 Satellite images of East Island, Hawaii, before (May 2018) and after (October 2018) Hurricane Walaka | |
  East Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 23°47′14″N 166°12′35″W / 23.78722°N 166.20972°W |
| Archipelago | French Frigate Shoals |
| Adjacent to | Pacific Ocean |
| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Length | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) |
| Width | 400 ft (120 m) |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (since 1952) |
East Island is an island, formerly about 11 acres (45,000 m2) in area, one-half mile (800 m) long and 400 feet (120 m) wide, now greatly reduced in size.[1] It was the second-largest in the French Frigate Shoals, and is one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, approximately 550 miles (890 km) northwest of Honolulu.[2] It was largely washed away in 2018 by the storm surge from Hurricane Walaka.[2][3] The remaining portion of the island above sea level consists of a sandy strip approximately 150 feet (46 m) long.[4]
The island, a sand and gravel spit that formed part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, was a habitat for Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles, both of which are endangered species.[2] 96% of Hawaii's green sea turtles nest in the French Frigate Shoals, and over half of those were on East Island.[2] Charles Littnan, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the island as "the most important single islet for [green] sea turtle nesting".[2]
During World War II a U.S. Coast Guard radio navigation station was built on East Island and operated from 1944 to 1952.[5]
In the 19th century, East Island was sometimes called "Turtle Island."[6]
- ^ Milman, Oliver (October 24, 2018). "Hawaiian island erased by powerful hurricane: 'The loss is a huge blow'". the Guardian. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Eagle, Nathan (October 23, 2018). "This Remote Hawaiian Island Just Vanished". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ D'Angelo, Chris (23 October 2018). "Remote Hawaiian Island Wiped Off The Map". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ "Hurricane largely destroys remote Hawaiian island". Columbus Dispatch. November 4, 2018. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
loranwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Isles of Refuge: Wildlife and History of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. University of Hawaii Press. November 2000. ISBN 9780824823306.