Extends east from the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island, Canada, and the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, to Haro Strait, San Juan Channel, Rosario Strait, and Puget Sound; its Pacific Ocean boundary is formed by a line between Cape Flattery - Tatoosh Island, Washington, and Carmanah Point (Vancouver Island), British Columbia; its north boundary follows the shoreline of Vancouver Island to Gonzales Point, then follows a continuous line east to Seabird Point (Discovery Island), British Columbia; Cattle Point (San Juan Island), Washington; Iceberg Point (Lopez Island); Point Colville (Lopez Island); and then to Rosario Head (Fidalgo Island); the eastern boundary is a continuous line extending south from Rosario Head along Whidbey Island to Point Partridge and south to Point Wilson (Quimper Peninsula); the Washington mainland forms the southern boundary of the strait.
Named in 1788 by the English Captain John Meares of the ship Felice for the Greek sailor who claimed to have gone on a voyage with Spanish Explorers in 1592 to seek the fabled Straits of Anian.