| Haro Strait | |
|---|---|
| French:Détroit de Haro | |
 View of Haro Strait fromSouth Pender Island | |
  Haro Strait | |
 Map of Haro Strait andBoundary Pass according toUSGS definitions | |
| Location | British Columbia andWashington |
| Coordinates | 48°33′N123°13′W / 48.550°N 123.217°W /48.550; -123.217 |
| Type | Strait |
| Part of | Salish Sea |
| Basin countries | Canada andUnited States |
| Max. length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Max. width | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Settlements | Victoria,Saanich,Sidney |
TheHaro Strait is one of the main channels connecting theStrait of Georgia to theStrait of Juan de Fuca, separatingVancouver Island and theGulf Islands inBritish Columbia, Canada from theSan Juan Islands ofWashington state in theUnited States.
The strait is a critical part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States. It stretches from the western terminus of the49th parallel segment of that boundary, and was chosen by the arbitrator in theSan Juan Islands dispute (Pig War) over theRosario Strait.
According to theUSGS, Haro Strait's southern boundary with the Strait of Juan de Fuca is formed by a line betweenDiscovery Island, just east ofVictoria, to Cattle Point at the southern tip ofSan Juan Island. Haro Strait's northern boundary is defined by a line running from the north tip of theSaanich Peninsula throughPiers Island, Portland Island, andMoresby Island, then from Point Fairfax on Moresby Island to Turn Point onStuart Island, then from the southern end of Stuart Island to McCracken Point at the north end ofHenry Island, then to Mitchell Bay onSan Juan Island. By this definition Haro Strait does not directly join with the Strait of Georgia. The main channel and international boundary runs from Haro Strait north throughBoundary Pass to reach the Strait of Georgia.[1]
Haro Strait and other waters flanking the Gulf Islands and San Juans were the home of Straits Salish peoples including theLummi,Saanich, andKlallam, but the route's natural importance as a regional waterway made it also an important sea-route for raiding and also for regular trade for all marine peoples of the Northwest Coast.
Haro Strait was named in 1790 byManuel Quimper, commander ofPrincesa Real, in honor of his pilot,Gonzalo López de Haro.[2]: 106 In 1791Francisco de Eliza sentJosé María Narváez far into the Strait of Georgia via Haro and Rosario Straits. In 1792 Haro Strait was explored and mapped byGeorge Vancouver. An alternate theory about the naming was proposed byEdmond S. Meany, who suggested that Haro Strait was named forAlonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta,Archbishop of Mexico from 1772 to 1800, and, for several months during 1787,Viceroy of New Spain.[3]
Haro Strait's status as the location of the international boundary was not established until the resolution of theSan Juan Islands dispute in 1870, when it was selected by an arbitrator, German KaiserWilhelm I, over Rosario Strait, on the eastern side of the San Juans, which was preferred by the British and would have made the San Juans part of British Columbia, as they were originally viewed to be by the British after theOregon Treaty of 1846.
Haro Strait is also an important location for the regional commercial fishery, as the bulk of theFraser Riversalmon run uses the Haro Strait to enter that river.
D'Arcy Island on the Canadian side of the strait was aleper colony forChinese immigrants in the 19th century.
Older USGS maps, such as the 1976 edition of the Victoria quadrangle (1:250,000 scale), show Haro Strait as encompassing Boundary Pass, passing south of Saturna Island.
Haro Strait is a major shipping channel.[4] Haro Strait, along with Boundary Pass, is the westernmost and most heavily used of the three main channels connecting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia. Haro Strait joins Boundary Pass at Turn Point on Stuart Island, where a major navigation beacon,Turn Point Light, is located. Heavy, dangerous rip tides occurs near Turn Point, as well as near the northern end of Boundary Pass, betweenPatos Island Light onPatos Island and East Point onSaturna Island.[5]
Much shorter than the Rosario Strait, though more difficult to navigate and less sheltered, the strait is the main shipping channel to thePort of Vancouver and other ports around theGulf of Georgia from the open sea. Navigation through American waters in this stretch by Canadian vessels is sanctioned by the Oregon Treaty, which stipulated that commercial shipping south of the 49th Parallel in these waters would be unmolested.
The strait is a favourite locale forwhale-watching tours based in Greater Victoria and also in the San Juans because of the density and variety of its marine life, includingorcas (killer whales),sea lions,seals and a large range of different species of sea birds.
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