How did we not have a thread devoted to this? I think a lot of good posts about it get hidden in other random threads.
Remember the cannibal restaurant in Seattle? This island isn't far from that.
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Vendovi Island, just south of Lummi Island, is one of a number of islands in the San Juans not served by Washington State ferries. Visitors can reach it by private boat or by one of several water taxi services.
The island’s namesake is a
Fijian chief, Ro Veidovi,
who was captured by a U.S. ship for the murder and cannibalization of a whaling crew in 1833. The U.S. Exploring Expedition, led by Charles Wilkes, brought Veidovi back across the Pacific and he remained on board as the ship surveyed the San Juans. Along the way, one of the surveyors apparently named the island after the chief, with an Anglicized version of his name.
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LoginIt's a beautiful area. Bellingham Bay is full of orcas, seals, bald eagles, and other wildlife. There are many islands; it's a good place to hide out from others.
Why would they name an island after a cannibal? Even
if it was named that way under duress, wouldn't you want the name changed once Veidovi was dead?