Skagit Bay facts for kids
Skagit Bay is a beautiful bay and strait located in the state of Washington in the United States. It's a key part of the Whidbey Island Basin, which is connected to the larger Puget Sound. The mighty Skagit River flows right into Skagit Bay, bringing fresh water from the mountains.
To the south, Skagit Bay connects with the rest of Puget Sound through waterways like Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound. Imagine a line between Polnell Point on Whidbey Island and Rocky Point on Camano Island; that's where Saratoga Passage ends and Skagit Bay begins. To the northwest, Skagit Bay connects to the big Strait of Juan de Fuca through a narrow and exciting passage called Deception Pass. There's also a third waterway, the Swinomish Channel, which links Skagit Bay with Padilla Bay to the north.
Skagit Bay is surrounded by land. Whidbey Island is to its west, Fidalgo Island to the north, and Camano Island to the south. The mainland is to the east. This eastern coast is mostly made up of the Skagit River delta. This delta includes Fir Island, which sits between the two main branches of the Skagit River.
The northern part of Skagit Bay is known as Similk Bay. Here, you'll find two islands, Hope Island and Skagit Island, which are special marine state parks. The Swinomish Indian Reservation is also located on Fidalgo Island, right at the northern end of Skagit Bay, between Similk Bay and the Swinomish Channel.
Exploring Skagit Bay's Past
Skagit Bay has a long and interesting history. For thousands of years, different groups of indigenous peoples lived in this area. They used the bay as a vital source of food, gathering fish and shellfish that were a big part of their daily meals.
First European Explorers Arrive
The first non-indigenous people to explore Skagit Bay were part of the 1792 Vancouver Expedition. On May 30, 1792, a team led by Joseph Whidbey sailed up Saratoga Passage and into Skagit Bay. They spent a day mapping the area. However, they didn't see Deception Pass at first and thought Skagit Bay was a closed-off area.
The next day, George Vancouver noticed a swampy waterway connecting Port Susan to Skagit Bay. This was at the northern end of Camano Island. Later, on June 7, Vancouver's ships sailed past Deception Pass from the west. Peter Puget and Joseph Whidbey took smaller boats to check out this new opening. They discovered it connected to Skagit Bay! This important discovery helped them realize that the land (which would later be named Whidbey Island) was actually an island, not a peninsula connected to the mainland.
