Bokak Atoll
Encyclopedia
Bokak Atoll or Taongi Atoll is an uninhabited coral atoll in the Ratak Chain
of the Marshall Islands
, located in the North Pacific Ocean
at 14°32′N 169°00′E. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bokak has an undisturbed flora and fauna that has been allowed to exist in a pristine condition.
, the closest atoll, making it the most northerly and most isolated atoll of the country. Wake Island
is 348 miles (560.1 km) north-northwest. The land area is 1.25 square miles (3.2 km²), and the lagoon
measures 30.12 square miles (78 km²). It consists of 36 islets.The total area is 49.8 square miles (129 km²) (including reef flat).
Based on the results of drilling operations on Enewetak
(Eniwetok) Atoll, in the nearby Ralik Chain
of the Marshall Islands, Bokak may include as much as 4600 feet (1,402.1 m) of reef material atop a basalt
rock base. As most local coral growth stops at about 150 feet (45.7 m) below the ocean surface, such a massive stony coral base suggests a gradual isostatic subsidence of the underlying extinct volcano, which itself rises 10000 feet (3,048 m) from the surrounding ocean floor. Shallow water fossils taken from just above Enewetak's basalt base are dated to about 55mya.
High boulder and sand ridges indicate a history of severe storms and are a feature of the islets. Inland on the wider islets are sand and rubble flats, while back from the lagoon sides are low sand and gravel ridges. Soils are mostly very immature, a mixture of coarser coral sand and gravel of various textures with very little humus accumulation. The lagoon is shallow, probably not exceeding 30 metres (98.4 ft) depth, and has many coral heads and patch reefs, some reaching the surface.
The lagoon water level is up to 0.9 metres (3 ft) higher than the surrounding ocean due to an influx of wind-driven waters over the windward ocean reef and the presence of only one narrow reef passage on the leeward side. Water cascades over the coral-covered rim and flats of the sloping leeward reef. A massive algal ridge lines the outer edge of the windward reef, while the south and west reefs are coral-covered narrow flats where landings can be made in quiet weather. A very small algal rim, 4-6" (100–150 mm) high, on lagoon shores of the westernmost islets, on east-facing lagoon reef-fronts and on the windward edges of coral patches in the lagoon, may be a feature unique to Taongi. This rim is maintained by the constant flow of water over the reef flat.
. A combination of insufficient rainfall, excellent drainage, and high temperatures lead to an arid
environment in which a freshwater Ghyben-Herzberg lens cannot form, and Coconut Palm
is unable to grow. The most common formation is a low, sparse scrub forest of Tree Heliotrope (Heliotropium foertherianum
), 6–20 ft (1.8–6.1 m) tall, with occasional taller trees. The understory
typically comprises Beach Naupaka (Scaevola taccada
), or sparse endemic bunchgrass, Ihi (Portulaca molokiniensis), Ilima (Sida fallax
), or Alena (Boerhavia herbstii), the latter being more abundant on broken coral gravel. A small stand of Pisonia grandis
is found on Kamwome Islet and in another very small stand on Sibylla.
Pure stands of very dense Beach Naupaka shrubland, sometimes with Tree Heliotrope, are predominant and cover 50-75% of southern, and nearly 100% of northeastern Sibylla. Heliotropium, Scaevola, and Sida dominated shrublands and the sandy bunchgrass savanna (Lepturus
spp.) represent the finest examples of such vegetation in the Marshalls and probably the entire Pacific region.
The aquatic vegetation of the shallow edges of the lagoon consists of sparse coralline algae
, encrusting fragments of coral, shell etc., and patches of green sea weed.
, red-footed booby
, Great Frigatebird
, Red-tailed Tropicbird
, Sooty Tern
, White Tern
, Brown Noddy
, and possibly the Reef Heron. Migratory birds present included the bristle-thighed curlew
, turnstone
, wandering tattler
, golden plover
, and the sanderling
. The densest bird populations are on three islets to the north of Sibylla: North (Kita), Kamwome and an unnamed islet. Bokak is the only known breeding ground of Christmas Shearwater
and possibly Bulwer's petrel.
