Lituya Bay
| Lituya Bay | |
|---|---|
| Ltu.aa (Tlingit) | |
Oblique aerial photograph of Lituya Bay in the summer of 1958. Damage from the 1958 megatsunami appears as the lighter-colored areas on the shores where trees have been stripped away. | |
Lituya Bay | |
| Location | North Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 58°38′13″N 137°34′23″W / 58.63694°N 137.57306°W |
| River sources |
|
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 14.5 km (9 mi) |
| Max. width | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
Lituya Bay (/lɪˈtjuːjə/ ⓘ; Tlingit: Ltu.aa [ɬtʰʊ̀ʔàː], meaning 'lake within the point') is a fjord located on the coast of the south-east part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is 14.5 km (9 mi) long and 3.2 km (2 mi) wide at its widest point. The bay was noted in 1786 by Jean-François de Lapérouse, who named it Port des Français. The bay has also been known as Altona, Alituya and Ltooa. Lapérouse and his crew spent 26 days exploring the bay, but the cost was that twenty-one of his men perished in the tidal current in the bay. Lituya Bay is well known for the 1958 earthquake and megatsunami that produced the highest waves from a tsunami in history.