Herald Island (, Ostrov Gerald) is a small, isolated Russian island in the Chukchi Sea, east of Waring Point, Wrangel Island. It rises in sheer cliffs, making it quite inaccessible, either by ship or by plane. The only bit of accessible shoreline is at its northwestern point, where the cliffs have crumbled into piles of loose rocks and gravel. Its area is and the maximum height above sea level is . The island is unglaciated and uninhabited. Herald Island belongs administratively to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Federation. Along with Wrangel Island, Herald Island is part of the Wrangel Island Wildlife Preserve, a Russian National Park, since 1976. Cape Dmitrieva on Herald Island, marks the easternmost limits of the nature reserve. Herald Island is named after survey vessel HMS Herald, from which the island was discovered in 1849. Geology Herald Island is composed of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. The northeastern tip of this island consists of a thick sequence of sandstone, phyllite, quartzose sandstone, quartz-chlorite-sericite schist mylonite, and cataclastic quartz syenite. These rocks are of either Proterozoic or Late Paleozoic age. The bulk of this island consists of a Jurassic granite pluton. Important Bird Area Herald Island, along with nearby Wrangel Island, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. Climate The climate is severe. For most of the year, the region is covered by masses of cold Arctic air with low moisture and dust content. In summer, warmer and moister Pacific air blows from the south-east. Dry and strongly warmed air masses periodically blow from Siberia. The polar day lasts from the middle of May until the 20th of July. The polar night lasts from the middle of November through the end of January. Winters are prolonged, and characterized by sustained freezing weather and strong northern winds. The mean temperature in January is , and the coldest months are February and March. During this period the temperature can remain below over a period of weeks, with frequent snowstorms and wind speeds of or more. The summer is cool, with some frosts and snowfall. The mean temperature in July fluctuates from . The mean relative humidity is around 88%, and the yearly precipitation is around . History Several nations have participated in the discovery and exploration of Herald Island. The island was discovered in 1849 by Sir Henry Kellett, captain of the survey vessel