Information About

Kayak Island

Kayak Island

Quick Facts
Region:
  • Valdez-Cordova (CA)
Nearest City:
Elevation:
  • 755 ft (230.12 m)
About

Located in the Gulf of Alaska, 20 miles long, 62 miles southeast of Cordova, Malaspina Coastal Plain.

History of Kayak Island

Named "Kayak" by Lieutenant Sarichef (1826, map 5), Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), because of the fancied resemblance of its outline to the Eskimo skin canoe. This island, it is believed, was the one Vitus Bering saw and named "Saint Elias" in 1741 (Bancroft, 1886, p. 78). Captain James Cook, RN, visited it on May 12, 1778, and buried a bottle with a paper and two small pieces of silver given to him by Dr. Kaye, the chaplain of King George III of england, for this purpose. Because of this, Captain Cook gave the name "Kaye's Island" to this feature (Wagner, 1937, p. 465). It was called "Nuestra Senora del Carmen" or "Isla del Carmen," meaning "Our Lady Carmen" or "Island of (Our Lady) Carmen" by Don I. Arteaga about July 16, 1779, for the saint to whom this day was dedicated. (Wagner, 1937, p. 439)

Kayak Island Gallery

Pictures of, from, or near Kayak Island.