Deception Pass Jetboat Tour 7-14-12

Using a Groupon, I went with Dave and friends Brian and Pam to tour Deception Pass for an hour in a jet boat!  It was totally worth it and the hour felt more like 20 minutes.  I can't believe I didn't take one of the boat itself!  It was 1000 hp and had a catamaran hull, so it was powerful and stable.

It was a beautiful day and the water looked alternately deep blue, and sea green.  In the pass, it was roiling and swirling as usual.

We learned some interesting local lore.  One was that the little island we passed on the way out, Ben Ure Island, used to belong to a smuggler who would throw his cargo over if he was about to get caught by the authorities....even if it was people, which he smuggled in in burlap bags.  The story goes the bodies washed ashore typically at a certain cove on San Juan Island, which came to be known as Dead Man's Cove.

Another thing I never knew was that there was a prison there built into a cliff!  It is now covered with a grate to prevent people from putting themselves at risk to explore, but apparently once it housed 40 prisoners who were forced to break up rock that was barged down to Seattle to build it up above sea level.

One of the biggest features of Deception Pass was the bridge that you can drive over.

 Although we saw no sea mammals, we did see a variety of sea birds and a few bald eagles as well.

It was a beautiful day to be on the water and be in the company of friends.  I highly recommend this trip!