Blakely Island

Blakely Island is in San Juan Islands of Washington State.



Understand
Centrally located in the San Juan Islands, Blakely Island is the sixth largest island encompassing a land area of 16.852 km² (6.507 sq m) and the largest island not served by a ferry. It is separated from Cypress Island to the east by Rosario Strait. If your looking for an exciting adventure, keep on looking. But if your looking for quiet and solitude than Blakely Island might be your destination.

History
Blakely Island was named by Charles Wilkes during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838-1842, in honor of Johnston Blakeley, a naval commander during the War of 1812.

Get in
There is no ferry service to Blakely Island. Access is only by boat or private ferry, arriving at the marina at the northern tip of the island.

Birdwatching
The San Juan Islands are in the Pacific coast flyaway which extends from Alaska to South America and almost 300 species of birds have been observed on the islands. The islands offer an extensive variety of environments from rocky sea shores to lush wetlands offering a large number of habitats for birds in a relatively compact area. The San Juan Audubon Society holds regular meetings, bird counts and postings of bird activity on their website. Bald Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Kingfishers and Cormorants are all common sites on the islands but rare birds are sometimes seen migrating through the area.

Crabbing
Sport crab fishing is popular in the area with most fishermen looking for the elusive and meaty Dungeness Crab, but other less popular crabs are plentiful in the area. Crab season starts with a two-day opener July 1st and 2nd and follows up with crabbing every Thursday through Monday through Labor Day weekend. A wide array of crab traps are available from a variety of area sporting goods stores and the red and white buoys marking the traps are a common site on the water during the short crabbing season. Fishing permits are required and can be purchased from a variety of local stores, more information is available from the Washington Dept of Fishing and wildlife