Orca Bay (Alaska) facts for kids
Orca Bay is a large bay located in Prince William Sound, Alaska. It is a beautiful natural area known for its connection to the sea and its history. This bay is surrounded by islands and mainland, making it an important part of the Alaskan coastline.
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Where is Orca Bay Located?
Orca Bay is found in the southern part of Alaska. It lies mainly to the northwest and west of Hawkins Island. The bay stretches westward towards Johnstone Point, which is on Hinchenbrook Island. Its northwestern edge is marked by Knowles Head, a point of land between Port Gravina and Fidalgo Bay on the mainland. You can reach the eastern end of Orca Bay from the port of Cordova, which is on Orca Inlet.
How Did Orca Bay Get Its Name?
The name "Orca Bay" has an interesting story. The United States Board on Geographic Names states that the bay was named after the Orca salmon cannery. A cannery is a factory where fish like salmon are processed and put into cans. This cannery belonged to the Pacific Steam Whaling Company. It was located on the southeast shore of Orca Inlet.
The cannery itself was named after the company's ship, the Orca. And the ship's name, Orca, comes from the orca, also known as the killer whale. So, the bay is ultimately named after these powerful marine mammals.
What Was Orca Bay's Original Name?
Orca Bay had a different name long ago. In 1790, a Spanish explorer named Salvador Fidalgo explored this area. He named the bay Puerto Córdova. This means "Port Cordova" in Spanish. English maps from that time also showed it as "Cordova Bay."
However, by the early 1900s, the name was changed to Orca Bay. This was done to avoid confusion with another place called Cordova Bay in Dixon Entrance. That other Cordova Bay is located far to the southeast, at the very edge of the Gulf of Alaska.
The United States Navy once had a ship named after Orca Bay. This ship was a seaplane tender called USS Orca (AVP-49). A seaplane tender is a ship that supports seaplanes, which are aircraft that can take off and land on water. The USS Orca served in the Navy from 1944 to 1947 and again from 1951 to 1960.
