Welcome to Whale Pass, Alaska

Whale Pass is a census-designated place located in Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP is 58. Whale Pass is located on the northeast side of Prince of Wales Island, just north of Coffman Cove. The name Whale Pass came from a United States military officer in the late 1800's, obviously due to the high numbers of whales that migrate through this area.

The area first became populated with logging camps in the 1960's but in the early 1980's the last of these closed operations. Luckily the area was connected to the rest of the island by road shortly after, allowing a permanent settlement to thrive.

Don't let the lack of year-round residents fool you. Whale Pass has incredible tourism and recreational opportunities for both the adventurous traveler and casual visitor. One particularly interesting landmark is Cavern Lake. The lake itself drains through underground channels into a cave and then flows into a succession of waterfalls. Both the lake and the outflow are easily accessible by car and can be reached by maintained trail. Exchange Cove, also nearby, offers beach camping and access to petroglyths and Native Alaska fish traps. Salmon fishing is also excellent in this area, partly due to the hatchery stocks release at nearby Neck Lake.

Aside from road access to Whale Pass, the residents maintain a boat launch ramp, mooring slips, a dock, and seaplane landing.

Geography: Whale Pass is located at 56°6'45" North, 133°8'31" West (56.112370, -133.141892)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 96.8 km² (37.4 mi²). 92.2 km² (35.6 mi²) of it is land and 4.5 km² (1.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.68% water.

Demographics: As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 58 people, 22 households, and 13 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 0.6/km² (1.6/mi²). There are 51 housing units at an average density of 0.6/km² (1.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 96.55% White, 0.00% Black or African American, 1.72% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 6.90% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 22 households out of which 36.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% are married couples living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% are non-families. 22.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.64 and the average family size is 2.92.

In the CDP the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 34.5% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 114.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 126.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP is $62,083, and the median income for a family is $72,500. Males have a median income of $0 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $24,040. 0.0% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line.