Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHERE TO STAY
In addition to the hotels, B&Bs, and inns listed here, there are also lots of vaca-
tion rentals available on San Juan Island through
Windermere San Juan Island,
520 Spring St. (P.O. Box 488), Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (
&
800/262-3596
or 360/378-3600; www.windermeresji.com). Rates range from $800 to $4,000
per week.
Expensive
Friday Harbor House
With its contemporary yet distinctly Northwest
architecture, this luxurious little boutique hotel brings urban sophistication to
Friday Harbor. From the hotel's bluff-top location you can see excellent views of
the ferry landing, the adjacent marina, and, in the distance, Orcas Island. Guest
rooms have fireplaces and double whirlpool tubs, which make this place a great
choice for a romantic getaway. As you relax in your tub, you can gaze out at both
the view and your own crackling fire. Most rooms have decks or balconies.
All About Orcas
Although once known as killer whales and much maligned as the
wolves of the deep, orcas whales, which are members of the porpoise
family, are actually highly intelligent, family-oriented animals. Orcas
can be found in every ocean, but one of their highest concentrations
is in the waters stretching north from Puget Sound along the coast of
British Columbia. Consequently, this has become one of the most stud-
ied and most publicized populations of orcas in the world.
These whales, which can grow to 30 feet long and weigh almost
9,000 pounds, are the largest member of the porpoise family. In the
wild, they can live for up to 80 years, with female orcas commonly liv-
ing 20 to 30 years longer than males. Orcas are among the most fam-
ily-oriented animals on earth, and related whales will often live
together for their entire lives, sometimes with three generations pres-
ent at the same time. Family groups frequently band together with
other closely related groups into extended families known as pods. A
community of orcas consists of several pods, and in this region the
community numbers around 100 individuals. There are three distinct
populations of orcas living in the waters off Vancouver Island, British
Columbia. They are referred to as the northern and southern resident
communities and the transient community. It's the southern resident
community that whale-watchers in the San Juan Islands are most likely
to encounter.
As predators, orcas do live up to the name “killer whale,” and have
been known to attack other whales much larger than themselves.
Some orcas off the coast of Argentina even swim up onto the shore,
beaching themselves to attack resting sea lions, then thrashing and
twisting their way back into the water. However, not all orcas feed on
other marine mammals. Of the three communities in this area, only
the transients feed on mammals. The two resident communities feed
primarily on salmon, which are abundant in these waters, especially
off the west side of San Juan Island during the summer.
