Skip to content
Archipelago

    United States

    59°37′N 149°36′W

    Chiswell Islands

    The Chiswell Islands are a group of rocky, uninhabited islands, accessible only by boat or airplane, within the Kenai Peninsula Borough of Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska. These islands are 35 miles south of Seward, Alaska. They are part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and an important bird sanctuary.

    Chart

    0 landforms

    Overview

    The Chiswell Islands are a group of rocky, uninhabited islands, accessible only by boat or airplane, within the Kenai Peninsula Borough of Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska. These islands are 35 miles south of Seward, Alaska. They are part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and an important bird sanctuary. The area is very active seismically and evidence of this can be seen in the rugged landscape, a rough hewn landscape that has also been carved by high tides and rough seas. These island appear to rise vertically out of the sea; there are no horizontal beaches. Starfish, barnacles and other sea life that thrive in a rocky habitat are abundant. The islands are inhabited by millions of marine birds and mammals and is the location of a small rookery of endangered Steller sea lions. Every year millions of birds of various species nest on the refuge islands. Birds that nest on these islands include horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes (which nest on the exposed rock face of cliffs), tufted puffins and various auklets such as Cassin's auklet and the whiskered auklet.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    Also in the area

    13

    Inside the group's outline but not confirmed as members by any source.

    • Natoa Island304 m · 1.2 km²
    • Unnamed island218 m · 0.95 km²
    • Chiswell Islands222 m · 0.81 km²
    • Unnamed island103 m · 0.17 km²
    • Unnamed island78 m · 0.08 km²
    • Beehive Island78 m · 0.08 km²
    • Unnamed island17 m · 0.07 km²
    • Unnamed island28 m · 0.04 km²
    • Unnamed island18 m · 0.02 km²
    • Unnamed island10 m · 0.02 km²
    • Unnamed island3 m · 0.6 ha
    • Unnamed island1 m · 0.2 ha

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level100 m200 m300 m400 m304 mNatoa222 mChiswell Islands78 mBeehive
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.0010.010.1110Natoa: 1.2 km²NatoaUnnamed island: 0.95 km²Unnamed islandChiswell Islands: 0.81 km²Chiswell IslandsUnnamed island: 0.17 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.08 km²Unnamed islandBeehive: 0.08 km²BeehiveUnnamed island: 0.07 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.04 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.02 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.6 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.2 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.2 haUnnamed island
    km², log scale
    Natoa Island1.2 km²
    Unnamed island0.95 km²
    Chiswell Islands0.81 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.08 km²
    Beehive Island0.08 km²
    Unnamed island0.07 km²
    Unnamed island0.04 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.6 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs