Adolphus Island is an island located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. It is situated in Cambridge Gulf

Cambridge Gulf

Cambridge Gulf is a gulf on the north coast of Western Australia.Many rivers flow into the gulf including the Ord River, Pentecost River, Durack River, King River and the Forrest River.The gulf experiences two large tidal flows each day between to...

 approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Wyndham

Wyndham, Western Australia

Wyndham is the oldest and northernmost town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, located on the Great Northern Highway, northeast of Perth. It was established in 1885 as a result of a gold rush at Halls Creek, and it is now a port and service centre for the east Kimberley with a...

 and covers an area of area of about 4157 hectares (10,272 acre). The island has a maximum height of 700 feet (213 m).

The island splits the gulf into two branches, known as the West and East Arm. The West Arm is the main navigatable channel. The south shore of the island is shallow and covered with sandbars and Mangrove

Mangrove

Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...

 islets.

The island and the gulf was named by Philip Parker King

Philip Parker King

Admiral Phillip Parker King, FRS, RN was an early explorer of the Australian coast.-Early life and education:...

 who visited the area in 1819 aboard Mermaid but left after being unable to find supplies of freshwater in the mudflat

Mudflat

Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...

s that surround the bay. King named the island after the Duke of Cambridge

Duke of Cambridge

Duke of Cambridge is a title which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family several times. It was first used as a designation for Charles Stuart , the eldest son of James, Duke of York , though he was never formally created Duke of Cambridge...

 at the time, Prince Adolphus

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge

The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...

.