Residents Talk About the Sheer Number of Bald Eagles Who Populate the Town of Unalaska, Alaska

Great Big Story travelled to Unalaska, Alaska to speak with Carlin Enlow, the executive director Unalaska Visitor’s Bureau along with other residents about the enormous number of bald eagles that populate their island and how they affect daily life. While it’s apparent that the birds are a nuisance, the residents love them dearly.

I’ve been fishing out of the Bering Sea and Dutch Harbor for 40 years. Dutch Harbor is one of the largest fishing ports in the world. Every time we pull in, we know the eagles are waiting for us so they can steal our fish as we offload it. Do I think they’re pests? Oh, absolutely. But they’re cool pests. …they are our national bird and we love them anyway.

One thing the resident can count on is that the eagles will always be hungry, as demonstrated by Jesse Peck in 2013.