Montague Island (Alaska) facts for kids
Montague Island is a large island located in Alaska. It sits in the Gulf of Alaska, right at the entrance to Prince William Sound. It is one of the biggest islands in the United States.
The island covers an area of about 790 square kilometers (305 square miles). For a while, it was the largest island in the United States without any people living on it permanently. However, another island called Attu Island, which is even bigger, became uninhabited later.
Montague Island was named by a famous explorer, James Cook. He named it to honor John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was a big supporter of his voyages.
Fishing Fun
Montague Island is very popular for sports fishing, especially in the town of Seward, Alaska. People often call it "The Land of the Giants." This is because anglers catch really big fish there.
For example, in 2007, someone caught a huge halibut weighing 156 kilograms (350 pounds) near the island. Many boats also caught lots of fish that weighed over 45 kilograms (100 pounds) each.
Ocean Cleanup Efforts
The coast of Montague Island has faced a big problem with ocean trash. After the major 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, strong winds and ocean currents carried a lot of debris to the island.
In May 2012, a large-scale clean-up project began. This effort was funded by The Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation. They worked to remove the huge amounts of trash that had washed ashore.
Montague Island in Books
Montague Island has been featured in some books.
- Charles Alexander Sheldon wrote about the island in his book The Wilderness of the North West Pacific Coast Islands. He included chapters like "Montague Island" and "Hunting the Big Bear."
- W. Douglas Burden also wrote about his adventures on the island in a chapter called "This was Adventure" in his book Look to the Wilderness.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Montague (Estados Unidos) para niños
