Friday Harbor tide times

Friday Harbor is the only incorporated town in the San Juan Islands, sitting in a natural harbour on the east side of San Juan Island. The ferry from Anacortes drops you here after a 90-minute crossing through some of the most spectacular tidal country in North America. The tidal range is mixed semidiurnal and large — mean range around 2.0 metres, springs reaching 3.2 to 3.5 metres — but what defines the San Juans hydrologically is not range but current. The channels between islands can run 6 to 8 knots at maximum spring flood.

Haro Strait, on the west side of San Juan Island, is where orcas hunt. The southern resident killer whale pods — J, K, and L — follow chinook salmon through the strait from spring through fall. The tidal current concentrates the salmon, and the whales pattern their hunting around the current cycles. Whale watching boats from Friday Harbor time their trips to be in Haro Strait during the hour before and after maximum flood, when salmon pushed up by the current are most accessible to the orcas.

Kayaking in the San Juans is world-class but requires experience and planning. Current Atlas: Puget Sound, Juan de Fuca Strait, and San Juan Archipelago is the standard reference — buy a copy before paddling here. Spring current in San Juan Channel peaks at 3.5 knots; Cattle Pass at the south end of the island runs 4+ knots on springs. The protected route east of the island, through the ferry lanes, carries strong current but less wave action than the exposed west side.

Salmon fishing in Haro Strait is the marquee summer fishery. Chinook run through in June and July; coho follow in August and September. The artificial reef at the south end of the island concentrates rockfish year-round. Halibut are taken in the deeper channels (60 to 100 metres) from May through July. A Washington saltwater fishing license is required; salmon require an additional endorsement.

Diving in the San Juans is exceptional — giant Pacific octopus, wolf eel, lingcod, and dense rockfish populations in cold, clear water (10 to 14°C year-round below the thermocline). The tidal current creates challenging conditions: dive at slack water, which in the main channels may last 10 to 30 minutes on spring tides. Local dive shops in Friday Harbor run guided trips to the best sites.

The Friday Harbor ferry dock and harbour are worth an early morning visit. The Alaska-bound ferry traffic passes at various hours; whale watches leave from the dock. The Whale Museum on First Street has detailed orca ID catalogues useful for spotters.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative US tide data, consult NOAA CO-OPS at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.