The Aleutian Islands make up most of the Alaskan archipelago. These islands separate the North Pacific and the Bering Sea. There are four main groups of islands: Fox Islands, Andreanof Islands, Rat Islands and Near Islands. The lack of good harbors makes it difficult to travel there. Weather is rainy and windy, with heavy fog.
Kodiak Island and its archipelago of smaller islands are located east of the Aleutian Islands and south of the Alaskan peninsula. Alaska Magazine notes that there are approximately 3,000 Kodiak bears on the island that shares their name, nearly one per square mile. Bears have been protected on Kodiak Island since the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941.
The Pribilof Islands are a group of four islands north of the Aleutians in the Bering Sea. The tundra of these islands is home to the largest seabird colony in North America, plus a breeding ground for marine mammals such as sea lions, fur seals, sea otters and walruses. The world's largest indigenous Aleut population lives on two of the islands.
