An Oklahoma couple turns their backs on city life for a month to live in an abandoned lighthouse in ALASKA – where their only neighbors are a pod of humpback whales and it takes THREE HOURS to reach the mainland
An Oklahoma couple decided to leave city life behind for a month and move to an abandoned lighthouse on a remote Alaskan island, where their only neighbors are a pod of humpback whales.
Located in the waters known as Frederick Sound off the coast of Alaska, Five Finger Island Lighthouse has a 65-foot white light focal plane and is hours away from mainland North America.
The deserted island and its shining lighthouse have even been the setting for murder mystery novels in the past, but the non-profit organization that claims it has promised that visitors will not find a hidden corpse in the brambles.
Briana and Don Drury are currently the official lighthouse keepers on the island.
The deserted island and shining lighthouse have even been the setting for murder mystery novels in the past
Pictured: Briana and Don Drury in the lighthouse. The Drurys say their island life gives them an escape from the harshness of modern life, but they still have to work to keep their surroundings neat and tidy.
Located in the water known as Frederick Sound off the coast of Alaska, Five Finger Island Lighthouse has a 65-foot white light focal plane and is hours away from mainland North America
The married couple from Oklahoma work remotely from their computers and also man the lighthouse itself – and admit the job is perfect for people who enjoy “solitude and whale watching.”
Jeff Erickson, director of the Five Finger Lighthouse Society, travels to and from the mainland to visit the lighthouse and learn about its history.
The waters surrounding the island are filled with an abundance of marine life, including humpback whales, sea lions, harbor seals, orcas, sea otters and hundreds of fish species.
Briana told KTOO: ‘There is a lot of work to be done here. Numerous projects – we worked on the solar panels, the batteries, the water pumps and troubleshooting electrical issues… And just general cleaning.”
The Drurys say the island offers them an escape from the rough and tumble of modern life, but they still have to work to keep their surroundings neat and tidy.
The island, which has a helipad, is surrounded by waters teeming with marine life. The couple says they enjoy whale watching from the top
The water surrounding the island is filled with an abundance of marine life, including humpback whales, sea lions, harbor seals, orcas, sea otters and hundreds of fish species
In the photo: the inside of the lighthouse. Jeff Erickson, director of Five Finger Lighthouse Society, travels to and from the mainland to visit the lighthouse and learn about its history
The island, which has a helipad, is surrounded by waters teeming with marine life. The couple says they enjoy whale watching from the top
Although the beacon’s light is illuminated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the couple still must work to keep the structure and surrounding green land intact.
Don and Briana have to manage their waste carefully while living on the island as there is only one boat that can take it from the Five Finger Lighthouse every few weeks.
Briana added, “I think it’s the most beautiful place on earth. So when the board indicated that they needed lighthouse keepers for three weeks at the end of the season, we said: ‘Absolutely!’
‘We actually haven’t had any visitors on land yet. If we don’t have the money to fix something, it won’t get fixed.’
The island, which has a helipad, is surrounded by waters teeming with marine life. The couple says they enjoy whale watching from the top.
Briana added, “You can just close your eyes and hear these huge animals making these kind of primal sounds.
‘In the evening they start to roar and make very deep rumbling sounds, which you almost feel more than you hear.’
For the Five Finger Lighthouse Society, the little things are still big wins.
After the lighthouse installed a new boiler, Jeff Erickson said, “What was accomplished today: We finally got our heating system.”
‘The boilers were connected and we got heat in the lighthouse, which was a great achievement. It has never been connected. So it’s a very exciting day for us.’