Kiska Harbor, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

After a wild night of rocking and rolling, listening to all sorts of things leaping from the shelves in our cabin and landing on the floor, we arrived at Kiska Harbor early this morning.

This remote island was occupied in 1942 during WWII by the Japanese, but it was taken back by a combined American and Canadian force in 1943.  The Japanese occupation has left many relics of war behind, including a Japanese two-man submarine.  Other things left behind were quite a lot of unexploded ordnance, so free roaming on the island was definitely not an option! 

We did, however, go ashore and had a long walk down a beautiful black sand beach, where we saw lots of kelp, several beautiful shells, sea urchins,  a whale vertebra, and later on the remains of the rest of the whale (small ... probably a calf, or perhaps a porpoise?) being feasted on by sea gulls.  We also spotted a Golden Eagle, and -- oddly -- one bright white sea boot!

We are hoping to go ashore again this afternoon to see the submarine as well as the wreck of a freighter just offshore, but it doesn't look hopeful as the weather is closing in and the surf and swells seem to be growing.

Extra:  Kiska Harbor from our balcony early this morning.