Coghlan Island facts for kids
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Juneau City and Borough, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 58°21′12″N 134°41′50″W / 58.35333°N 134.69722°W |
| Archipelago | Alexander Archipelago |
| Length | 1 mi (2 km) |
| Highest elevation | 177 ft (53.9 m) |
| Administration | |
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United States
|
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| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Juneau |
Coghlan Island is a small island located in Juneau, Alaska, in the United States. It's part of the Alexander Archipelago. This island is about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south of a place called Fairhaven. It's also about 11 miles (18 km) northwest of the main city of Juneau.
The island got its name in 1885 from the U.S. National Geodetic Survey. They named it after Joseph Coghlan. He was an officer in the United States Navy. Joseph Coghlan commanded a ship called the USS Adams. This ship was exploring and mapping southeastern Alaska between 1883 and 1884. The name "Coghlan Island" was officially recorded in 1981.
Island History and Features
A Rescue Story
On April 22, 2007, a former Alaska state legislator named Bruce Weyhrauch had an unexpected adventure on Coghlan Island. He accidentally fell out of his boat around 6:00 PM. He had to swim to the island to be safe.
The United States Coast Guard in Juneau started looking for him that night. The next morning, around 11:00 AM on April 23, a volunteer rescue team found him. This team was from a group called SEADOGS.
Coghlan Island is also home to an important piece of equipment for airplanes. There is a special radio beacon on the island. This beacon is called a non-directional radio beacon, or NDB. It sends out a signal that helps planes find their way. The beacon sends out a special code, CGL, using Morse code. It broadcasts on a frequency of 212 kHz.
Unique Island Wildlife
Coghlan Island is known for some interesting sea creatures. Scientists have found a type of sea slug there called Triopha catalinae. Sea slugs are soft-bodied animals that live in the ocean. They are related to snails, but they don't have shells. Coghlan Island was noted as the farthest north this specific type of sea slug had been found.
