Most of this island off the south-west coast of Alaska (boats from Homer and Seward on Kenai Peninsula) is now the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, established to protect the Kodiak bear and other rare animals. The waters round Kodiak are among the richest fishing grounds in Alaska. The town of Kodiak at the north-eastern tip of the peninsula,
now an important fishing port, was occupied for over 6000 years by the indigenous Aleuts, until Russian fur traders settled here in 1784 and made the town first capital of the Russian territory. Places of interest are the old Russian Orthodox church and a small museum on the history of the island.