Fox Islands (Alaska)
At the eastern end of the Aleutian arc, the Fox Islands form the cluster of islands closest to mainland North America. The Aleut had already made these islands their home for centuries. Then European ships arrived. The name those visitors gave the island group has outlasted everything else about their first encounter. It reveals something about what drove them here. The story begins with a naval officer who sailed east into the Pacific in 1741.
Vitus Bering commanded the Imperial Russian Navy expedition that brought the first Europeans to the Fox Islands. The mission was commercial: locate new territory to supply Russian fur trappers with pelts. Russian explorers and fur traders who came after him eventually named the islands, leaving a designation that has survived into the present.
Russian explorers and fur traders assigned the islands their name in the 18th century. In Russian, the group is called Лисьи острова, which translates directly as Fox Islands in English. The English name is a straightforward rendering of that Russian original. That designation has remained with these islands from the 18th century to the present day.
Seven larger islands make up the Fox Islands. From west to east, they are Umnak, Unalaska, Amaknak, Akutan, Akun, Unimak, and Sanak. The group lies just east of Samalga Pass, with the Islands of Four Mountains immediately to the west. The Fox Islands Passes are the waterways that surround the chain. Administratively, the island group divides at Akutan. Those west of Akutan fall within the Aleutians West Census Area, while those from Akutan eastward belong to the Aleutians East Borough. Getting from one part of this chain to the other means crossing the passes between them, and those crossings have never been simple.
The Fox Islands are foggy for almost the entire year. That near-constant overcast, combined with numerous reefs, makes navigation through the Fox Islands Passes consistently difficult. Adverse weather is not seasonal here: it persists across all twelve months. The islands are also subject to frequent earthquakes throughout the year. A navigator crossing the Fox Islands Passes today faces the same fog, the same reefs, and the same earthquake-prone waters that confronted the first ships to enter this stretch of the Pacific.
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Common questions
Where are the Fox Islands located?
The Fox Islands are located at the eastern end of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska. They form the Aleutian group closest to mainland North America.
Who led the first European expedition to the Fox Islands?
Vitus Bering led the first European expedition to the Fox Islands, commanding a mission dispatched by the Imperial Russian Navy. The expedition set out to find new sources of fur for Russian trappers.
When did Europeans first arrive at the Fox Islands?
Europeans first reached the Fox Islands in 1741. The expedition was an Imperial Russian Navy mission led by Vitus Bering, sent in search of new fur sources.
What does the name Fox Islands mean in Russian?
In Russian, the Fox Islands are called Лисьи острова, a phrase that translates directly as Fox Islands in English. Russian explorers and fur traders gave the islands this name in the 18th century.
Which islands are part of the Fox Islands group in Alaska?
The seven larger Fox Islands, from west to east, are Umnak, Unalaska, Amaknak, Akutan, Akun, Unimak, and Sanak. Islands west of Akutan belong to the Aleutians West Census Area, while those from Akutan eastward belong to the Aleutians East Borough.
Why are the Fox Islands difficult to navigate?
The Fox Islands are foggy for almost the entire year, and the surrounding waters contain numerous reefs. The islands are also prone to frequent earthquakes throughout the year, creating consistently hazardous conditions in the Fox Islands Passes.