panish Exploration: Juan Perez Expedition of 1774 -- First European Discovery and Exploration of Washington State Coast and Nueva Galicia (the Pacific Northwest)

Juan Perez (Juan Josef Perez Hernandez), sailing on the frigate Santiago with a crew made up mostly of Mexicans, was the first non-native to sight, examine, name, and record the islands near British Columbia including what is now Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte Island. Perez sailed from Mexico on behalf of Spain, arriving at the Pacific Northwest during the summer of 1774. He visited Nootka Sound, and was the first to name Mount Olympus in Washington state (its Spanish name was Cerro Nevada de Santa Rosalia). He sighted the Strait of Juan de Fuca and much of the costal territory of Washington state. He was the first European to see and describe Yaquina Head off what we now know as the Oregon coast. He sailed farther along the costal stretch of California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Alaska than any sailor had done before him. During this mission he peacefully traded with the Haida, carefully recorded facets of their customs and culture, and mapped and recorded nautical details