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Washington

The San Juan Islands by Land and Sea: Hidden Anchorages

Program No. 21786RJ
Cruise the San Juan Archipelago aboard privately chartered vessels, visiting national parks, spotting orca whales and other wildlife, and enjoy guided scenic walks as we explore trails.
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  • Roche Harbor, San Juan Islands
Outdoor AdventuresRegional StudiesMost PopularNature & Environment
Length
7 days
Rating (4.93)
Activity Level
Starts at
2,599

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7 days
6 nights
16 meals
6B 5L 5D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Seattle
2
To Bellingham, South San Juan Islands Cruise
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
3
Cruise around Fidalgo Island, La Conner, Deception Pass
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
4
Cruise to Sucia Island, Short Island Hike
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
5
San Juan Island Creativity & Art, Island Parks by Land
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
6
Island Preservation, Whale Museum, Free Time
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
7
Program Concludes
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
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At a Glance

Orcas breach nearby, harbor seals caper in the straits and bald eagles soar overhead as you navigate the pristine waters and narrow passageways of Washington’s San Juan archipelago. During three daylong voyages, observe porpoises, whales and seabirds from the deck of the privately chartered vessel as you learn from the knowledgeable local captain and crew. Discover the islands’ unique ecology and geology on shore excursions with a local expert. You will dine on cracked crab as you make your way between islands and enjoy comfortable lodgings in the seaside port of Friday Harbor, the heart of the San Juan Islands.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 2.5 miles daily on varied terrain and standing for up to one hour. Walking up/down boat ramps and various docks, getting on/off vessel; climbing stairs. Elevators and lifts unavailable on vessel and mini-buses.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Enjoy three days of private study cruises in the San Juan Archipelago aboard the Salish Express and Salish Sea vessels, highlighted by onshore explorations, historic sites and hidden corners of several islands.
  • Experience the history and beauty of San Juan Island with lodgings and museum visits in charming Friday Harbor.
  • Delight in a beach excursion and short guided hike on the Northern island of Sucia, an exclusive jewel only accessible by private vessels.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Michael Vouri
Michael Vouri retired as the chief of interpretation and historian for San Juan Island National Park after more than 21 years. He has written books about the Pig War, the Royal Marines and San Juan Island. He has worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers, a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer, and as assistant director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Michael has been a Road Scholar instructor on San Juan Island since 1997 and a Group Leader since 2016.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Michael Vouri
Michael Vouri View biography
Michael Vouri retired as the chief of interpretation and historian for San Juan Island National Park after more than 21 years. He has written books about the Pig War, the Royal Marines and San Juan Island. He has worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers, a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer, and as assistant director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Michael has been a Road Scholar instructor on San Juan Island since 1997 and a Group Leader since 2016.
Profile Image of Cindy Hansen
Cindy Hansen View biography
Cindy Hansen, born in Gary, Indiana, received a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Washington and previously worked as a whale watch naturalist, education curator for The Whale Museum, and an expert at a gray whale camp at Laguna San Ignacio in Baja. She is currently the education and advocacy coordinator for Orca Network, and volunteers for the research organizations Orca Behavior Institute and Wild Orca. She also volunteers for Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and with the local animal shelter.
Profile Image of Kevin Loftus
Kevin Loftus View biography
Kevin Loftus is the executive director at the San Juan Historical Museum. Kevin spent his formative years in Chicago before heading to Northern Arizona University. After graduating, he answered a call to the corporate world in Dallas, Texas. A love of cycling led to learning about the San Juan Islands. Upon first visiting San Juan Island in 2000, Kevin realized the Islands were calling, becoming his home in 2005. Kevin became the executive director of the San Juan Historical Museum in 2008.
Profile Image of Lorraine McConaghy
Lorraine McConaghy View biography
Dr. Lorraine McConaghy is the public historian at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle and a lecturer in museum studies at the University of Washington. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History and the Robert Gray Medal, the most distinguished award in Washington State for a historian. Her ongoing research interests are focused on the Civil War in Washington Territory.
Profile Image of Kevin Culmback
Kevin Culmback View biography
Kevin Culmback's years of travel as well leading wildlife excursions in Western Washington, make him a perfect group leader for the San Juan Islands and Pacific Northwest. Growing up outside Seattle, Kevin has always enjoyed all things outdoors. Kevin has spent years traveling the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii and beyond, exploring the natural world and capturing those areas through his camera lens. After 20 years in the San Juan Islands, his heart is in the Northwest... until the travel bug bites again.
Profile Image of Bill Engle
Bill Engle View biography
Bill Engle is a retired postmaster of Shaw Island. He grew with a mountain-climbing father and a gardening, birding, environmental activist mother, and has always had a passion for the outdoors. He has lived in the San Juan Islands for more than 30 years and is the founding president of the San Juan Islands Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society. Before becoming postmaster, his role as a part-time flex clerk placed him in every post office in San Juan County.
Profile Image of Nancy Spaulding
Nancy Spaulding View biography
Nancy Spaulding and her husband Lewis have lived on San Juan Island since 1978. The island and their garden have remained major influences in their artistic expression. Nancy approaches landscape from a broad and intimate perspective. She continues to create new works using pure pigment, soft pastel. She enjoys exploring new materials such as mixed media, often in combination with her pastels. Nancy recently showed her art at the National Botanic Garden in Washington as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of U.S. National Parks.
Profile Image of Kathleen Foley Lewis
Kathleen Foley Lewis View biography
Kathleen Foley is the Stewardship Manager of the San Juan Preservation Trust and has been a staff member since 2005. In this role, she oversees the management of 30+ different nature preserves, conducts annual monitoring visits, and coordinates restoration activities and youth education. She is a Washington native with a long history of exploring the San Juan Islands and enjoys a wide variety of outdoor pursuits. Kathleen lives with her son, Evan, and partner, Bill, near the lovely False Bay on San Juan Island.
Profile Image of Kelley Balcomb-Bartok
Kelley Balcomb-Bartok View biography
Kelley Balcomb-Bartok spent his early summers in the San Juan Islands immersed in Orca whale culture. As a researcher for the Center for Whale Research, he became intimately familiar with the Southern Resident Orca whale population as they traveled through the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia. Kelley's experiences with whales led him to a career in the media communication field, developing a greater appreciation and understanding of the beauty and diversity of the San Juan Islands and surrounding region along the way.
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