Shelikof Strait (russian: Пролив Шелихова) is a
strait on the southwestern coast of the
U.S. state of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
between the Alaska mainland to the west and
Kodiak and
Afognak islands to the east.
Shelikof Strait separates the mainland coastal strip of the
Kodiak Island Borough from its Kodiak Island portion and is about 150
statute miles (240 kilometers) long and 25 to 30 statute miles (40 to 48 kilometers) wide.
[''Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition'', p. 1097.] Cook Inlet is at its northern end. The strait is well known for its extreme tidal flow due to its close proximity to Cook Inlet, which can have maximum tidal variances of up to 40 feet (12 meters).
The strait is named after
Grigory Shelikhov (1747–1795), also spelled "Shelikof", the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
n fur trader who founded the first Russian settlement in what is now Alaska at
Three Saints Bay on Kodiak Island in 1784.
The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
seaplane tender USS ''Shelikof'', in commission from 1944 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1954, was named for Shelikof Strait.
Notes
References
* (See ship namesake paragraph.)
*''Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition''. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997. .
Straits of Alaska
Bodies of water of Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska
{{KodiakIslandAK-geo-stub