Terrestrial species includes the Polynesian rat on Sibylla. The more aggressive black rat appears to be absent, despite wrecked fishing vessels on the eastern and north eastern reefs. The Snake-eyed Skink and large hermit crabs
are common.
In general, the aquatic fauna population is healthy, but of low diversity, possibly due to the atoll's isolation. Researchers have not seen any marine turtles, but Polynesian custom regarding harvesting assumed their presence. Examples of the giant clam family Tridacnidae
are very abundant, except for the largest giant clam T. gigas. Smaller bivalves were present, but few Mollusks. The reef fish are primarily emperor breams, parrotfish
, and red snappers
. Also present are moray eel
and grey reef shark. Approximately 100 stony coral species and two soft coral species are present.
and Toke
, Bokak was traditionally the hereditary property of the Ratak atoll chain Iroji Lablab
. The exploitation of abundant sea turtles, birds, and eggs was regulated by custom, and overseen by the Iroji.
, a Spanish explorer, on August 21, 1526. A number of Western ships recorded landfall on or passage by Bokak over the following three hundred years, but no attempt at settlement or establishment of food animals was noted, likely due to the arid conditions, and more fertile atolls nearby.
The Marshall Islands were added to the protectorate of German New Guinea
in 1906. Using the justification that uninhabited atolls were unclaimed, the Germans seized Bokak as government property, despite the protests of the Iroji. As Japan's economic vigor expanded under the Meiji Emperor, the German administration noted Marshallese complaints of Japanese bird poaching, more from the view of protecting German sovereignty, rather than the interests of the islanders.
occupied the Marshall Islands, and transferred German government properties to their own, including Bokak. Like the Germans before them, the Japanese colonial administration did not attempt to exploit the atoll, and the Northern Radak Marshallese continued to hunt and fish unmolested.
As a part of the 1940s Japanese militarization the Marshall Islands, a small seaplane and communication outpost was established on Sibylla Island. During the early stages of the World War II
, USN submarines operating in the area would periodically note patrols by Japanese aircraft. In March, 1943, the 20 man garrison was removed to Wake Island
because of the lack of food and their general inability to sustain themselves on Bokak. Air elements of the USAAF, USN, and USMC bombed the (abandoned) facility on April 23, 1944.
The Marshall Islands as a whole were transferred to American administration in the wake of battles with Japanese forces in 1944. In September, 1945, as a part of the post-war repatriation of Japanese from their former Pacific possessions, a landing party was dispatched on LCI(L) 601
from Kwajalein to Bokak Atoll, and in conjunction with a PBM Mariner
searched for potential survivors. Two days of search failed to turn up any survivors, human remains, or graves.
While en route from the US to Asia in April, 1953, LST 1138, later commissioned as USS Steuben County, dropped anchor at Bokak to search for rumored Japanese stragglers. The landing party noted the remains of the wartime outpost, but found no signs of any current occupants.
In 1954, the experience of large scale fallout from the Castle Bravo
nuclear test on Bikini Atoll
led to a pre-planned aerial survey of atolls adjacent to the subsequent Castle Romeo
test, timed at one and four hours after the shot. The aircraft were equipped with gamma radiation detectors designed to measure ground contamination from altitudes of 200 to 500 feet. An overflight of Sibylla Island measured 1.0 mrem
/hr (10 μGy
) an hour after the shot, dropping to 0.4 mrem/hr (4 μGy) three hours later. In 1957, Bokak was surveyed as a site for nuclear weapons testing as a part of Operation Hardtack, but due the number of improvements required to develop it, was passed over in favor of reusing the Bikini, Enewetak, and Nevada
test sites. The atoll came under renewed consideration for use during Operation Dominic, but by that time the potential for political fallout from nuclear testing within a United Nations Trust Territory was deemed too great.
The atoll played a part in the disappearance of several men from Maui
, Hawaii
. On February 11, 1979, Scott Moorman and four companions set sail from Hana harbor in a 17' Boston Whaler
, and went missing in subsequent high seas. The boat and buried remains of Mr. Moorman were discovered on Bokak in 1988.
