# Swinburne Islet
**Swinburne Islet** is a small islet in the North Coast Regional District of British Columbia, Canada, lying off Alford Point on the east coast of Moresby Island near the locality of Pacofi.[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) It is an official place name of the Queen Charlotte Land District, classified as an islet by the Canadian Geographical Names database.[2](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/search?category=O&id=&page=318&province%5B0%5D=59&q=&snrc=)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Islet (coastline landform) in North Coast Regional District, British Columbia[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) |
| Location | 52.8416° N, 131.8715° W, near the locality Pacofi[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) |
| Elevation | 9 meters (30 feet)[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) |
| Position relative to shore | Close offshore on a drying bank about 0.2 mile southwest of Alford Point[3](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-71-2024-11-eng.pdf) |
| Navigational use | SE side of the islet in line with Alford Point (bearing 042°) is a transit for the anchorage in Pacofi Bay[3](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-71-2024-11-eng.pdf) |
| Map coverage | Canadian topographic sheet 103B13 (Louise Island), 1:50,000 scale[4](https://store.yellowmaps.com/products/103b13-louise-island-topo-map) |
| Database identifiers | GeoNames ID 6160661; Wikidata ID Q22454319[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) |
## Geography
The islet sits in [Hecate Strait](https://www.edgepedia.org/hecate-strait) waters along the coast of Moresby Island, part of [Haida Gwaii](https://www.edgepedia.org/haida-gwaii) (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands). Its listed elevation is 9 meters (30 feet).[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000) Nearby features include Alford Rock and Selwyn Rocks close by, Procter Rocks about 9 km east, and Wilson Islet about 11 km southwest; the locality of Sewell Inlet lies about 9 km to the northwest.[1](https://mapcarta.com/24667000)
## Navigation
The Canadian Sailing Directions (publication PAC 206, covering Hecate Strait, Dixon Entrance, Portland Inlet and adjacent waters and Haida Gwaii) describe Swinburne Islet as lying close offshore on a drying bank about 0.2 mile southwest of Alford Point, with the shores of the bay fringed by boulder drying banks extending up to 300 feet (91 m) offshore.[3](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-71-2024-11-eng.pdf)
The islet serves as a visual reference for anchoring. Anchorage in Pacofi Bay can be obtained about 0.15 mile off the drying flat at the head of the bay in 9 to 12 fathoms (17 to 22 m), with the southeast side of Swinburne Islet in line with Alford Point bearing 042°, and the extremity of the land on the southwest side of the entrance of Dana Passage bearing 097°. The area is covered by Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart 3807.[3](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-71-2024-11-eng.pdf)
## Namesakes
Swinburne Islet in [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia) is distinct from other features bearing the Swinburne name, including Swinburne Island, an artificial quarantine island in Lower New York Bay, and Cape Swinburne on the Arctic coast of Canada.[5](https://sites.google.com/view/swinburneisland) • [6](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-40-2024-3-eng.pdf)
## References
1. [Swinburne Islet Map, Mapcarta](https://mapcarta.com/24667000)
2. [Place names search results, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Geographical Names Data Base](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/search?category=O&id=&page=318&province%5B0%5D=59&q=&snrc=)
3. [Canadian Sailing Directions, PAC 206: Hecate Strait, Dixon Entrance, Portland Inlet and adjacent waters and Haida Gwaii, 2024/11, Fisheries and Oceans Canada](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-71-2024-11-eng.pdf)
4. [103B13 Louise Island Canada topo map, 1:50,000 scale, YellowMaps](https://store.yellowmaps.com/products/103b13-louise-island-topo-map)
5. [Swinburne Island: A Historic Islet in Lower New York Bay](https://sites.google.com/view/swinburneisland)
6. [Canadian Sailing Directions, ARC 403: Western Arctic, 2024/03, Fisheries and Oceans Canada](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/mpo-dfo/Fs74-40-2024-3-eng.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Landforms and terrestrial features › Islands and dry-land coastal features › Islands and island geography of the Americas › North American coastal islands*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license