Kadiak Fisheries operated a remote salmon cannery on the north shore of Shearwater Bay on Kodiak Island at Observation Point, from 1926 until 1964 when it was destroyed by a tsunami, about 36 miles (58 km) south-southwest of Kodiak and 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Old Harbor, Alaska. ‘Kadiak’ is a historical spelling of Kodiak; along with ‘Kad’yak,’ it comes from the early Russian adaptation of the Alutiiq word ‘qikertaq,’ meaning ‘island.’ Shearwater Bay stretches northeast for 3 miles from the northern shore of Kiliuda Bay. In 1904 the US Coast and Geodetic Survey named the bay—likely for the abundance of short-tailed shearwaters—and designated Observation Point as the site from which triangulation determined latitude and longitude. Beneath Shearwater Bay and the outer part of Kiliuda Bay lies the metamorphic Ghost Rocks Formation—a mélange of trench-deposited rocks from the Prince William terrane. Kodiak Island is dominated by an episodically accreted complex that began forming about 200 million years ago. Most of the island was built by the Kodiak Formation during the Late Cretaceous, while the Ghost Rocks Formation accreted later in the Paleocene. Both units consist of graywacke and turbidites, although the Ghost Rocks Formation contains a higher proportion of graywacke and shows greater tectonic deformation. The Contact Fault marks the boundary between them, with the Kodiak batholith intruding the Kodiak Formation and basaltic rocks in the trenchward belt—comprising small plutons, dikes, pillow basalt, and andesite—intruding the Ghost Rocks Formation between 63 and 60 million years ago. Quaternary sediments of sand, gravel, and cobbles eroded from sea cliffs or carried by rivers now blanket the coast. These deposits form shoreline features such as spits—beaches with a backshore connected at one end—that extend with the prevailing longshore current. Observation Point is a cuspate spit, shaped by wave-driven currents acting on sediments eroded from the Ghost Rocks Formation.

In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson authorized the first Survey of the Coast, led by Swiss immigrant Ferdinand Hassler. The project soon became known as the Coast Survey and later the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Today it is the National Geodetic Survey, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Geodesy—the ancient science of measuring Earth’s size, shape and precise points—became crucial when coastal shipping replaced difficult overland travel. To meet navigational needs, the Survey charted the entire US shoreline through hydrographic and topographic surveys. Hydrographic surveys mapped water depths and offshore hazards, while topographic surveys recorded the coastline, natural and cultural features and elevation. These charts proved indispensable for safe navigation and efficient trade. Mapping efforts expanded with territorial acquisitions, especially after gold was discovered in California, Oregon and Alaska. Following the 1867 Alaska Purchase, the Coast Survey was tasked with charting its vast new coastline. In the 1870s the Survey connected the Atlantic and Pacific networks along the 39th parallel with a series of geodetic triangles, establishing the nation’s primary spatial reference system. Extending this system to Alaska took decades and required precise astronomical observations at key sites. Triangulation—the method of determining a point’s location by measuring angles from fixed endpoints—formed the backbone of coastal surveying. Early surveys built a comprehensive reference network that allowed accurate placement of additional points. This method remained standard until global navigation satellite systems emerged in the 1980s. These pioneering efforts improved maritime safety and laid the groundwork for modern geospatial science. Observation Point’s location was determined by triangulation, with measured radial lines establishing precise positions along the Shearwater Bay coast for navigational charts. Today, the legacy of this work endures in advanced mapping technologies that guide navigation worldwide. This foundational work set the stage for continuous advancements in cartography and spatial science, ensuring modern navigation remains safe, accurate and efficient. This enduring legacy continues to shape navigational practices worldwide.

Kadiak Fisheries built a cannery at Observation Point in 1926 to process the large runs of pink salmon caught with fish traps off eastern Kodiak Island. The cannery stood on a broad, roughly triangular cusp jutting into Shearwater Bay. That year’s harvest was the highest since the start of commercial fishing in Alaska. In October, a windstorm felled the main buildings, and the cannery was not rebuilt in time for the 1927 season, although it operated in 1928 and intermittently thereafter. By 1944, fish traps accounted for 55 percent of the catch, purse seines for 37 percent, and gill nets for 8 percent. When Alaska gained statehood in 1959, the state immediately abolished fish traps, forcing the cannery’s closure. A caretaker was hired to maintain the facility, and operators removed the trap pilings so that only legal gear—purse seines, beach seines, and gill nets—was used. In 1963, a grass fire spread by high winds burned many structures. The following year, the Good Friday earthquake damaged the cannery; a subsequent tsunami swept the Kodiak coastline, destroying the remaining buildings and 30 vessels anchored in Shearwater Bay. The most severe shaking occurred in areas of thick, unconsolidated water-saturated Quaternary deposits, where partial liquefaction and differential ground settlement caused foundation failure. The sole structural failure reported was the partial collapse of the cannery’s main building, which split in half after shifting off its piling foundation. Local subsidence in the beach deposits was 2–10 feet (0.6–3 m) greater than in adjacent bedrock areas. The cannery site is now mostly submerged at high tide. Read more here and here. Explore more of Shearwater Bay Cannery and Observation Point here: