Uninhabited Ocean Jon Fisher Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/uninhabitedoceanOOOOfish Uninhabited Ocean [slands Jon Fisher Loompanics Unlimited Port Townsend, Washington WARNING: The maps in this book are for identification purposes only and are not intended for navigation. Neither the author nor the publisher will be held accountable for the use or misuse of the information contained in this book. This book was previously sold under the title Uninhabited And Deserted Islands. This is an updated, revised, expanded edition of that book. UNINHABITED OCEAN ISLANDS © 1991 by Jon Fisher All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of the publisher. Reviews may quote brief passages without the written con- sent of the publisher as long as proper credit is given. Published by: " Loompanics Unlimited PO Box 1197 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Loompanics Unlimited is a division of Loompanics Enterprises, Inc. Maps by Kevin Martin, Patrick Michael and Jon Fisher ISBN 1-55950-074-3 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-061945 Contents deerla Wallan lS andStasos20uan cshatng h«.o aei ceeese 6 Me IVATAC U S ENCES oacye seP W ads kone atc ad acai MR «ack 13 Set rustelemitory ol the Pacilic Islands... 2.9.s4es 0sco ns 14 4. Federated States of Micronesia ....................00.: 16 SeViat small Sands spceain, nkat tee a s ana 22 Oa Northern Manana Islands 5... 204s cee Cee 24 Weeepublic Of Palate, geen miata Madea BEtt.2 ek Tan 30 Ae SIDDIA ELe ee cere onS E v's Spee ase Fe a ee ae BZ Or eine slands 5 ec uaceyan aaa oe 33 Oe Phoent Islandsiqner kath cee ee Rees, Saatsp ee 4] ft sHowland-and Baker... -.2nd-2sseno teee.e e 47 IDE New: C aledOniia tae ceseucrSoOc iniaedee 50 Pore Werimadec SIANd es ce crete iar @utteee e tleiaictelsnie)-cait 5S LAA tate ince PAT diss CEMA a hiC OPTS RS Se 57 |Ba e RegV on a cae en ey Men eae Pa ret ee ee TS 58 HO MS UVAlOVENtOlle ier me ee ene eles tea kee rts 58 tT co IP niL h WOR aee rn Ae ae a RNS 59 Tre HUDUALISIANOS sy 5ci, co Ae I SEL pea. Ste 61 One MaraiesasiSlancs:...2 i: 54 ue dhe ee, ee 62 2 Pitcairn, GLOUD merit vcs ace Eh ee 68 ibe oala V GOMET ais Secor Se eel bei.t dain eo 74 DOr G IPPertOu er asc rern Hae nd res os 74 D3 Sale helux and san AMDIOSIO....f.at5e aos5 S5e2k-a 78 PE ISIANCS Ol SOUL ONIG. inva SEles en tra he «27 9 Part II — Sub-Antarctic Islands, Pacific Sector THE'SNAaTeS?? 5 6: emeeee og ero an e es 83 SeAUCK and Islands 3 secede secs ete ein ene 3 emesis 84 > Bowntysislands ta So Sheen ua ee YS Ie erent cas 85 -ATIPOdes Islands: 22. kee: | oe hoes 8 rane eaer 87 PAC AmpbellISLANG. 21% sa vemecton sack meee bem eet eee 87 pAMICOUBEIE sieges ae cacer tes co tonne oc ee eee ee 88 uPeler | OVs cada roe ees ee cere ae tenes cee 90 Se SCOLISIAN eye cts eetcanaid <tesars nala vns s Ome a eee 91 py balleny. Islands. vrais. 40 gost eaenee ey ote eee oI Part III — Atlantic Ocean Islands Deserted: Brtishvislés 2... aaa Des: eee. 92 « Lristan Da, Cunha. is. cnccns 5 eee ee 95 reGourh Islands: scot sah eres en 0s ithe nuacas areas 95 = Palklandjlslandtises.: s,ee4n .cqe.da« eceseh eceete 96 South Georgia es [isu Cen hae anes ee 103 South: Sandwich Islands... nee ee: Dee. 106 ~oouth Orkney Islandss scs2.<1 ieee,e 8 ee 8.107 south Shetland: sland ccs iaccsasac SO *.108 we BOUVELOV erret irda canl go Marna welnnwarnanaanse 115 Part IV — Indian Ocean Islands 43. French Islands near Madagascar ..................... T7 44. British Indian Ocean-Territory:.<....2ueees seamen. 122 45> Cocos. Keeling [Sands sic siescrstusnss sects Gieecn cerse: 124 46.-south Indian: Ocean Islands iiiscicnsaaescoeeat eeeele Lease 47 Prince: Edward Islands «cis ose Ae ee ees. 130 43;< Crozet Islands. 6 sss .