Fairway Rock, Granite island in Bering Strait, Alaska
Fairway Rock is a granite island that rises about 163 meters above sea level and sits southeast of the Diomede Islands in Bering Strait. Sheer rock faces form the edges of this small island in one of the remote regions of Alaska's waters.
Captain James Cook documented the island during his 1778 expedition. Frederick Beechey later named it Fairway Rock in 1826 because it served as a helpful navigation landmark for ships.
The island is known as Ugiiyaq in the Inupiat language and served as a traditional gathering place for seabird eggs during spring nesting seasons.
Reaching this island requires experienced maritime navigation and sturdy vessels because Bering Strait waters are rough and unpredictable. Travelers should only attempt a visit when weather conditions are favorable and calm.
The U.S. Navy installed a radioisotope thermoelectric generator powered by strontium on the island in 1966 to supply power to environmental monitoring instruments. This device is a rare remnant from the era when nuclear power was used to operate remote monitoring stations.
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