Portlock, Alaska: Repeated Abandonment & Bigfoot Legends Unveiled

The small town of Portlock, Alaska has a long and chilling history that has left many people questioning the existence of something otherworldly. With reports of unexplained disappearances, terrifying encounters with a creature of legend, and a curse that has caused the town to be abandoned not once, but four times, it's no wonder that people are intrigued by this remote location. According to a video from the YouTube channel Wild Discovery, the first known record of Portlock dates back to 1785 when British Captain Nathaniel Portlock arrived. His crew found the remnants of an abandoned native village, which puzzled them. Despite the abundant resources, game, fish, and fertile land, the crew fell ill and begged Portlock to leave. Six years earlier, Spanish explorers had also arrived only to encounter eerily similar circumstances. They too fell ill and were plagued by haunting cries from the forest. One theory to explain the sickness and fear experienced by these early settlers is infrasound, a low-frequency vibration that is imperceptible to human ears but can induce nausea, vertigo, and an overwhelming sense of dread. Produced by predators like Ty and sperm whales, infrasound disorients prey, making them easier targets. But what predator was lurking in Portlock capable of such an effect? The answer remains elusive. In 1867, the Sugpiaq people attempted to settle in the area, but their hopes were dashed when they were raided by what they described as cannibal giants known as the Nannak. These half-man, half-beast creatures hunted the villagers, and despite their best efforts to defend their new home, the Sugpiaq eventually abandoned Portlock, leaving behind stories of horrifying encounters with the Nannak. By 1921, a new group, the Utic, arrived at Portlock determined to overcome its cursed history. They brought modern industry, building a cannery, school, and post office. Unlike their predecessors, the Utic implemented strict rules to avoid provoking the forest's mysterious inhabitants, including nighttime curfews, armed guards, and a prohibition on entering the foggy woods. These measures helped the community thrive for nearly a decade, but over time, their vigilance waned. In 1931, logger Andrew Camlock ventured deeper into the forest than ever before and didn't return. His friends searched for him and found a gruesome scene: Cam's head had been crushed by his own sled, which was flung far from his body, and his dogs were torn apart, their remains scattered around the site. The sheer force required to move the sled and maul the dogs left the community in shock. Soon after, another resident, Tom Olsen, spotted a massive hairy creature on the beach. Despite being armed with a rifle, Olsen froze, unable to shoot. His sighting confirmed the community's worst fears: the Nannak was real and growing bolder. A string of disappearances followed, with hunters, loggers, and even gold prospectors disappearing. When bodies were found, they were often mangled beyond recognition, bearing claw marks and signs of brutal attacks. Skeptics attributed these injuries to bears, but the Utic were convinced it was the work of the Nannak. Fear gripped the town, forcing the community to reinstate their strict safety measures. Despite their efforts, the disappearances continued, each incident inching closer to the heart of Portlock. By 1950, the terror in Portlock had reached its peak, and the Utic community, which had tried to build a thriving town with modern amenities, could no longer endure the escalating deaths and disappearances. Up to three dozen residents had gone missing, with many bodies found brutally mutilated. The final straw was the collective fear that no rules, patrols, or precautions could stop the creature they believed to be the Nannak. The Exodus was almost overnight, with residents abandoning their homes, leaving behind their belongings and businesses. The suddenness of the departure suggested an urgency born of fear. Only one man, the town's post office worker, remained briefly to fulfill his duties. He later reported hearing heavy two-legged footsteps outside his barricaded post office at night. It wasn't long before he too fled, leaving Portlock utterly deserted. Even after the community's departure, the chilling legend of Portlock continued. In the 1970s, three hunters forced to take shelter in the abandoned village during a storm experienced a series of unsettling events as something circled their camp, growling and making strange guttural sounds. Each of the hunters reported that the creature's movement suggested it was walking on two legs, a detail that reinforced the belief in the Nannak's existence. Later, another group of hunters tracking a moose near the Portlock area stumbled upon oversized human-like footprints over 18 inches long. Following the tracks, they discovered signs of a violent struggle in the grass where the moose tracks abruptly ended. The enormous footprints continued into the mountains, leaving no doubt in the hunters' minds that whatever had taken the moose was no ordinary predator. The legend of the Nannak is a haunting tale that continues to evoke fear in those who once called Portlock home. While skeptics argue that the events in Portlock can be explained by natural phenomena or human error, believers point to the abundance of stories and evidence that suggest otherwise. I encourage our readers to watch the video and draw their own conclusions. The mystery of Portlock and the Nannak is one that continues to intrigue and captivate those who dare to explore the unknown.