Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a Pacific Ocean strait between Vancouver Island and Washington State. It connects the Pacific Ocean with the Salish Sea.

Salish Sea: An inland sea encompassing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Strait of Georgia. The strait forms the Salish Sea’s western ocean entrance.
Tide: The periodic rise and fall of sea level caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. Tidal exchange moves water through the strait and into the Salish Sea.
Port of Port Angeles: A commercial seaport on the northern shore of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It serves vessels traveling through the strait along Washington’s coast.
Juan de Fuca: The name used for Ioannis Phokas, a Greek pilot associated with a reported Spanish voyage along the Pacific Northwest coast. The strait takes its name from this mariner.
Southern Resident killer whale: A fish-eating population of killer whales that ranges through the Salish Sea and adjacent Pacific waters. These whales use the strait, where prey availability and disturbance matter.
Vancouver Island: A large island off the Pacific coast of British Columbia, separated from mainland Canada by several straits. Its southern coast forms the strait’s northern boundary.
Tidal current: A horizontal flow of seawater generated by the rise and fall of tides. Strong tidal flows transport water and nutrients through the strait.
Victoria Harbour: A harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, serving British Columbia’s capital city. Its marine routes cross the strait to Washington State.
Manuel Quimper: A Spanish naval officer who explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 1790. His expedition charted parts of the strait for Spain.
Chinook salmon: A large Pacific salmon species that migrates between freshwater rivers and the North Pacific Ocean. Declining Chinook populations affect prey supplies for whales using the strait.

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