Lituya Bay

Lituya Bay
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
LocationNorth Pacific Ocean
Coordinates58°38′13″N 137°34′23″W / 58.63694°N 137.57306°W / 58.63694; -137.57306 (Lituya Bay)
River sources
  • Lituya Glacier
  • Cascade Glacier
  • Crillion Glacier
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length14.5 km (9 mi)
Max. width3.2 km (2 mi)

Lituya Bay (/lɪˈtjjə/ ; Tlingit: Ltu.aa, 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. Twenty-one of his men perished in the tidal current in the bay.