Friday Harbor’s name is derived from an encounter with Hawaiian shepherd, Peter Po’alima Friday, and it was our destination for the day. Po’alima, which means 5th day (or Friday) in Hawaiian, was one of the island’s first settlers and called San Juan Island home for 12 years, just as I call it home today. While working along the northeast shoreline, a small scouting party from Victoria, British Columbia followed smoke into the harbor, saw Po’alima, and asked him the name of the bay. He replied, thinking they had asked his name, “Friday.”
Po’alima’s time on San Juan Island ended in 1872 when possession of the islands fell to the Americans following 12 years of disagreement, joint American and British occupation, litigation, and eventual resolution over who would own the San Juans. All of that followed the killing of a pig in 1859, which led to the aforementioned and infamous, Pig War.
In addition to learning about the history of this special place, we explored the water via Zodiac, spent time strolling in town, and visited the Whale Museum, an iconic organization of Friday Harbor, all of which occupied our first full day in U.S. waters.
