The Paradise of Palmyra Atoll
Coral Gardens at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Jim Maragos/USFWS)
About halfway between Hawai‘i and American Samoa lies Palmyra Atoll. Palmyra consists of a circular string of about 50 islets nestled among several lagoons and encircled by 15,000 acres of shallow turquoise reefs and deep blue submerged reefs. It is the northernmost atoll in the Line Islands in the equatorial Pacific.
Palmyra Atoll boobie.
Palmyra’s history is long and colorful. Its first recorded sighting was on June 14, 1798, by Captain Edmond Fanning, and it was officially discovered in 1802 by Captain Sawle of the American ship Palmyra. In 1859, Dr. G.P. Judd of the brig Josephine took possession of the atoll for the United States and the American Guano Company. Three years later, King Kamehameha IV claimed possession for the Kingdom of Hawaii, but in 1889, Great Britian claimed the atoll. In 1898, President McKinley annexed the Territory of Hawai‘i, specifically mentioning Palmyra, to the United States, but Palmyra was excluded from the Hawai‘i State boundaries in 1959. The Refuge was established in January 2001 by the Secretary of the Interior and includes submerged lands and associated waters out to 12 nautical miles from the atoll.
Palmyra’s native vegetation is lush, supporting one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific, including native varieties of ferns and shrubs. Palmyra’s rich intertidal sand- and mudflats provide attractive resting and feeding grounds for migratory seabirds and shorebirds.
A sign at the Palmyra Atoll research station. (Photo University of California San Diego)
Sooty terns, red- and white-tailed tropicbirds, several species of boobies, great frigatebirds, and white terns commonly nest on Palmyra. More than 200 bristle-thighed curlews, whose worldwide population estimate is only 6,000 individuals, spend their winters on Palmyra.
Pilot whales, bottle-nosed dolphins, white-tip reef sharks, manta rays, and giant clams frequent the atoll’s waters, as well as threatened green sea turtles, which also nest on Palmyra’s beaches. Large populations of the world’s largest land invertebrate, the coconut crab, inhabit the forests along with other crabs.
Although remote, it is possible to visit this remote U.S. territory. Up to 12 visitors at any one time are allowed to participate in recreational diving and snorkeling programs. Two groups of up to 4 divers or snorkelers are allowed per boat at lagoon, channel or ocean reef sites at any given time. An additional 4 snorkelers are allowed using a third small skiff near the lagoon or channel area. Thus, the total capacity is a combination of up to 12 snorkelers and divers.
On January 6, 2009, the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument was established, which includes Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries. For more information, please visit the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument website.
