Whale Pass lies on the northeast coast of Prince of Wales Island. It is the northern most community on the Prince of Wales road system, and has a population of about 65 residents.
The area has been the site of logging camps continuously since 1964. In the early 1980s, the last camp moved out, and the area was permanently settled as the result of a State land disposal sale. The logging road was completed in 1981, and private phones were installed in 1992.
Whale Pass is located in the Tongass National Forest and is part of theThorne Bay Ranger District. The US Forest Service Office for the Thorne Bay Ranger District is in Thorne Bay (66 miles) located at 1312 Federal Way, Sandy Beach Road. The friendly staff can help you with questions about remote destinations, recreation facilities, remote cabins, subsistence, job opportunities and technical assistance on resource management activities
Neck Lake
As you pass Neck Lake, you may notice a small flotilla of net pens. This is the “hatchery”, but not really a hatchery. Salmon eggs are not collected or incubated at the site, but close to 4 million young coho are reared for a year, from just-hatched fry to teenagers, in the net pens. The summer coho smolt, half of the fish rearing in the lake, leave the pens and launch themselves over the falls on Neck Creek to enter salt water in Whale Pass. The fall coho, the other half of the fish rearing in Neck Lake, are moved from the pens to transport vessels and taken to Neets Bay or Anita Bay where they are reared for another short period before being released.
Source: SSRA.Org
Memorial Beach
Memorial Beach is where you can view humpback and killer whales out in Sumner Strait. Closer to the shore you will see harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions. There are a variety of birds at Memorial Beach that you will not see in the continental U.S. Some of those birds are pelagic cormorants, rhinoceros auklets, buffleheads, storm petrels and pigeon guillemots. Beavers, black bears, eiders (large black and white sea ducks), river otters and Sitka black-tailed deer may be seen at Balls Lake. There are also hiking trails and picnic areas available.
Source: PrinceOfWalesOnline.com