-as0d ne Me eee ne 132 49's Archipel de-Kerguelens.Sa.i:t .e.3s: .:o0.e. 134 50. Amsterdam..... PO Hn ates Ot eR AL Satis nak Py ene liss en 137 ails EUV LE| W e WU eval ee hee Gis eee ae ae One eRe ence Nenana 140 SN ENACT PR SerAt eei ee hcee eha 141 SSP VIMOCO NAI G- ISIANGS (exe ecto wnat anaes as ees 143 Part V — Other Islands .............................05- 145 ReTCLONCES Ai eee aes eee A alta esd he beat 146 Index of Uninhabited Islands ........................... ies List of Maps, (Alphabetical) .......................0.04. lbaje) ey es _ | Introduction 1 Introduction You’ve probably seen cartoons about castaways on deserted islands that are only a few feet across with one palm tree grow- ing in the middle. Well, such uninhabited islands do exist, al- though they don’t look exactly like that. They can be found throughout all the oceans of the world. And the way things are going now, even more islands may be deserted in the future. Just as people tend to move from rural areas to cities, they also tend to move from islands to the mainland, and from small islands to larger ones. The “bright lights” seem to offer an ir- resistable lure with their promise of better jobs and a better way of life. The result is that small, unpopulated islands are likely to remain devoid of people, and many other islands where only a small number of people live now may become completely depopulated at some future time. Besides this rush to urban areas, many empty islands are un- inhabited for one of three good reasons: they are barren sandy or rocky places where there is little vegetation; or they are active volcanoes; or they are tiny atolls with very little land area above sea level. These islands range in size from a couple dozen acres up to several square miles. Barren islands very often support huge populations of sea birds. They have no natural running water, although rainfall 2 UHINHABITED OCEAN ISLANDS might collect in temporary pools. Some barren islands consist of one gigantic rock. A few of these rock islands have been turned into strong fortresses with powerful guns mounted in caves dug deep into the rock. Examples of such forts are the National Chinese island of Quemoy, and the Rock of Gibraltar at the tip of Spain. Islands that are active volcanoes are usually uninhabitable. Because of the frequent outflows of lava, poisonous gases and ash, very little life can get a foothold in such places. The hellish island may vary greatly over time. Coral Atolls Many deserted islands are atolls, which consist of a circular reef built up by coral (whose skeletons accumulate to form a stony mass), enclosing a sheltered lagoon. The circling reef rises above sea level in some places and that forms the land area of the atoll. Since coral can’t live in cold water, coral atolls are found only in the tropics. Lagoons enclosed by these reefs vary in depth. Some are shallow, others have deep parts where large ships can anchor. But the greatest depths found in any lagoons seldom exceed 200 feet. In some lagoons, outcroppings of sharp coral rise to near the surface and are a hazard to vessels. Some lagoons have deep water passages through the reef; others are entirely enclosed. Often a passage through the reef can be opened with explosives. The size of lagoons can be anywhere from one mile to about 30 miles across. Islets, which may be as much as 10 miles long, but which seldom exceed 400 yards in width, form along the flat tops of the circular coral reefs and on top of the scattered reefs inside the lagoon. These islets seldom rise more than 10 or 15 feet above sea level. Coconut palms, pandanus palms and similar vegetation grow thickly along the islets and some trees may rise to 100 feet. There is not much soil on these islets and what little