Shoreline Shout-Out: Alaska Seaplanes

The next feature in our “Shoreline Shout-Out” series is Alaska Seaplanes.

Ever wonder how our fish make their journey out of Pelican, our tiny little town (population: 80 people) on the coast of Southeast Alaska? When our fish are not being transported by boat or state ferry, the first leg of the trip is with our friends at Alaska Seaplanes. These small 6- 12 passanger planes are designed to land on the water, which is what makes air transport possible in the remote Southeast Alaskan towns located along the ocean with steep mountainsides that make it difficult (or impossible) to build runways. The distance from Pelican to Juneau is about 70 miles and the trip takes about 45 minutes in total; it’s a quick ride with a phenomenal view. Suppose you could say these fish boxes get a first class view!

Alaska Seaplanes also makes it possible for us to ship groceries and supplies to Pelican regularly throughout the fishing season, and is often how we travel back and forth between our tiny towns. Since none of our towns are connected by road, you could think of them like a taxi service of Southeast Alaska.

Thanks for all you do, Alaska Seaplanes!

Photo credit: Raven Hanson