Named after a Russian navigator who visited in the 1780s, this group of four volcanic islands (five if you count Sea Lion Rock) in the Bering Sea is 320 km north of Unalaska Island in the Aleutians and the same distance south of Cape Newenham on the mainland. The Pribilof Islands have a collective land mass of just 195 sq km and are covered by tundra and meadowland. Photo by: artchase

The main islands are St Paul and St George, each with a settlement of the same name, whilst Otter and Walrus Islands are near St Paul. The main attraction is the annual opilio (snow crab) fishery, as featured in the dramatic TV series ‘Deadliest Catch’. As well as the indigenous Alaskan Aluet people’s largest community is here. Photo by: artchase

For intrepid visitors the main attractions is birdwatching, as the Pribilofs host some 240 species, including many rarities. Over two million sea birds nest annually, alongside up to one million fur seals. Various companies offer tours and this is the best way to explore the islands, which are a naturalist’s paradise sometimes called ‘Galapagos of the North‘ for their rich wildwife. Photo by: Impisi

When to go: June to August, when the flowers are out, birds are nesting, seals are on shore and it’s merely chilly. Population: 684. How to get there: Commercial carrier to Anchorage from whence smaller aircraft serve the island. Photo by: artchase

Photo by: j.slein