[3][4] On 7 October 1856, the ship Natchez (524 tons), of New Bedford, was wrecked on the west side of the bay while attempting to seek shelter from a gale.
Most of the crew was rescued by the bark Harmony; four men, including the third and fourth mates, decided to stay the winter and protect the ship.
In July 1857, the ship Italy picked up the three survivors – one had died in June after a prolonged illness.
She also salvaged most of the 1,200 bbls of oil and 18,000 lbs of whalebone left aboard the vessel when she had wrecked.
[8] In the spring beluga whales feed on spawning capelin, smelt, and herring in Nikolaya Bay, while in the summer they aggregate at the head of the bay to feed on spawning salmon in the upper reaches of the Usalgin River and its estuary.