Beaufort Sea

Beaufort Sea, arm of the Arctic Ocean, bordered on the east and south by Canada, and on the southwest by Alaska. In the north it extends from Point Barrow, Alaska, to the Canadian Archipelago. The sea occupies an area of 450,000 sq km (170,000 sq mi). The average depth is 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and the maximum depth is 4,682 m (15,361 ft). The coastal waters of the Beaufort Sea are shallow, generally measuring less than 50 m (160 ft). Most of the sea is permanently covered by the polar ice pack, which is often more than 5 m (15 ft) thick, although ice along the shores melts during the summer. The Mackenzie River, one of the longest rivers in North America, flows into the sea near the town of Inuvik.

Approximately 10,000 people live along the coast of the Beaufort Sea; almost all are Inupiat in Alaska and Inuvialuit in Canada. Alaskan communities along the sea include Barrow, the largest, as well as Nuiqsut and Kaktovik; Canadian communities include Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, and Holman. Wildlife in the region includes musk ox, caribou, reindeer, herring, salmon, seabirds, and bowhead and beluga whales.

Offshore drilling for oil and gas is possible in the shallow coastline waters of the Beaufort Sea, especially in the Canadian section, which has an extensive continental shelf. Sparked by high oil prices in the 1970s, oil companies drilled hundreds of wells in the sea and discovered significant deposits of oil and gas. However, further development has been prevented by lower oil prices, the high cost of production and shipping to southern markets, and a land claim settlement in 1984 between the Inuvialuit and the Canadian government. Oil wells near Prudhoe Bay (an arm of the Beaufort Sea) began operating in 1977, sending oil through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to the ice-free port of Valdez in southern Alaska; these wells continue to operate.

The sea was named for British naval officer Sir Francis Beaufort, who supported explorations in the area during the 19th century. Later in the century whaling became an important industry in the region. Herschel Island, located off the coast of the Yukon Territory, served as a wintering station for U.S. whaling ships. Commercial whaling generally ceased by the early 20th century, although the indigenous peoples, who had assisted the whalers, continued to harvest marine life for local use. During an expedition into the Canadian Arctic (1913-1918), Canadian-born American explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson first crossed the ice and explored the Beaufort Sea.