Apra Harbor

Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location of Naval Base Guam. The northern end is the commercial port, which handles about 2 million tons of cargo a year. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific and attracts many tourists.

Apra comes from the Chamorro word apapa 'low.' Apapa is the original name for what is now Cabras Island. During Spanish rule, a saint’s name was added and the area became known as the port of San Luis de Apra.

Since 1898, ships that burned coal, and later petroleum products, used Guam's ports, mainly Apra. From 1941 to 1944 during World War II Apra Harbor was under Japanese control and was fully used for repair and refueling of their submarines and warships. The liberation of Guam in 1944 caused huge amounts of damage to the coastal environment. Navy News noted that over 7,000 tons of explosives had been used that previous year to clear ship passages in Guam. 50 pounds (23 kg) of these explosives is enough to destroy a volume of coral 100 by 3 feet (30.48 m × 0.91 m) deep. The Glass Breakwater and inner Apra Harbor were built to support the US military after World War II. Apra Harbor served military, civilian shipping needs, and included facilities for ships and nuclear submarines. Also for repair, supply, and fuel transfer. Nuclear and conventional weapon transfer; fishing, recreational, and tourist also used the harbor.

Apra Harbor was home to rich fishing grounds. It took the ports of Umatic and Central Hagatna's place during the 19th century when the ports of Piti and Sumay opened which was put into more frequent use. Piti was the main port for Hagatna while Summay was used for a rest stop for whalers. As many as 60 whaling ships came through the harbor per year. While Hagatna was the capital of Guam, Summay became the commercial and financial part of town.

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