Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve

Washington DNR says Cypress Island is the largest relatively undeveloped island in the San Juan Islands. In 2007, 6,065 acres of state-owned aquatic lands around the island were designated as Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve. The water reserve complements the 5,100-acre Cypress Island Natural Resources Conservation Area and the 1,100-acre Cypress Island Highlands Natural Area Preserve.

The island has nearly 20 miles of natural shoreline. Juvenile Chinook, coho, and chum salmon use its pocket beaches and protected embayments. DNR says strong currents, steep subtidal slopes, and shallow rocky reefs support rockfish, lingcod, and kelp greenling. Bull kelp beds ringing the island shelter crabs and sea stars and feed loons, scoters, and grebes. Minke whales and harbor porpoises use Rosario Strait on the west side.

DNR’s at-a-glance list names lingcod, salmon, rockfish, minke whales, and bald eagles as significant species, and rocky reefs, bull kelp, eelgrass, and protected embayments as important habitats. This pin is Cypress Island. The source below is the Washington Department of Natural Resources reserve page.