Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm

After our stop at Yellow Island, we continued around the north end of San Juan Island and anchored in Westcott Bay on the northwest side. Westcott Bay is home to the Westcott Bay Shellfish farm, where boaters can arrive by dinghy to visit the farm. Westcott Bay has plenty of room to anchor the mother ship, or you can anchor in nearby Garrison Bay. We have found that Westcott Bay is less crowded, has more space to anchor, and offers good anchoring depths.

Boaters are welcome to tie dinghies (bow-tie only) at the designated dinghy dock to visit the oyster farm, while purchasing shellfish or enjoying their oyster barbecue. The onsite store carries bread, cheeses, and drinks, including beer and ciders, to accompany the fresh oysters served with a choice of tasty sauces.

Select your fresh shellfish; farm staff can show you how to shuck oysters

Westcott Bay Shellfish Co. is a working agriculture farm, but staff will show you how to shuck oysters as time allows. You can take the oysters, mussels, and clams back to your boat to prepare your meal, or place an order for barbecued oysters off their grill and enjoy a lunch at one of their picnic tables overlooking the bay.

Oysters off the grill served with tasty sauces

The farm is open to the public 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week (closed on Tuesdays) during the summer months. You can now visit during the off-season on Saturdays. Erik and Andrea Anderson purchased the farm in 2013 and brought the property back to life, restoring its legacy as a quality oyster farm. 

In the late 1970’s the farm was widely known for its oysters, which appeared on menus around the country. The farm declined over the years and was put up for sale as a home site. Thanks to the efforts of Erik and Andrea, this oyster farm has been returned to its former glory.

The depleted shellfish crops were replanted and the farm infrastructure replaced. The purchase and preservation of this property would not have been possible without the support of the San Juan Preservation Trust.

It’s not often that boaters have the opportunity to visit an oyster farm and see its operation first-hand, while enjoying fresh oysters off the grill; this is truly a unique experience not to be missed.

A beautiful sunset at Westcott Bay