The Salish Sea straddles the US-Canada border and hosts two orca ecotypes: the critically endangered Southern Resident pods (J, K, L) that follow Pacific salmon runs, and the fish-ignoring Bigg's/transient orcas that hunt seals and sea lions. Orcas move freely across the maritime border. Main access points are Friday Harbor on San Juan Island (WA) for shorter boat tours, Victoria and Vancouver on the Canadian side with 95% sighting guarantees from mid-April to October, and Lime Kiln Point State Park for excellent land-based watching. Further north, Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island provides summer access to a separate Northern Resident population.
