The
Salish Sea (
/ˈseɪlɪʃ/ SAY-lish) is the intricate network of
coastal waterways located between the south-western tip of the
Canadian province of
British Columbia, and the north-western tip of the
U.S. state of
Washington. Its major
bodies of water are the
Strait of Georgia, the
Strait of Juan de Fuca, and
Puget Sound. It reaches from
Desolation Sound at the north end of the Strait of Georgia to
Oakland Bay at the head of
Hammersley Inlet at the south end of Puget Sound. The inland waterways of the Salish Sea are partially separated from the open
Pacific Ocean by
Vancouver Island and the
Olympic Peninsula, and are thus partially shielded from Pacific Ocean storms. Major
port cities on the Salish Sea include
Seattle,
Vancouver,
Tacoma,
Bellingham,
Port Angeles and
Victoria.
