56°24′35″N143°22′53″E / 56.4097°N 143.3815°E /56.4097; 143.3815
Iony Island Остров Ионы | |
|---|---|
 Location of Ioni Island in the Sea of Okhotsk. | |
 Interactive map of Iony Island | |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Federal subject | Khabarovsk Krai |
| Elevation | 165 m (541 ft) |
Iony Island (Russian:Остров Ионы), orJonas' Island, formerlyOstrov Svyatogo Iony (Saint Jonas' Island),[1] is a small island in theSea of Okhotsk. Administratively, Iony belongs to theKhabarovsk Krai of theRussian Federation.[2]
Iony Island is the only island in the Sea of Okhotsk that is located in the open sea. All other islands in the Okhotsk Sea are either coastal or belong to theKuril island chain.[3][4] It is 1.6 km (1 mi) in length, 850 m (2,790 ft) wide, and rises to a height of 165 m (541 ft). The island is barren and conical in shape with sheer cliffs rising to heights of 30–45 m (98–148 ft). Several rocks lie off the island, including a group of four 9–12 m (30–39 ft) high rocks about 800 metres (0.50 mi) to the north-northwest and several detached rocks 160–320 m (520–1,050 ft) to the south.
The island is often enveloped in densefog due to cold bottom waterupwelling to the surface. The floodtidal current off the island sets west, while the ebb sets to the east or east-southeast. These currents may reach up to 1.5 to 2knots during spring tides and create numerouseddies, smallwhirlpools, and tide rips around the island for some distance offshore.[5]
As early as 1849whaleships had reached Jonas Island.[6] Between 1852 and 1866 the island's waters were a common hunting ground for ships cruising forbowhead whales — Captain Moses Snell, of the shipPacific, ofFairhaven, reported seeing as many as forty-five other ships from his masthead just to the south of the island early in June 1855.[7] The fleet would usually reach the area by late May or early June,[8] spending a few weeks cruising for whales before sailing to the south and west, following the retreating ice. Some would go ashore to take advantage of the bounty ofseabirds andpinnipeds residing on the island's rocky shores.[9][10]
On 3 June 1855 the shipEdgar, ofCold Spring, was wrecked on the island during a fog. All hands were saved.[11] The ship then caught or was set on fire.[12] Ships sent boats ashore to salvage what they could of the reported 1,200 to 1,600 bbls of oil that had been aboard the ship, while others picked up whatever they found drifting offshore.[13]
Schooners huntedfur seals on the island between 1889 and 1896. At least 2,250 were caught, with a peak of 879 by four schooners in 1890.[14][15]
The island is a breeding ground for theSteller sea lion.[16][17] In the spring and summer, a number ofseabirds nest on the island, includingnorthern fulmar, several species ofauklet (whiskered,least, andcrested),horned andtufted puffin,common andthick-billed murre,Leach's andfork-tailed storm petrel,kittiwake,gulls, andcormorants.[18] The island, along with its surrounding waters, has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because of its significant seabirdcolonies.[19]
