USS Unimak (AVP-31) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1943 to 1946 that saw service in World War II.

She soon shifted to Coco Solo on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal and transported men and materiel to Barranquilla, Colombia, arriving there on 25 April 1944.

After escorting the merchant ship SS Genevieve Lykes back to Coco Solo on 23 and 24 June 1944, Unimak conducted routine exercises with patrol planes into July 1944.

She immediately commenced screening the disabled ship and, aided by an escort of United States Army Air Forces and U.S. Navy planes, shepherded the tanker safely to Colón, Panama, late on the afternoon of 5 July 1944.

At 15:32 hours on 9 July 1944, she sighted two yellow rubber life rafts and the wreckage of the crashed blimp floating on the water.

On 13 July 1944, Unimak joined with the destroyer USS John D. Edwards in hunting for a submarine reported to be lurking nearby.

On 15 December 1944, the seaplane tender USS Rockaway relieved Unimak, releasing her to steam north via Norfolk, Virginia to Boston.

She got underway for England on 14 February 1945, but an engineering casualty forced her to return to Boston for a major propeller shaft alignment which lasted into March.

The Coast Guard viewed them as ideal for ocean station duty, in which they would perform weather reporting and search and rescue tasks.

On 19 October 1980, she seized the fishing vessel Wright's Pride southwest of Key West; the ship had 30 tons of marijuana aboard.

In March 1981, while on an Officer Candidate School training cruise, she intercepted the merchant ship Mayo with 40 tons of marijuana on board.

On 9 October 1982,[a] Unimak towed the disabled fishing vessel Sacred Heart away from Daid Banks, 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 30-foot (9.1 m) seas.

On 27 and 28 February 1983, she towed the dismasted sailing vessel Wandering Star to Matthew Town on Great Inagua in the Bahamas.

Another drug seizure occurred on 2 November 1985, when Unimak seized the tug Zeus 3 and a barge 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) south of the Dominican Republic; the two vessels were carrying 40 tons of marijuana.