The island and village of Akutan is a good choice for a total Aleutian experience. Established as a fur storage and trading post in 1878, fishing soon became the main industry. Akutan was the only whaling station in the Aleutians from 1912 until 1942. Residents were evacuated to Ketchikan during the war, but subsequently reestablished the community without the whaling. Today, it is a largely non-native fishing and fish-processing town with a small, traditional Aleut village. There is no airstrip on the island so it must be reached by floatplane shuttle from Unalaska, or via the monthly summer visits of the ferry Tustamena. Sheltered kayak waters, compact island size, and the summit of 4,275-foot Akutan Volcano only 8 miles from town are attractions to the intrepid. Two hotels and a cafe serve mainly business visitors and temporary workers.