Admiralty Inlet
Encyclopedia
Admiralty Inlet is a strait
in the U.S. state
of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
to Puget Sound
. It lies between Whidbey Island
and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula
.
Admiralty Inlet is generally considered to be the northern part of Puget Sound's Main Basin. Its northern boundary is defined as a line running between Point Wilson
and Point Partridge
, and it extends south to the southern end of Whidbey Island and Point No Point
on the Kitsap Peninsula, where it joins the Central Basin of Puget Sound's Main Basin. Admiralty Inlet's area is 437 square kilometres (168.7 sq mi), with a volume of 15200 cubic metres (536,782.9 cu ft). Its shoreline is 171 kilometres (106.3 mi) in length. Its mean depth is 35 metres (114.8 ft).
Though only 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide at the narrowest point (between the Point Wilson
and Admiralty Head
lighthouses), it is through this passage that nearly all the seawater flows into and from Puget Sound
during daily tidal
variations. Tidal currents can reach six knots in the area northeast of Point Wilson.
All sea vessels must pass through Admiralty Inlet to enter or leave Puget Sound, except those small enough to use Deception Pass
. This fact led to the selection of Port Townsend
on the Quimper Peninsula as the official port of entry for the Puget Sound region during the early days of commerce in the area. It also led to the federal decision in the late 1890s to construct Fort Worden
, Fort Casey
, and Fort Flagler around Admiralty Inlet as a "Triangle of Fire" for the protection of Puget Sound from a hostile fleet.
Today a great deal of maritime freight traffic passes through Admiralty Inlet to the major shipping ports at Seattle and Tacoma
, and of United States Navy
vessels to the Naval facilities in Puget Sound. The Keystone
-Port Townsend
run of the Washington State Ferries
crosses the inlet and serves as a link for State Route 20
.
The first Europeans to find and map Admiralty Inlet were the Spanish of the 1790 expedition of Manuel Quimper
. It was Quimper's pilot, Juan Carrasco
, who sighted the inlet. Thinking it was a bay he named it Ensenada de Caamaño, after the Spanish naval officer Jacinto Caamaño
. Two years later Admiralty Inlet was given its present name by George Vancouver
, after his ultimate commanders, the Board of Admiralty
. The Spanish name was later given to Camano Island
.
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
to Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. It lies between Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
.
Admiralty Inlet is generally considered to be the northern part of Puget Sound's Main Basin. Its northern boundary is defined as a line running between Point Wilson
Point Wilson Lighthouse
The Point Wilson Light was built in 1913 by the United States Lighthouse Service. At a height of , the beacon is the tallest on Puget Sound, marking the entrance to Admiralty Inlet...
and Point Partridge
Point Partridge
Point Partridge is the most westerly point of Whidbey Island, the largest island in Puget Sound. The point lies north of the Fort Ebey military reservation and south of West Beach. The primary importance of Point Partridge is as the northern and eastern reference point for the dividing line...
, and it extends south to the southern end of Whidbey Island and Point No Point
Point No Point
Point No Point is an outcropping of land on the northeast point of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, the United States. It was the location of the signing of the Point No Point Treaty. It was named by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition of Puget Sound in 1841...
on the Kitsap Peninsula, where it joins the Central Basin of Puget Sound's Main Basin. Admiralty Inlet's area is 437 square kilometres (168.7 sq mi), with a volume of 15200 cubic metres (536,782.9 cu ft). Its shoreline is 171 kilometres (106.3 mi) in length. Its mean depth is 35 metres (114.8 ft).
Though only 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide at the narrowest point (between the Point Wilson
Point Wilson Lighthouse
The Point Wilson Light was built in 1913 by the United States Lighthouse Service. At a height of , the beacon is the tallest on Puget Sound, marking the entrance to Admiralty Inlet...
and Admiralty Head
Admiralty Head Lighthouse
The Admiralty Head Light is a lighthouse located in Fort Casey State Park near Coupeville on Whidbey Island, Washington.Admiralty Head is the east entrance point of Admiralty Inlet and the southeast extremity of a succession of light bare bluffs which extend north of Point Partridge, where they...
lighthouses), it is through this passage that nearly all the seawater flows into and from Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
during daily tidal
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
variations. Tidal currents can reach six knots in the area northeast of Point Wilson.
All sea vessels must pass through Admiralty Inlet to enter or leave Puget Sound, except those small enough to use Deception Pass
Deception Pass
Deception Pass is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Washington. It connects Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca.-History:...
. This fact led to the selection of Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
on the Quimper Peninsula as the official port of entry for the Puget Sound region during the early days of commerce in the area. It also led to the federal decision in the late 1890s to construct Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...
, Fort Casey
Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park is located on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Admiralty Inlet was considered so strategic to the defense of Puget Sound in the 1890s that three forts, Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, and Fort Worden at Port Townsend, were built at the...
, and Fort Flagler around Admiralty Inlet as a "Triangle of Fire" for the protection of Puget Sound from a hostile fleet.
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, and of United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
vessels to the Naval facilities in Puget Sound. The Keystone
Keystone, Island County, Washington
Keystone is a small unincorporated community on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, in the northwestern United States. It is near the Keystone Ferry Landing, a dock for the Washington State Ferries route to Port Townsend that provides a maritime link for State Route 20 across Admiralty Inlet...
-Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
run of the Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
crosses the inlet and serves as a link for State Route 20
State Route 20 (Washington)
State Route 20, also known alternately as the North-Cross Highway, SR 20 or the North Cascades Highway, is a State Highway in the State of Washington. It travels from an intersection with U.S. Route 101 at Discovery Bay near Port Townsend to Newport at a junction with U.S. Route 2 about 400 feet ...
.
The first Europeans to find and map Admiralty Inlet were the Spanish of the 1790 expedition of Manuel Quimper
Manuel Quimper
Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino was a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated in charting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Sandwich Islands in the late 18th century. He was later appointed a colonial governor in his native Peru at the...
. It was Quimper's pilot, Juan Carrasco
Juan Carrasco (explorer)
Juan Carrasco was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century. He was second in command of the 1791 voyage of José María Narváez, the first European exploration of the Strait of Georgia.Many details...
, who sighted the inlet. Thinking it was a bay he named it Ensenada de Caamaño, after the Spanish naval officer Jacinto Caamaño
Jacinto Caamaño
Jacinto Caamaño Moraleja was the leader of the last great Spanish exploration of Alaska and the Coast of British Columbia. He was a Knight of the Military Order of Calatrava. Born in Madrid, he came from an aristocratic Galician family, whose homestead was near Santiago de Compostela...
. Two years later Admiralty Inlet was given its present name by George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
, after his ultimate commanders, the Board of Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. The Spanish name was later given to Camano Island
Camano Island
Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...
.