Shelikof Strait () is a
strait
A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and flows through the strait in both directions, even though the topography generally constricts the ...
on the southwestern coast of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
between the Alaska mainland to the west and
Kodiak and
Afognak
Afognak (Alutiiq: ''Agw’aneq''; ) is an island in the Kodiak Archipelago north of Kodiak Island in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is long from east to west and wide from north to south and has a land area of , making it the 18th largest i ...
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 mile
The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...
s (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
Cook Inlet (; Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding ...
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 .
The strait is named after
Grigory Shelikhov
Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (Григорий Иванович Шелихов in Russian) (1747, Rylsk, Belgorod Governorate – July 20, 1795 (July 31, 1795 New Style)) was a Russian seafarer, merchant, and fur trader who established a perma ...
(1747–1795), also spelled "Shelikof", the
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
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 naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
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