Wildlife watching
At San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
The San Juans offer unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife. The key element to successful spotting is patience. Options to watch wildlife from land exist on trails of Matia and Turn Islands. Otherwise, visitors may observe wildlife on all other refuge islands by boat, maintaining a 200 yard buffer from the shoreline. Species to watch for include gulls, cormorants, pigeon guillemots, tufted puffins, brants, black oystercatchers, rhinoceros auklets, bald eagles, and harbor seals.
