Lester Island facts for kids
 Lester Island
Location in Alaska
|
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 58°28′05″N 135°54′18″W / 58.468°N 135.905°W |
| Administration | |
|
United States
|
|
| State | Alaska |
Lester Island is a small island located in the state of Alaska in the United States. It's part of the Hoonah-Angoon region and is found within the beautiful Glacier Bay National Park.
Contents
Where is Lester Island?
Lester Island sits on the western side of a place called Bartlett Cove. It's also near the Bartlett River. If you look east of Young Island, you'll find Lester Island.
Across the water from the island, on the mainland, is the main office and lodge for Glacier Bay National Park. This spot is about 10 miles by road from a town called Gustavus.
History of Lester Island's Name
Lester Island got its name in 1942. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) decided to name it after a special person.
That person was Rear Admiral Lester Beardslee. He lived from 1836 to 1903. Admiral Beardslee was the commander of a ship called the USS Jamestown. From 1879 to 1880, his ship explored and mapped many coves and harbors in Alaska.
Plants and Animals of Lester Island
Lester Island and the waters around it are home to many different kinds of plants and animals. It's a busy place for nature!
Plants of Lester Island
Around the island, especially on the rocks and in the water, you can find several types of seaweed, also known as kelp. Some examples include Nereocystis luetkeana, Alaria esculenta, and Laminaria.
On the land, many interesting plants grow. These include:
- Cochlearia officinalis (which is also called Scurvy Weed)
- Heracleum lanatum (known as Cow Parsnip)
- Honckenya peploides (Beach Greens)
- Leymus mollis (Dunegrass)
- Lupinus nootkatensis (Lupine, with its pretty purple flowers)
- Mertensia maritima (Oysterleaf)
- Erythranthe guttata (Monkeyflower)
- Plantago maritima (Goose-tongue)
- Potentilla villosa (Cinquefoil)
- Salicornia virginica (Beach Asparagus)
- Senecio pseudoarnica (Seashore Sunflower)
The island also has different types of trees. You can find tall Sitka spruce trees, alder trees, and hemlock trees. In 1977, a problem with Spruce beetles started in southeast Alaska. These beetles caused damage to trees, including those on Lester Island and nearby mainland areas. A type of fungus called Fomitopsis pinicola was also found on some of the trees that died.
Animals of Lester Island and Surrounding Waters
The waters around Lester Island are full of marine life. You might spot harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and large Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) swimming or resting.
Many fish species live here too, such as walleye, pollock, capelin, Pacific sand lance, herring, and different kinds of salmon.
Larger marine mammals also visit the area. These include huge humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), clever killer whales, quick harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), and playful sea otters (Enhydra lutris).