In 1988, the US firm Admiralty Pacific proposed to use the Bokak lagoon as a dump for millions of tons of solid waste. The proposal involved shipping 3.5 million tons of waste the first year and up to 25 million tons and 30 ships after five years.
In August, 2003, two ham radio enthusiasts from Texas camped on Sibylla Island for 76 hours to inaugurate the first Taongi ham station, call sign V73T, and assigned the IOTA reference number OC-263. The station transmitted from coordinates 14°36.574′N 168°59.977′E.
The Dominion of Melchizedek
, an unrecognized micronation
, claims sovereignty over Bokak, based on a 45 year lease allegedly granted by the Iroji Lablab.
Currently, historic remains include an abandoned camp/homestead, several wrecked ships and the remnant of the former World War Two Japanese communication outpost.
Ratak Chain
The Ratak Chain is a chain of islands within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ratak means "sunrise". It lies just to the east of the country's other main island chain, the Ralik Chain...
of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, located in the North Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
at 14°32′N 169°00′E. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bokak has an undisturbed flora and fauna that has been allowed to exist in a pristine condition.
Geography
It is located 425 miles (684 km) north of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Marshall Islands, and 174 miles (280 km) northeast of Bikar AtollBikar Atoll
Bikar Atoll is an uninhabited atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smallest atolls in the Marshalls and located at...
, the closest atoll, making it the most northerly and most isolated atoll of the country. Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
is 348 miles (560.1 km) north-northwest. The land area is 1.25 square miles (3.2 km²), and the lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
measures 30.12 square miles (78 km²). It consists of 36 islets.The total area is 49.8 square miles (129 km²) (including reef flat).
Physical Features
The atoll is roughly crescent-shaped, measuring about 11 miles (17.7 km) by 5.6 miles (9 km), and oriented in a north-south direction. The atoll reef is unbroken except for a 22 yards (20.1 m) wide channel in the west. Ten islets lie on the eastern and southeastern reef. The more important named islets, from north to south, are North Island, Kamwome, Bwdije, Sibylla, Bokak, and Bwokwla. Sibylla is the largest, measuring approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length and up to 333 yards (304.5 m) in width. Kamwome Islet to the north-east of Sibylla is the second largest, while Bokak (Taongi), after which the atoll is named, lies to the south of Sibylla.Based on the results of drilling operations on Enewetak
Enewetak
Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...
(Eniwetok) Atoll, in the nearby Ralik Chain
Ralik Chain
The Ralik Chain is a chain of islands within the island nation of the Marshall Islands. Ralik means "sunset". It lies just to the west of the country's other island chain, the Ratak Chain...
of the Marshall Islands, Bokak may include as much as 4600 feet (1,402.1 m) of reef material atop a basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
rock base. As most local coral growth stops at about 150 feet (45.7 m) below the ocean surface, such a massive stony coral base suggests a gradual isostatic subsidence of the underlying extinct volcano, which itself rises 10000 feet (3,048 m) from the surrounding ocean floor. Shallow water fossils taken from just above Enewetak's basalt base are dated to about 55mya.
High boulder and sand ridges indicate a history of severe storms and are a feature of the islets. Inland on the wider islets are sand and rubble flats, while back from the lagoon sides are low sand and gravel ridges. Soils are mostly very immature, a mixture of coarser coral sand and gravel of various textures with very little humus accumulation. The lagoon is shallow, probably not exceeding 30 metres (98.4 ft) depth, and has many coral heads and patch reefs, some reaching the surface.
The lagoon water level is up to 0.9 metres (3 ft) higher than the surrounding ocean due to an influx of wind-driven waters over the windward ocean reef and the presence of only one narrow reef passage on the leeward side. Water cascades over the coral-covered rim and flats of the sloping leeward reef. A massive algal ridge lines the outer edge of the windward reef, while the south and west reefs are coral-covered narrow flats where landings can be made in quiet weather. A very small algal rim, 4-6" (100–150 mm) high, on lagoon shores of the westernmost islets, on east-facing lagoon reef-fronts and on the windward edges of coral patches in the lagoon, may be a feature unique to Taongi. This rim is maintained by the constant flow of water over the reef flat.
