When the Salish Sea is spoken of, it usually elicits blank stares. When a picture is shown, nearly everyone recognizes the fish-hook-shaped crescent of water consisting of the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound that caps the northwest corner of Washington State. Wrapped around Vancouver Island, British Columbia, it’s only been officially and legally designated as a sea since 2010. The actual waterway has existed for thousands of years and has witnessed both natural wonders and the growth of modern civilization in its time.
