Coco Harbor is an estuary that extends 3 miles west from Baldy Bay, off Tlevak Strait on the east coast of Dall Island, Alaska. Baldy Bay was first reported by Edmund F. Dickins in 1907, while the name Coco Harbor was first published on charts in 1914. Dickins was an officer of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. He was appointed to a temporary position in the survey January 16, 1869, was made an aid in the service September 1, 1871, and a sub-assistant September 6, 1877. He was afterwards made an assistant, which designation was later changed to hydrographic and geodetic engineer, with relative rank of Lieutenant in the Navy.

Dall Island lies off the southeast coast of Alaska, just west of Prince of Wales Island. Alaska Natives inhabited its coastal caves 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. Originally called Quadra after Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the island was renamed in 1879 in honor of William Healey Dall, a naturalist with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. As recently as 1903, Dall Island was thought to be part of Prince of Wales Island, but it is actually separated by the Tlevak Narrows. Today, the island is economically significant for its commercial fishing and limestone quarrying.

Cape Muzon is the southernmost point of Dall Island and marks the western terminus of the marine boundary between Alaska and the Canadian province of British Columbia. This boundary was established by an arbitration tribunal’s decision under the Alaska Boundary Treaty of 1903. It also serves as the northern boundary of the Dixon Entrance waters. The arbitration resolved long-standing disputes between the United States and Canada over the precise location of this border. The tribunal’s decision ensured that the boundary line was clearly defined, facilitating smoother relations and navigation in the region. Today, Cape Muzon stands as a geographical and political landmark, highlighting the importance of international agreements in resolving territorial disputes. Read more here and here. Explore more of Coco Harbor and Dall Island here: