Destruction Island facts for kids
Destruction Island is a small island off the coast of Washington. It's about 30 acres (12 hectares) in size. The island is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the mainland.
This island is a special home for many animals. You can find seabirds, shorebirds, and marine mammals here. It is part of the Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge helps protect the island's unique wildlife.
Island Wildlife
The Hoh Indians used to visit Destruction Island. They would capture rhinoceros auklets, which are a type of seabird. Recently, the number of rhinoceros auklets has gone down. This is because their homes are disappearing. Also, eagles hunt them more often. This problem started because non-native European rabbits were brought to the island.
Island History and Name
Destruction Island has a long and interesting history. Spanish ships used the island as a safe place to anchor in 1775. One day, a group of seven men went ashore for supplies. Sadly, local Native Americans attacked them. Naval lieutenant Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra then named it Isla de Dolores. This means the Island of Sorrows.
About twelve years later, an English fur trader arrived. His name was Captain Charles William Barkley. He sent a group ashore from his ship, the Imperial Eagle. They met a similar sad fate. Captain Barkley named the nearby river Destruction River. Later, Captain George Vancouver changed the island's name. He called it Destruction Island. The river was then given its original Indian name, the Hoh River.
The Lighthouse
A tall lighthouse was built on Destruction Island. It stands 94 feet (29 meters) high. The Destruction Island Lighthouse was built between 1888 and 1891. Its light helped guide ships safely past the coast.
The United States Coast Guard took over the lighthouse in 1939. They operated it until the early 1970s. The light became automated in 1968. This meant it could run without people living there. The lighthouse was finally turned off in April 2008. Today, you can only reach the island by boat.
Images for kids
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Albert Beyer, the lighthouse keeper on Destruction Island, his daughter, and Elmer Winbeck, skipper of the Coast Guard boat Quillayute. The young fawn came from the Elwha River. Photo: George A. Grant, 1940
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