Herald Island, Arctic island in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia.
Herald Island is an uninhabited island in the Chukchi Sea, in Russia's far northeast, surrounded by steep cliffs that rise sharply from the water. The surface is mostly bare rock with little vegetation, and the northwestern tip is the only area where the shoreline is even partly accessible.
The British survey ship HMS Herald came upon the island in 1849 during a search for Sir John Franklin's lost expedition. Russia formally claimed it in 1916, and it was later included in a protected nature reserve.
The island takes its name from the British survey ship HMS Herald, which charted it in the mid-19th century. This kind of naming was common during the era when naval expeditions mapped the edges of the known world.
Getting to the island requires special permits and a well-equipped vessel, as there are no regular routes or facilities of any kind. Weather in this part of the Arctic changes quickly, so any visit needs careful planning in advance.
In 1914, four members of the Canadian Arctic Expedition died on the island after their ship became trapped in ice, and the cause of their deaths was never fully explained. Their remains were not found until roughly a decade later, making this one of the more puzzling episodes in polar exploration.
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