Cape Deceit Explained

Cape Deceit (Iñupiaq: Qipalut) is a cape in Alaska. It is located in the Seward Peninsula on the Chukchi Sea coast.

Cape Deceit extends into Kotzebue Sound, 2 mi. NW of Deering; Kotzebue-Kobuk Low.

This cape's name was given in 1816 by Lt. Otto von Kotzebue. "Deceit" is a translation of the German German: Betrug, for Kotzebue thought that there was something about the shape of the cape and its surroundings that indicated a bay that did not exist. Thus he declared it to be "deceitful".

The Eastern Beringian vole, Microtus deceitensis, has been named after Cape Deceit.

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66.0978°N -162.7483°W