Desolación Island () (Spanish for ''Desolation'') is an island at the western end of the
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...
in the
Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region,
Chile.
Its northwestern point is called ''Cabo Pilar'' (Cape Pillar), and marks the entrance to the Strait of Magellan. Off Cape Pillar are three rocks in the sea, called ''
Islotes Evangelistas'' (the Apostles).
Desolación Island in fiction
The
Douglas Preston
Douglas Jerome Preston (born May 31, 1956) is an American journalist and author. Although he is best known for his thrillers in collaboration with Lincoln Child (including the ''Agent Pendergast'' series and ''Gideon Crew'' series), he has also ...
and
Lincoln Child novel ''
The Ice Limit'' described an expedition to Isla Desolacion near Cape Horn in Chile. The map in the (paperback) edition incorrectly identifies easterly Isla Wollastone as Isla Desolacion. The authors, in a note, say this is intentional.
James Michener's novel
''Hawaii'' depicts an attempt by a sailing ship to pass the
Straits of Magellan, describing the western exit past Desolation Island as the most difficult part of the passage.
In
Herman Melville's novel ''
Moby-Dick'', narrator Ishmael recalls a marble tablet at a whalemen's chapel in New Bedford which pays homage to a whaleman named John Talbot, who lost overboard "near the Isle of Desolation, off
Patagonia".
In
Patrick O'Brian's novel ''
Blue at the Mizzen
The novel ''Blue at the Mizzen'' is the twentieth and last completed historical novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1999. It is set after the Napoleonic wars, in the fight for Chilean independence from Sp ...
'', a British man-of-war is sent on a peace time mission to Chile and the Straits of Magellan.
In the
Jackie Chan Adventures animated television series in Season 2 Episode 24 - Scouts Honor,
Jackie Chan teleport the episode's villain,
Vanessa Barone Vanessa may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Vanessa'' (Millais painting), an 1868 painting by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais
* ''Vanessa'', a 1933 novel by Hugh Walpole
* ''Vanessa'', a 1952 instrumental song written by Bernie ...
, with the
Eye of Aurora
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and con ...
to Desolacion Island, saying that it is a little island off the coast of
Chile and is "one of the most remote spots on earth".
See also
*
List of islands of Chile
References
External links
Islands of Chile @ United Nations Environment ProgrammeWorld island information @ WorldIslandInfo.comSouth America Island High Points above 1000 meters*
United States Hydrographic Office
The United States Hydrographic Office prepared and published maps, charts, and nautical books required in navigation.
The office was established by an act of 21 June 1866 as part of the Bureau of Navigation, Department of the Navy.
It was transfe ...
South America Pilot(1916)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desolacion Island
Islands of Tierra del Fuego
Strait of Magellan