Last updated: July 26, 2022
Place
The Salish Sea
The frigid waters of the Salish Sea are a prominent feature of our park. Tranquil Garrison Bay, where shellfish breed in abundance and the powerful waves at South Beach are both part of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea has played a pivotal role in the lives of Coast Salish Tribes and Euro-American settlers.
The southern boundary of the Salish Sea is Budd Inlet, which borders the city of Olympia, Washington. Its northern boundary is formed by the Discovery Islands, to the north and west of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. The cities of Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, and Tacoma all sit alongside its waters which include but are not limited the Strait of Georgia, the Puget Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. These major cities were a direct result of the Salish Sea and the commercial opportunities and marine resources which it contains.
The term, Salish Sea is a recent innovation by geographers who wished to stress the interconnected ecosystems and cultures of the areas connected by this body of water. The Coast Salish Tribes, the sea’s namesake, have lived in this region since time immemorial. Their culture and lifeways have been deeply shaped by the Salish Sea, which provided abundant salmon and shellfish and served as a transportation route between settlements throughout its waters in the US and Canada. Coast Salish people indigenous to San Juan Island invented an advanced and unique form of technology known as reef net fishing, which enabled them to harvest large numbers of migratory salmon and preserve them to sustain their families. The sea’s importance to living native cultures can be seen in the canoe journeys which annually traverse its waters and the tribal communities that still call the Salish Sea their home.
Euro-American settlers were also drawn to the Salish Sea because of its resources. The Hudson’s Bay Company first sent workers to San Juan Island in 1852 to purchase and preserve salmon for export to the Hawaiian market. The first steam powered sawmill in Seattle, built by settler Henry Yesler, began operating on the shores of the Salish Sea in March of 1853 and was a major employer and driver of settlement in this city’s early days. The strategic importance of the Salish Sea and access to its waters are believed by historians to be a major factor in inspiring General William Harney to order forces to San Juan Island during the Pig War, so as to protect American access In the late 1800s and early 1900s, industrial salmon packing plants which over-exploited the Salish Sea’s natural resources were built throughout its waters, including the San Juan Islands, where they were major employers and sources of wealth.
Today, the Salish Sea is home to millions of people and hosts visitors from across the globe. Coast Salish Tribes on both sides of the American and Canadian border continue to draw sustenance from its abundant resources. Visitors and residents alike kayak and canoe amidst the bioluminescent algae in our coastal waters and travel for work and play between the mainland and its numerous islands. Major international ports and naval bases have been built to take advantage of its deep ports. Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales regularly swim through the Salish Sea, whose Chinook salmon they have evolved to eat. The University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs performs cutting edge science that allows us to better understand this unique ecosystem
The southern boundary of the Salish Sea is Budd Inlet, which borders the city of Olympia, Washington. Its northern boundary is formed by the Discovery Islands, to the north and west of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. The cities of Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, and Tacoma all sit alongside its waters which include but are not limited the Strait of Georgia, the Puget Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. These major cities were a direct result of the Salish Sea and the commercial opportunities and marine resources which it contains.
The term, Salish Sea is a recent innovation by geographers who wished to stress the interconnected ecosystems and cultures of the areas connected by this body of water. The Coast Salish Tribes, the sea’s namesake, have lived in this region since time immemorial. Their culture and lifeways have been deeply shaped by the Salish Sea, which provided abundant salmon and shellfish and served as a transportation route between settlements throughout its waters in the US and Canada. Coast Salish people indigenous to San Juan Island invented an advanced and unique form of technology known as reef net fishing, which enabled them to harvest large numbers of migratory salmon and preserve them to sustain their families. The sea’s importance to living native cultures can be seen in the canoe journeys which annually traverse its waters and the tribal communities that still call the Salish Sea their home.
Euro-American settlers were also drawn to the Salish Sea because of its resources. The Hudson’s Bay Company first sent workers to San Juan Island in 1852 to purchase and preserve salmon for export to the Hawaiian market. The first steam powered sawmill in Seattle, built by settler Henry Yesler, began operating on the shores of the Salish Sea in March of 1853 and was a major employer and driver of settlement in this city’s early days. The strategic importance of the Salish Sea and access to its waters are believed by historians to be a major factor in inspiring General William Harney to order forces to San Juan Island during the Pig War, so as to protect American access In the late 1800s and early 1900s, industrial salmon packing plants which over-exploited the Salish Sea’s natural resources were built throughout its waters, including the San Juan Islands, where they were major employers and sources of wealth.
Today, the Salish Sea is home to millions of people and hosts visitors from across the globe. Coast Salish Tribes on both sides of the American and Canadian border continue to draw sustenance from its abundant resources. Visitors and residents alike kayak and canoe amidst the bioluminescent algae in our coastal waters and travel for work and play between the mainland and its numerous islands. Major international ports and naval bases have been built to take advantage of its deep ports. Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales regularly swim through the Salish Sea, whose Chinook salmon they have evolved to eat. The University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs performs cutting edge science that allows us to better understand this unique ecosystem