Why is it called the Prince William Sound?
History. James Cook entered Prince William Sound in 1778 and initially named it Sandwich Sound, after his patron the Earl of Sandwich. Later that year, the Sound was named to honour George III’s third son Prince William Henry, then aged 13 and serving as a midshipman in the Royal Navy.
Is Prince William Sound worth it?
If you just can’t leave Alaska without seeing a glacier calve, Prince William Sound is your best bet. It has the densest concentration of tidewater glaciers in the world, some flowing a dozen miles from ice-capped peaks to terminate in cliffs of ice towering hundreds of feet above the water.
Is Valdez on Prince William Sound?
Alaska’s Prince William Sound is ringed by the coastal mountains of the Chugach Range and situated in the midst of the Chugach National Forest. Its 2,700 miles of coastline is home to the towns and villages of Chenega Bay, Cordova, Tatitlek, Whittier and Valdez.
Where is Prince William’s sound?
Gulf of Alaska
Prince William Sound, irregular inlet of the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska, U.S. It lies east of the Kenai Peninsula and spans about 90 to 100 miles (145 to 160 km). Hinchinbrook and Montague islands are at its oceanward entrance.
Is the Prince William Sound freshwater?
Prince William Sound is one of the larger estuaries in North America. Its waters have a surface area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers. Rivers and a significant number of tide-water glaciers supply fresh water to the sound.
Is there still oil in Prince William Sound?
A small portion of the oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill still lingers in patches beneath Prince William Sound, Alaska, beaches. However, this and other studies suggests the remaining oil is sequestered, or buried, and currently is not posing a risk to the coastal and marine ecosystem.
How big is Bligh Reef?
The Far Northern Explorer trips visit a massive Reef area covering over 5000sq nautical miles of reef, and we visit any variety of locations in the vicinity of Bligh Reef on these trips based on weather and fishing.
Is Seward in Prince William Sound?
City of Seward | Prince William Sound.
Is Seward in the Prince William Sound?
How deep is the Prince William Sound?
492-2,952 ft
Prince William Sound is bordered on the north and west by the Chugach and Kenai mountain ranges, on the east by the Copper River, and by the Hinchinbrook Islands on the south. Ten percent of its area is open water, with depths ranging from 492-2,952 ft (149-895 m).
What happened to the captain of the Exxon Valdez?
The National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday that the captain of the Exxon Valdez was legally drunk when he was tested some 10 hours after his tanker hit a reef last week, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Was the Exxon Valdez spill cleaned up?
Oil Spill Cleanup In the months after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Exxon employees, federal responders and more than 11,000 Alaska residents worked to clean up the oil spill. Exxon payed about $2 billion in cleanup costs and $1.8 billion for habitat restoration and personal damages related to the spill.
What is Prince William Sound known for?
Prince William Sound (PWS) is a mixture of glacier-hewn fjords, rainforest-blanketed islands, and rugged mountain peaks. PWS’s complex coastline, protected waters, and close proximity to nutrient-rich Gulf of Alaska waters support a broad array of marine life.
What is the Prince William Sound Management Area?
The Prince William Sound Management Area encompasses all coastal waters and inland drainages entering the Gulf of Alaska between Cape Suckling and Cape Fairfield. Prince William Sound (PWS) is a mixture of glacier-hewn fjords, rainforest-blanketed islands, and rugged mountain peaks.
Where is Prince William Sound located in Alaska?
Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: Suungaaciq) is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
What is the wild Prince William Sound Foundation?
wilderness character of western Prince William Sound. We are dedicated to keeping Prince William Sound healthy, clean and wild, for all to enjoy. Our 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization came together around a shared love of Prince William Sound.