We hope you were able to join us for our 19th annual Fidalgo Bay Day event on Saturday, August 26, 2023, to help celebrate our local estuaries and the beauty, history, and incredible marine life. The event was held from 11 am – 3 pm at the Samish Indian Nation’s Fidalgo Bay Resort, located at 4701 Fidalgo Bay Road in Anacortes.
Over 300 people attend this event each year and take part in the Samish Indian Nation’s popular educational beach seining demonstration, touch live marine critters in Shannon Point Marine Center’s undersea zoo and a real whale skull from Deception Pass State Park, look through microscopes, get creative at the kid-friendly craft tables, play fun games, win prizes, and learn about local projects and volunteer opportunities at the many educational exhibits staffed by local agencies and organizations.
New in 2023, Samish Indian Nation staff shared a story hour from the Samish Librarian and Samish language vocabulary. And Corra, the live mermaid, shared some cool things about her excellent underwater habitat beneath the Salish Sea. She even went for a swim in Fidalgo Bay!
In addition to all the fun activities, visitors got to fill their appetites with a fabulous no-host traditional Coast Salish salmon BBQ lunch and taste complimentary samples of local seafood from Bob’s Chowder Bar and BBQ Salmon, Secret Cove Restaurant, and Taylor Shellfish! There was even a free raffle to win gift cards from 3 local restaurants: Bob’s Chowder Bar and BBQ Salmon, Secret Cove Restaurant, and Anthony’s Cap Sante Marina!
Fidalgo Bay Day is the Skagit Marine Resources Committee’s signature educational event that has taken place each year since 2004. Many partners and volunteers support it. This free event aims to increase public awareness of the marine environment and foster environmental stewardship. This event is funded wholly or partially by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Assistance Agreement [CE-01J97401].
This event wouldn’t have happened without our wonderful volunteers or the support of the Samish Indian Nation and Friends of Skagit Beaches. A special “Thank You” goes to our amazing Fidalgo Bay Day event planning committee: Darla Gay Smith, Beverly Mowrer, Cindy Elston, and Thea Rowe.
