From an orca (killer) whale spy-hopping in the open waters off South Beach to a red fox darting across the American Camp prairie to an osprey gliding over Garrison Bay, the water, land and sky at the park are host to a wide variety of animal life.

Many species reside at San Juan Island National Historical Park or in its surrounding waters year round, others are summer or winter residents, with still others only visiting the island to rest and feed during seasonal migrations to and from far off places.

Animal life includes large, marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, bats, reptiles, amphibians, more than 200 species of birds, 200 species of fish and hundreds of species of marine invertebrates. Island biogeography explains why there are fewer species of animals on San Juan Island than on the neighboring mainland.

Species must find a way to cross seven to 20 mile stretches of 50-degree open water or traverse vast expanses of open sky. Some common animal species such as the red fox, European rabbit, and Norway rat were introduced to the island by humans, which changed the island’s natural balance. The future of all of these species is intricately tied to the environmental health of the land, water and air of San Juan Island National Historical Park, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Georgia, Haro and beyond.