Climate
Bokak is the driest of the Marshall Islands atolls, having a semi-arid character. Mean annual temperature is approximately 82 °F (27.8 °C). Mean annual rainfall is less than 40 inches (101.6 cm), and falls primarily during the late summer. Prevailing winds are north to north-easterlies.Vegetation
Bokak supports just nine plant species. All are native to the Marshall Islands and entirely undisturbed by introduced speciesIntroduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. A combination of insufficient rainfall, excellent drainage, and high temperatures lead to an arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
environment in which a freshwater Ghyben-Herzberg lens cannot form, and Coconut Palm
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
is unable to grow. The most common formation is a low, sparse scrub forest of Tree Heliotrope (Heliotropium foertherianum
Heliotropium foertherianum
Heliotropium foertherianum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is native to tropical Asia, including southern China, Madagascar, northern Australia, and most of the atolls and high islands of Micronesia and Polynesia. Common names include Tree Heliotrope, Velvet...
), 6–20 ft (1.8–6.1 m) tall, with occasional taller trees. The understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
typically comprises Beach Naupaka (Scaevola taccada
Scaevola taccada
Scaevola taccada, also known as Beach Cabbage, Sea Lettuce, Beach Naupaka, Naupaka kahakai , Merambong and Ngahu is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae found in open coastal locations of the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific...
), or sparse endemic bunchgrass, Ihi (Portulaca molokiniensis), Ilima (Sida fallax
Sida fallax
Sida fallax, known as ilima in Hawaiian, is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that occurs on most of the Pacific Islands. The flowers are small, in diameter, have five petals, and are a golden yellow in color. Plants may be erect or prostrate and are found...
), or Alena (Boerhavia herbstii), the latter being more abundant on broken coral gravel. A small stand of Pisonia grandis
Pisonia grandis
Pisonia grandis is a species of flowering tree in the Bougainvillea family, Nyctaginaceae.-Description:The tree has broad, thin leaves, smooth bark and bears clusters of green sweet-smelling flowers that mature into sticky barbed seeds....
is found on Kamwome Islet and in another very small stand on Sibylla.
Pure stands of very dense Beach Naupaka shrubland, sometimes with Tree Heliotrope, are predominant and cover 50-75% of southern, and nearly 100% of northeastern Sibylla. Heliotropium, Scaevola, and Sida dominated shrublands and the sandy bunchgrass savanna (Lepturus
Lepturus
Thintail is a grass genus in the Poaceae family. The related monotypic genus Hainardia was formerly included in Lepturus. Species within this genus are often found in tropical or subtropical ecosystems; an example occurrence is on certain islands within the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral...
spp.) represent the finest examples of such vegetation in the Marshalls and probably the entire Pacific region.
The aquatic vegetation of the shallow edges of the lagoon consists of sparse coralline algae
Coralline algae
Coralline algae are red algae in the order Corallinales. They are characterized by a thallus that is hard because of calcareous deposits contained within the cell walls...
, encrusting fragments of coral, shell etc., and patches of green sea weed.
Fauna
The atoll supports a large population of sea and shorebirds, with up to 26 species present. Species breeding during 1988 included the brown boobyBrown Booby
The Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
, red-footed booby
Red-footed Booby
The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...
, Great Frigatebird
Great Frigatebird
The Great Frigatebird is a large dispersive seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic....
, Red-tailed Tropicbird
Red-tailed Tropicbird
The Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the rarest of the tropicbirds, yet is still a widespread bird that is not considered threatened. It nests in colonies on oceanic islands....
, Sooty Tern
Sooty Tern
The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
, White Tern
White Tern
The White Tern is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the Fairy Tern although this name is potentially confusing as it is the common name of the Fairy Tern Sternula nereis...
