Kiska is one of the Rat Islands situated near the southwestern end of the Aleutian Islands, that trail out into the Bering Sea from the Alaskan Peninsula. Kiska has a beautiful volcanic peak and is home to a large colony of sea lions. Humpback and sperm whales are also prevalent in this area. During World War II, in June 1942, Japanese forces occupied Attu and Kiska islands, but were forced to surrender them to US forces the following year. Kiska still shows signs of its role as a very large Japanese base.