Totten Inlet lies in the southern end of
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. The
inlet extends southwest from the western end of
Squaxin Passage, and much of the county line between
Mason and
Thurston counties runs down the center of it. A
spit extends west for about from
Steamboat Island. The inlet shoals gradually to near Burns Point, 100 feet high, on the south shore, where it bares at low tide.
Totten Inlet splits into two smaller inlets,
Oyster Bay and
Little Skookum Inlet. Oyster Bay, located south of Burns Point, is an extensive
mudflat.
Oysters are grown in this area, and there are log booms. Totten Inlet is one of Washington's most productive areas for growing oysters. Oysters grow extremely fast in the inlet's
algae-rich water.
Taylor Shellfish, the United States' largest producer of farmed
shellfish, got its start in Totten Inlet and is still headquartered today near its waters.
Totten Inlet was named by
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842).
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...
during the
Wilkes Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
of 1838–1842, to honor George M. Totten, one of the expedition's midshipmen.
on the
Budd Coast
Budd Coast (), part of Wilkes Land, is that portion of the coast of Antarctica lying between the Hatch Islands, at 109°16'E, and Cape Waldron, at 115°33'E. It was discovered in February 1840 by the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838–42) under t ...
of Antarctica is also named for George Totten.
References
External links
*
Inlets of Washington (state)
Bodies of water of Mason County, Washington
Bodies of water of Thurston County, Washington
{{MasonCountyWA-geo-stub