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Portraits By Erika Schultz
Joan RorabaughWelcomes all comers to her whacky, wondrous sea world
Inside Orcas Island's seven-mile fjord thrives a diverse collection of Pacific Northwest creatures — including one woman who resembles a modern-day mermaid. Trade the fin for a wetsuit and paddle and you have Joan Rorabaugh, who's lived in the San Juan Islands for 24 years. Rorabaugh owns Crescent Beach Kayaks, a whimsical little rental shop outside East Sound. Rorabaugh greets ocean-going enthusiasts and day-tripping tourists from her front yard, which is regularly piled with a trove of her kayaks, oceanic relics, driftwood sculptures, umbrellas and sun-bleached flamingos, among other treasures. She can recommend the best places to explore — from windswept Madrona Point to the western side of her cove, where clusters of orange and purple starfish cling to their rocky outposts. "I'm the unofficial chamber of commerce," Rorabaugh says. "That's what happens when you live on the side of the road." Only a small, two-lane thoroughfare separates Rorabaugh from Fish Bay. Her home, business, art and simple pleasures are centered around the sea. She lives for kayaking at night in bioluminescent waters. She goes for an evening swim most times of the year. Only when she gets a cold or the waters become too gnarly will Rorabaugh head to an indoor pool. "I just love swimming with the fish," she says. "I have to keep connected to the sea."
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