Protection Island: Sailing to a Forbidden Place

One of the things I love about our house is that it sits on a bluff, overlooking the water and the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula. 

From our back deck, we have a clear view of Discovery Bay (which is really more like a 10-mile deep fjord), and on clear days we can also see all the way to Vancouver Island, Canada. 

The Forbidden Island

In the foreground-- about a couple of miles away-- sits Protection Island, in the middle of the mouth of the bay. In fact, it's the island you see in my header picture on my Steemit profile page.

Approaching Protection Island from the north; Olympic mountains in the distance.

The reason I call it "forbidden" is because it has been a national bird and wildlife sanctuary for several decades. Even private non-motorized boats (including people in their sea kayaks) are allowed no closer than 200 yards from the shore. 

Although the island does have a small harbor, it is exclusively for the use of the sanctuary caretaker and occasional visitors from U.S. Game & Wildlife.

Aside from the harbor, the most prominently visible structure on the island is an old water tower. The caretaker has a house and access to a few storage sheds. There are a few unpaved roads on the 1.6 mile (2.5km) long island and the caretaker can drive supplies and equipment around in the aging pickup truck that was barged to the island, many years ago.

Protection Island has been a National Bird Sanctuary, and thus "protected" since 1982.

Things Weren't Always so Peaceful

European settlers actually arrived and built the first boat dock on the island in the 1860's.

The island was farmed for some decades, but it turned out to be hard work because one of the peculiarities of Protection Island is that it sits practically in the center of the Olympic Mountains' rain shadow, meaning that rainfall is actually as little as 7 inches (175mm) per year. 

The north end of the island is the steepest; at the top of the hill, there's a small patch of forest that lives only thanks to pervasive fogs.

For perspective: Here we are in the "rainy northwest," with the wettest spot in North America less than 90 minutes' drive away, and this is technically speaking a "Desert Island!" For comparison, the average annual rainfall in Phoenix, AZ is about 8 inches (200mm). 

There is actually a small patch of forest on the island's north end, which exists only thanks to extensive "fog drip" keeping it moist.

Anyway, the farmers abandoned the island in 1928 after several dry years turned the arable land to dust. 

During World War II, the military used the island and there was actually a dirt airstrip built. 

Some ambitious developers hoped to create a recreational "subdivision" on the island in the 1960's, and there were plans for roads and as many as 1000 lots. I guess they didn't really think through how to get water and electricity to the island, and the whole idea was subsequently scrapped. 

The strong tides, currents and storms in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is slowly eroding the island from the northwest side; landslides are frequent. Geologists speculate that in as little as 800-1000 years, Protection Island may be little more than a shallow sand spit at the mouth of Discovery Bay.

Bird Sanctuary

The island is home to 1000s of birds, including colonies of Bald Eagles, Tufted Puffins and Rhinoceros Auklets, as well as lots of harbor seals and otters.  On occasion, you might see elephant seals on the beach. 

Most noticeable is the constant cacophany of tens of thousands of seagulls.  When the wind is still, we clearly hear them at our house, a couple of miles away. I can't even imagine the din if you were the island caretaker, although I expect you'd just get used to tuning them out.

Protection Island from the beach below our house; evening light. You can see the water tower, and the small north-end forest at right.

For most people, the only way to even get close to the island is via one of the weekly birdwatching cruises offered only during the summer months. 

I went on one of them last year, and we slowly sailed around the island... depending on our binoculars and cameras with long range lenses to get a closer look at the teeming wildlife on the island. We were blessed to go on a superbly clear and warm day, making for excellent viewing. 

Having been as close to the island as the public is allowed gave me a new appreciation for the speck of land we can see from our back yard. 

The photos show some various views of our "forbidden" island.

How About YOU? Any unusual nature preserves or sanctuaries near where you live? Can you visit them directly, or do you have to observe from a distance? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

created by @zord189

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180219 16:43 PDT