McNamara Island facts for kids
 McNamara Island
Location in Antarctica
Location in Antarctica
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 72°36′S 93°14′W / 72.600°S 93.233°W |
| Length | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
McNamara Island is an island mostly covered in ice, located in Antarctica. It is about 11 kilometers (6 nautical miles) long. You can find it near the northern edge of the Abbot Ice Shelf, which is a huge sheet of ice floating on the ocean. The island is also about 37 kilometers (20 nautical miles) east of another island called Dustin Island.
Discovering McNamara Island
Who Found It?
McNamara Island was first seen by Richard E. Byrd, who was a Rear Admiral. He and his team from the United States Antarctic Service discovered it on February 27, 1940. They spotted the island during flights they took from a ship called the USS Bear.
How It Got Its Name
The island was named by Admiral Byrd himself. He named it after a person named John McNamara. John McNamara was a boatswain, which is a senior crew member on a ship. He worked on a ship called the Jacob Ruppert. This ship was part of Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Expedition that took place between 1933 and 1935.
