On your San Juan Islands vacation, be prepared for a wealth of wildlife possibilities. You may hear an orca blow or a Bald Eagle calling its mate . . . spot a red fox or a black-tailed deer and her fawn slipping into the woods . . . marvel at the brilliant orange of a Rufous Hummingbird at your B&B feeder or at a convention of Steller sea lions lolling on a rock.

From the Water

You can start watching wildlife from the ferry—cormorants nest on the pilings at the Anacortes ferry terminal and gulls swoop around the boat (they’re likely to be Bonaparte's, Heermann's, or Glaucous-winged). On whale/wildlife tours, you’re most likely to see pods of orcas between late May and September, along with sea lions, seals, and seabirds; most tours have a naturalist on board. Humpback, gray, and minke whales often migrate through these waters during the year. Kayaking the island waters may give you another view of these marine mammals, as well as stunning purple starfish.

Kayakers also have the opportunity to see birds from an unusual perspective—the Cascadia kayak trail comes through the San Juan Islands.

Scuba divers in the waters of the San Juans are blessed with good visibility and endlessly entertaining dives. You’ll swim among beds of large anemone, sea cucumbers, and other colorful swarms of invertebrates. Look for pectin scallops, the occasional abalone and wolf eel, spiny sea stars, vibrant red Pacific Henricias, and the ever-present sunflower starfish, sometimes measuring two feet across and possessing 20 or more legs.  No wonder the Salish Sea was Jacques Cousteau’s second favorite place in the world to dive.

On Land

On shore, whether you’re biking, hiking, or driving, a stop on San Juan Island at South Beach, the cliffs of American Camp, or Lime Kiln Point State Park—also known as Whale Watch Park—is your best bet for spotting whales from land.

Overhead

Even if you’re not an avid birder, you can’t miss the islands’ chirping, calling, whistling, cooing bird population, with more than 300 recorded species— including the highest concentration of nesting bald eagles in the state. Located directly in the Pacific flyway, the islands host spring and fall migrants, virtually all species of North American waterfowl, including Harlequin Ducks and Trumpeter Swans, and three cormorant species, including the Brandt's and Pelagic. Marbled Murrelet (a threatened species), Oyster Catcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo, Varied Thrush, Townsend's Warbler . . . the list goes on and on. Birding organizations run San Juan Islands birding trips throughout the year.

You’ll find a welcome refuge on the San Juans . . . and so do several species listed as endangered or threatened, among them the orca and humpback whale, the Bald Eagle, the Marbled Murrelet, and the Steller sea lion. The common loon, peregrine falcon, and gray whale are considered sensitive species. Twelve other bird, insect, or mammal species are candidates for protection.