Akutan, Alaska

Between 2023 and 2024 I was able to visit Akutan a couple times. It was one of the communities where fiber-optic cable was being installed and we were doing the cultural monitoring for the construction project. The village of Akutan is on Akutan Island, part of the Krenetzin Island group. There is no runway on Akutan, so to get there you have to fly to the nearby island of Akun and take a helicopter to the village. Back in the day you used to fly from Unalaska to Akutan on the Goose, an old beach landing airplane that would land in the water, pull up onto the beach and drop off passengers. The Krenetzin Islands have most likely been occupied for at least 9,000 years, with archaeological sites that age being found just west of the Krenetzins. While the modern village of Akutan was established in the 1870s, the area was heavily utilized for both historic whaling and commercial fishing prior to people moving to the current village location. The area around Akutan is rich in natural resources, and the wildlife is amazing. Construction work in the Aleutians is usually done in the late spring to early fall, but work in Akutan continued into the winter. Winters in the Aleutians can be brutal with strong storms and high winds, but it can also be beautiful with snow covered volcanic peaks
Flying into the Kreneztin Islands.
Runway on Akun Island.
Early sunrise in Akutan.
View out of Akutan Harbor.
View out of Akutan Harbor.
Fishing gear on shore.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
View out of Akutan Harbor.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
The road/sidewalk in Akutan.
Heading out in a skiff.
View out of Akutan Harbor.
View of cannery out of Akutan Harbor.
View from helicopter flying from Akun to Akutan.
View from helicopter flying from Akun to Akutan.
Loading the helicopter from Akun.
Taking off from the Akun runway.
View of Krenetzin Islands flying out of Akun.
View from front of plane flying over the Krenetzin Islands
Sun shining through the clouds of the Krenetzin Islands.
Dutch Harbor runway.
Akun runway in winter.
Flying into Akutan in winter.
Krenetzin Islands
Krenetzin Islands
Boat heading out of Akutan Harbor.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Rusted machinery in the village.
Historic harpoon reflecting Akutan's whaling history.
Boat heading out of Akutan Harbor.
Sun shining on the mountains across Akutan Harbor.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Snow covering the pier.
View out of Akutan Harbor with village on the left.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Alexander Nevsky Chapel in Akutan.
Helicopter leaving Akutan.
Iqyax frame.
View down "mainstreet".
Fishing net with bay in the background.
Boat coming into the harbor.
View of village from hill.
Aerial view of Akutan harbor with village on left.
Aerial view of Akutan harbor with village on left.
Boat leaving Akutan harbor.
One of the amazing things about visiting remote villages is the amount of wildlife. The cannery in Akutan and the subsistence lifestyle of the people mean that there are tons of scavengers like eagles and foxes. The abundant ocean resources bring whales, sea otter, seals, sea lions, and more. When we first got to Akutan someone had butchered a seal (I think) and there must have been a dozen eagles eating the remains, about 15ft from where we landed at the helicopter pad. I was also lucky that there were some sea otters that had just had babies that were hanging out in the harbor eating clams and sea urchins.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Juvenile Bald Eagle eating fish remains.
Juvenile Bald Eagle eating fish remains.
Juvenile Bald Eagle eating fish remains.
Juvenile Bald Eagle eating fish remains.
Bald Eagles congregating around fish remains.
Sea Otters.
Sea Otters.
Bald Eagle landing.
Eagles waiting on pier.
Fox hanging around the cannery.
Bald Eagle landing.
Eagle spreading its wings.
Fox hanging around the cannery.
Eagle on post.
Sea Lions swimming by.
Sea Otter.
Bald Eagle flying.
Eagles by the helicopter pad.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Sea Otter.
Sea Otter.
Sea Otter.
Bald Eagle eating seal remains.
Bald Eagle eating seal remains.
Bald Eagle eating seal remains.
Bald Eagle eating seal remains.
Harlequin Ducks.
Sea Otter.
Harlequin Ducks.
Harlequin Ducks.
Sea Otter.
Sea Otter.
Sea Otter with pup.
Sea Otter with pup.
Sea Otter with pup.
Sea Otter with pup.
Sea Otter.
Sea Otter.
Fox at cannery.
Eagle sitting on the Trident Cannery sign.
Eagle sitting on the Trident Cannery sign.
Sunflower Sea Star near the harbor.