watching trips. We saw fast moving orca on one, humpbacks on the second. You are a wonderful writer and describe the area beautifully. Amazed by the history. Driving by the first time, I thought English and American Camps were scouting areas. 😂
How fun that you too had the experience of traveling with Capt Jim! We had a wonderful day and have had a great time exploring the islands. We move on tomorrow for other adventures. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