The Alaska Current is a southwestern warm-water current along
the coast of British Columbia and the Alaska Panhandle. The
current results from the northward diversion of a portion of the
North Pacific Current when that current meets the west coast of
the North American continent. It forms a part of the
counterclockwise gyre in the Gulf of Alaska. In contrast to
typical sub-Arctic Pacific water, Alaska Current water is
characterized by temperatures above 39°F (4°C) and surface
salinities below 32.6 parts per thousand. In the northern Gulf
of Alaska, the Alaska Current continues into the Alaskan Stream,
which begins near Kodiak Island and flows southwestward along
the Alaska Peninsula. The Alaska Current produces large
clockwise eddies at two sites: west of the Queen Charlotte
Islands ("Queen Charlotte Eddy" or "Haida Eddies") and west of
Sitka ("Sitka Eddy").