Aleutian Islands and the Alaskan peninsula
After crossing the Bering Sea, we arrived at the Aleutian Islands, where we made several stops at islands to see birds and other wildlife.
| Everyday: On almost every island we stopped, we had to reach shore on zodiacs. |
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| Russian Influence in Alaska: The first non-native persons to come to Alaska were Russians, led by the Danish sea captain Vitus Bering, in 1741. For the next 126 years Alaska was in the possession of Russia until it was sold to the U.S. in 1867 for seven million dollars. This picture shows a Russian orthodox church in Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Islands. Dutch harbor was bombed in WW II by the Japanese in their effort to split the American forces at Midway Island. |
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| Susan on the hind deck: Typical scene in the Aleutian Islands. The skies were cloudy for the most part, although we did have a few sunny days. |
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| Jerry and bear: I was attacked by this huge grizzly while we were on Kodiak Island, but I managed to fight him off with the Bowie knife I keep in my back pocket. You may think it's really a carved wooden bear like one in a famous local restaurant, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. |
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