Peril Strait or Shee Káx’ is a

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...

in the

Alexander Archipelago The Alexander Archipelago (russian: Архипелаг Александра) is a long archipelago (group of islands) in North America lying off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, the tops of submerged coastal m ...

in southeastern

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., ...

. It is between Chichagof Island to its north and

Baranof Island Baranof Island is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. The name Baranof was given in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain Yuri Lisyansky, U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov. It ...

and Catherine Island to its south. The strait is long and reaches from Salisbury Sound on the west to the Chatham Strait on the east. It is entirely within the limits of the City and Borough of Sitka. __NOTOC__

Name

Shee Káx’ comes from “Shee” which is the original name of Baranof Island. Káx’ is “above”, a locative description. The strait was named Proliv Pogibshy by Russians because of a fatal incident during a

fur seal Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family '' Otariidae''. They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively lon ...

hunting expedition led by Alexander Baranof in 1799. According to V. F. Lisianski, Baranof employed Native

Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...

hunters, ate

poisonous Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...

from the strait, which resulted in approximately one hundred and fifty deaths. Beyond the strait are the points Poison Cove and Deadman's Reach, also named for the incident. Peril Strait is the

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...

translation of Proliv Pogibshiy. This name Haat xhishxhaak is actually used in reference to Sergius Narrows, as well as any area with rapids or whirlpools. "Haat" is tide, rapids, whirlpool, back-eddy. The name of Peril Strait is Shee Kax', "Shee" being the name of Baranof Island and kax' meaning "on top of". Hoonah Sound is called Shee Kaax Yik (Up and Offset From Shee aranof Island.

Navigation

On May 10, 2004, the AMHS vessel M/V ''LeConte'' grounded on

Cozian Reef Cozian Reef or Nikolas Rock is located just above the northern tip of Baranof Island in Peril Strait which is in the Panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. Cozian Reef is a prime maritime navigational hazard demonstrated by its alternative name, N ...

in Peril Strait. There were no major injuries, and after an extensive salvage process, the ''LeConte'' was escorted to

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 202 ...

for successful repairs. The cause of the grounding was determined to be operator error, not tidal currents. The Fairway Island Light, located on the eastern entrance to Peril Strait, was an important aid-to-navigation in the early 20th century.

References

{{Authority control Straits of Alaska Bodies of water of Sitka, Alaska