Hotspring Island facts for kids
Hotspring Island is a cool little island in Haida Gwaii, a group of islands off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. People also used to call it Volcanic Island. In the Haida language, its name is G̱andll K'in Gwaayaay, which means "Hot-Water-Island." This name makes sense because there's a special hot spring on the island! The water in the spring is super warm, about 162 °F (72 °C) (that's really hot!). Hotspring Island is part of a special protected area called Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The Haida Gwaii Watchmen help look after it.
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Island History
Hotspring Island has a long and interesting past.
Early Days and Names
Long ago, there was a Haida village on the island. We don't know much about it today. In 1791, a captain named Joseph Ingraham sailed by. He saw steam rising from the hot springs and called the area "Smokey Bay."
Later, in 1863, Chief Klue from a village called Tanu took a person named James Poole to the hot springs. Chief Klue thought the "miracle waters" were very special. Some other Haida people were a bit scared, calling it "the Island of Fire." The name "Hotspring Island" was officially given by George M. Dawson in 1878 when he visited.
The Earthquake and the Springs
On October 27, 2012, a big earthquake happened near Haida Gwaii. It was a very strong earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. After the earthquake, the hot spring on the island actually stopped flowing! It was dry for a while.
Experts, like Michael Bostock from the UBC, thought the spring might start flowing again. And they were right! The hot spring began flowing once more in 2015, which was great news.
Visiting Hotspring Island
If you want to visit Hotspring Island, you usually need a special permit. Most people go as part of a guided tour.
Watchmen and Bathing
The Haida Gwaii Watchmen are often at the site. They are local people who help protect the area and share its history.
There's a small bathhouse on the island. It has a metal tub that gets its water from the hot springs. Visitors are asked to clean themselves in this tub before they go into the main hot pools. This helps keep the pools clean for everyone.
