:for other uses of the word nootka, see nootka (disambiguation).  nootka sound is a complex inlet or sound of the pacific ocean on the rugged west coast of vancouver island, in the canadian province of british columbia. historically also known as king george's sound, as a strait it separates vancouver island and nootka island. ==history==     the inlet is part of the traditional territory of the indigenous nuu-chah-nulth people. they called it mowichat. john r. jewitt, an englishman who wrote a memoir about his years as a captive of chief maquinna in 1802â1805, describes the area in some detail. ===european exploration and trade=== on august 8, 1774, the spanish navy ship santiago, under juan pÃ©rez, entered and anchored in the inlet. although the spanish did not land, natives paddled to the ship to trade furs for abalone shells from california. pÃ©rez named the entrance to nootka sound surgidero de san lorenzo. the word surgidero means "anchorage". when esteban josÃ© martinez arrived in 1789 he gave nootka sound the name puerto de san lorenzo de nuca. the spanish establishment established at friendly cove he gave the name santa cruz de nuca. in march 1778, captain james cook of the royal navy landed on bligh island and named t
British_colonization_of_the_Americas Fur_trade Nootka_Sound_region Sounds_of_British_Columbia Spanish_history_in_the_Pacific_Northwest