Fodor's Expert Review Pribilof Islands

Rising out of the surging waters of the Bering Sea, the Pribilof Islands are a misty, fog-bound breeding ground of seabirds and northern fur seals that consist of five islets, all tiny, green, and treeless, with rippling belts of lush grass contrasting with volcanic rocks. In early summer, seals come home from far Pacific waters to mate, and the larger islands, St. Paul and St. George, are overwhelmed with frenzied activity. Although St. Paul and St. George are less than 50 miles apart, the island group itself is a 1,600-mile round-trip from Anchorage, over the massive snowy peaks of the Alaska Peninsula and north of the rocky islands of the Aleutian chain.

Few visitors go to the Pribilofs, save commercial fishermen and the most dedicated wildlife watchers. Yet together, St. Paul and St. George Islands are seasonal homes to hundreds of thousands of fur seals (about 80% of them on St. Paul) and nearly 250 species of birds. Some birds migrate from as far away as Argentina, while others are year-round residents. Most spectacular of all is the islands' seabird population: each summer more than 2 million seabirds gather at traditional Pribilof nesting grounds; about 90% of them breed on St. George.