Day 54 21 September Dutch Harbor

We arrived in Dutch Harbor and awoke to the sounds of these sea lions. (Elizabeth first thought it was the neighbour's hacking cough from the balcony.) The photo is a bit hazy due to low light.

Dutch Harbor is on Amaknak Island, in Unalaska, Alaska. Captain Cook named it after sighting a Dutch ship there. When the Russians occupied it, they exploited the native Aleut by taxing them in fur pelts. 

Dawn was quite beautiful.

The Museum of the Aleutians was an unimpressive building from the outside but was well designed inside. Here it mirrors the inside of a traditional Aleut building.  It was very crowded inside, but you can't tell from our photos.

Here at the Russian Orthodox Church, we saw a very cheeky red fox who seemed to be unafraid of humans.

A foxy lady. Wildlife abounds here as there was a bald Eagle + nest only 50 metres away.

The Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascension.

The church holds a very important collection of artefacts. Many of the smaller churches were forcibly closed and their artefacts are housed here. During the war they were packed up but affected by mould. Many of the artefacts/icons are very dark and hardly visible to the naked eye. You can see those along the back wall. To help protect them, they had used a mixture of oil and then later shellac which didn't help. It is very expensive to restore so we don't gripe about the entry fee. They will need a lot of visitors just to get one image restored.

The church's graveyard overlooking the harbour. Rain was predicted this afternoon but so far, we have been lucky.

The Visitor Centre and World War II museum. The upstairs of this WW2 building housed meteorological equipment which provided navy pilots and ship captains with weather forecasts.

Dutch Harbor was one of the few sites in the United States to be bombed during World War II. The U.S. naval codebreakers predicted a Japanese attack and warned Dutch Harbor. In June 1942, twenty Japanese planes from two Japanese aircraft carriers bombed the harbour. One of the guest lecturer’s father-in-law was present in the battle, serving on the USS Talbot, which was a WWI vintage destroyer. He was responsible for shooting down the only Japanese aircraft that day. The Zero fighter was retrieved and rebuilt and flown in evaluation trials to help them design better aircraft, as well as develop tactics to fight the Japanese.  

Castner's Cutthroats was the unofficial name for the 1st Alaskan Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional), also known as Alaskan Scouts. The unit was to perform reconnaissance missions in the Aleutian Islands. They were chosen based on their survival skills in the Alaskan wilderness which often included natives. The name "Castner's Cutthroats" was given by the military war correspondents, but the name preferred by the men was Alaska Scouts. Many soldiers owed their lives to them.  This is their shoulder patch

The theatre shoulder patch worn by US servicemen.

US servicemen would use fire extinguishers to build a still so they could manufacture alcohol. During the war, Dutch Harbor was also used to house refugees evacuated from other islands. By May 1943, a peak of 10,151 sailors and 9,976 soldiers were stationed at the base.

The meteorological centre upstairs. It overlooks what the locals call their international airport, which is funny as their only flights go to Anchorage. 

On June 6, Japanese invaded and occupied Kiska Island where all ten Navy personnel defending the island were taken prisoner. The following day, the Japanese landed on Attu Island and took 42 Unangan natives as prisoners. Many of them died in captivity. Because of the war, many of the natives were forcibly removed, had to live in dreadful conditions, for which the US government should hang their heads in shame.  

When the natives returned, often their homes and possessions were looted.

Dutch Harbor is close to some of the richest fishing in the world, and it is ice-free, with over a billion dollars of fish caught each year, especially pollock and cod. The Bering Sea has one of the world's largest continental shelves, supporting a rich ecosystem. Just ask these sea lions. 

Looking back at Dutch Harbor. There is also a bay on the other side where the main town is.

Sailing out of Dutch Harbor as the pilot boat leaves.

Looking back at Dutch Harbor as we leave.

Whales off the starboard bow. We are not sure of the species. The ship's captain came on later to tell us that we can see whales on both sides of the ship and that he has slowed down as the ocean is "infested" with them.