Wildlife· Aialik Bay· Alaska Southcentral — Kenai Fjords & Prince William Sound
Pedersen Lagoon (Aialik Bay)
59° 52.7′ N · 149° 44.3′ W
A lagoon on the western shore of the bay, fed by Pedersen and Addison glaciers through a proglacial lake, where harbor seals haul out on ice floes and sea otters and birds gather. It is a hazard-rich small-boat trip, not a place for a yacht.
Practical
Coordinate is the lagoon mouth as published in an Alaska DEC oil-spill response plan (59 deg 52.74 min N, 149 deg 44.32 min W). Enter only around high slack; the NPS says to approach from the east, not the south, because a submerged bar south of the entrance breaks. The DEC plan says outflow does not reverse until the tide rises above about 4.3 ft and flood current can reach 3.5 to 4 knots at the entrance (a 2004 figure with an unstated datum; use as a rough guide only). The outer beach is often impossible to land on, and surf is common outside. Surrounding land belongs to Port Graham Village Corporation and a permit is needed to go on foot above the high-tide line, though the NPS has a one-acre public easement with a 24-hour stay limit. The NPS guidance is written for small craft and the DEC plan says vessel masters should have local knowledge, so this is not a place for a keelboat.
Best for
A dinghy trip among seals and ice at high slack
Season
Summer
Nearby
- Abra Cove and Aialik Public Use Cabin (Aialik Bay)2.5 NM away
- Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay)3 NM away
- Holgate Arm: Glacier and Public Use Cabin (Aialik Bay)3.5 NM away
- Aialik Glacier (Aialik Bay)4 NM away
- Kenai Fjords Coast Rules and Port Graham Land Permits (Aialik Bay)4 NM away
- McMullen Cove (Aialik Bay)6.8 NM away
- Three Hole Bay (Aialik Bay)7.6 NM away
- Northwestern Fjord and Northwestern Glacier10.2 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).