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 the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

in the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Its northwestern point is called ''Cabo Pilar'' (Cape Pillar), and marks the entrance to the Strait of Magellan. Off Cape Pillar are four rocks in the sea, called '' Islotes Evangelistas'' (the islets of the Evangelists).

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 als ...

and Lincoln Child novel '' The Ice Limit'' described an expedition to Isla Desolación near Cape Horn in Chile. The map in the (paperback) edition incorrectly identifies easterly Isla Wollastone as Isla Desolación. The authors, in a note, say this is intentional. In

James Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations, set in particular geographic locales ...

's novel ''Hawaii'' (and its 1966 film adaptation) depicts an attempt by a sailing ship to pass the

Straits 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 the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natural ...

, which a skipper at the Falklands Islands (Captain Janders in the film version) describing the western exit past Desolation Island and the Evangels the most difficult part of the passage. In

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

's novel ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'', narrator Ishmael recalls a marble tablet at a whalemen's chapel in New Bedford which pays homage to a whaleman named John Talbot, who was lost overboard "near the Isle of Desolation, off

Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

". In

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...

's novel '' Blue at the Mizzen'', 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 Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...

teleports the episode's villain, Vanessa Barone, with the Eye of Aurora to Desolación Island, saying that it is a little island off the coast of

and is "one of the most remote spots on earth".

References

External links

Islands of Chile @ United Nations Environment Programme

World island information @ WorldIslandInfo.com

South America Island High Points above 1000 meters
*

United States Hydrographic Office The United States Hydrographic Office (USHO) 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 wa ...

South America Pilot
(1916)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desolacion Island Islands of Tierra del Fuego Strait of Magellan

Desolación Island in fiction

See also

References

External links