The Discovery Of The Island
Before revealing what the team from Binghamton University found, let’s travel back to 1775 when Alcatraz Island was first discovered. It was Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala who laid claim to finding it first and naming it “La Isla de los Alcatraces,” which translates to “Island of the Pelicans.”
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It is through this writing that we get the name, Alcatraz. The island is 22 acres with two high points, one 135 feet above sea level and the other 138 feet. It is between these high points that Alcatraz Penitentiary can be seen from shore.