Nootka Sound

49.770178055556 - 126.46019Koordinaten: 49 ° 46 ' 13 " N, 126 ° 27' 37 " W

The Nootka Sound is a deep, into three main arms branched marine fjord in the Pacific Northwest of America. The Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Iceland in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He is on the location of the mean of the five Sunde, next to Quatsino Sound, Kyuquot Sound, Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound, which characterize the West Coast.

The entrance to the Nootka Sound in 1774 discovered by Juan Pérez, a Spanish sailor. In March 1778 went on his third circumnavigation of the British Captain James Cook became the first European in the sound one. Passing Friendly Cove ( eleven years later the scene of the Nootka Sound controversy ) he anchored off the small, right in Sund located Bligh Iceland. Here he made ​​acquaintance with the indigenous Nuu- chah- nulth ( Nootka ).

The Nootka called him " itchme nutka, nutka itchme " what "go 'round " means ( according to Yuquot ), but misunderstood this Cook as the name of the people. Nevertheless, the sound still bears that name.

John Meares, a British sailor, opened in Friendly Cove in 1788 a temporary trading post. Once here in 1789, the Spaniards settled and four British ships hijacked, there was a serious diplomatic crisis between the UK and Spain, the Nootka Sound controversy was finally settled in 1795. Since then, the Nootka Sound has remained left to itself. He is, as almost the entire west coast of Vancouver Iceland, with its rich marine wildlife and unspoiled nature still preserved in some parts known.