When the glaciers dug deep troughs in the basin between the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, they left depths to 900 feet. Filled with the saltwater of the ocean, this sound extends nearly 90 miles from Olympia on the south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north and affords over 2,000 miles of shoreline. Captain George Vancouver named this extensive waterway when he visited in May, 1792, calling it Puget Sound in honor of Peter Puget, leader of the expedition to the southern portion of the sound.

Although much of Puget Sound is deep, the southernmost waters culminate in shoals and drying flats. Tidal differences vary greatly from north to south. At Port Townsend, on the north, the range is eight feet, while, on the south at Olympia, the change can be as much as 15 feet. Currents generally flow north or south with velocities of one-half knot to seven knots, depending on land constrictions. Current tables and tide are necessary publications to have on board.

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