User:Dmtreff/White Rocks Islands

White Rocks Islands
Commonly referred to as "The White Rocks" or "White Rocks", the rocks may be found near the mouth of the Patapsco River, which is a tributary of The Chesapeake Bay. Little is known about the reason that these rocks appear here. The Lat/Lon coordinates of center the rock piles are as follows: +39° 10' 24.41", -76° 29' 16.56".

Author-historian Robert Keith says the name of the Patapsco river is from “pota-psk-ut”, a reference in an Algonkian dialect to the jutting “white rocks” near the river’s conjunction with the Bay, and also the Patapsco tributary, Rock Creek. Hence, the very name of the river in which these rocks are found derived its name from the rocks.

Viewed from the air, or satellite image, it may be easily seen why the rocks are referred to as white, however, upon closer inspection, the rocks are of a sandstone composition typical of other rock formations found in nearby Anne Arundel County, MD. Local lore states that the name White Rocks comes from the numerous fecal matter deposits left on them by sea birds over the years.

An overhead view of the White Rocks shows that there are really two distinct rock piles situated very close together. There are also some submerged rocks on the north side of the northern pile which are only visible at low tide. Mariners of vessels operating nearby are cautioned not to approach within 100 yards without specific local knowledge.