, Brown Noddy
Brown Noddy
The Brown Noddy or Common Noddy is a seabird from the tern family. The largest of the noddies, it can be told from the closely related Black Noddy by its larger size and plumage, which is dark brown rather than black...
, and possibly the Reef Heron. Migratory birds present included the bristle-thighed curlew
Bristle-thighed Curlew
The Bristle-thighed Curlew, Numenius tahitiensis, is a large shorebird that breeds in Alaska and winters on tropical Pacific islands. It has a long, decurved bill and bristled feathers at the base of the legs. Its length is about 43 cm and wingspan about 84 cm...
, turnstone
Turnstone
Turnstones are the bird species in the genus Arenaria in the family Scolopacidae. They are closely related to calidrid sandpipers and might be considered members of the tribe Calidriini....
, wandering tattler
Wandering Tattler
The Wandering Tattler, Tringa incana , is a medium-sized wading bird. It is similar in appearance to the closely related Gray-tailed Tattler, T. brevipes...
, golden plover
Golden Plover
There are three species of wading birds in the plover family called Golden Plover. They are* Eurasian Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria* Pacific Golden Plover, Pluvialis fulva* American Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominica...
, and the sanderling
Sanderling
The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
. The densest bird populations are on three islets to the north of Sibylla: North (Kita), Kamwome and an unnamed islet. Bokak is the only known breeding ground of Christmas Shearwater
Christmas Shearwater
The Christmas Shearwater, Puffinus nativitatis, is a medium-sized shearwater of the tropical Central Pacific. It is a poorly known species due to its remote nesting habits, and it has not been extensively studied at sea either....
and possibly Bulwer's petrel.
Terrestrial species includes the Polynesian rat on Sibylla. The more aggressive black rat appears to be absent, despite wrecked fishing vessels on the eastern and north eastern reefs. The Snake-eyed Skink and large hermit crabs
Hermit crab
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species possess an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an empty gastropod shell that is carried around by the hermit crab.-Description:...
are common.
In general, the aquatic fauna population is healthy, but of low diversity, possibly due to the atoll's isolation. Researchers have not seen any marine turtles, but Polynesian custom regarding harvesting assumed their presence. Examples of the giant clam family Tridacnidae
Tridacnidae
The Tridacninae are a subfamily of Bivalves colloquially known as giant clams. The family contains the biggest bivalve species, including Tridacna gigas, the giant clam. They have heavy shells, fluted with 4–6 folds. Mantle is usually brightly coloured. They inhabit coral reefs in warm seas of the...
are very abundant, except for the largest giant clam T. gigas. Smaller bivalves were present, but few Mollusks. The reef fish are primarily emperor breams, parrotfish
Parrotfish
Parrotfishes are a group of fishes that traditionally had been considered a family , but now often are considered a subfamily of the wrasses. They are found in relatively shallow tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, but with the largest species richness in the Indo-Pacific...
, and red snappers
Lutjanus bohar
The Two-spot red snapper is a species that belongs to the genus of Lutjanus. It is also known as Twinspot snapper or Bohar snapper. Length up to 80 cm. Juvenile has two white spot on the dorsal fins. Adult snappers often form large schools on the outer reefs or above sandy areas. The main...
. Also present are moray eel
Moray eel
Moray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...
and grey reef shark. Approximately 100 stony coral species and two soft coral species are present.
Prehistory
Although humans migrated to the Marshall Islands about 2000 years ago, there appear to be no traditional Marshallese artifacts present that would indicate any long term settlement. The harsh, desiccated climate, lack of potable water, and poverty of the soils indicate that the atoll will probably remain uninhabited. The atoll has traditionally been used for hunting and gathering, particularly sea birds, by inhabitants of other atolls in the northern Ratak chain. Along with the other uninhabited northern Ratak atolls of BikarBikar Atoll
Bikar Atoll is an uninhabited atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smallest atolls in the Marshalls and located at...
and Toke
Toke Atoll
Toke Atoll or Taka Atoll is a small, uninhabited coral atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smaller atolls in the Marshalls and located at . It is visited regularly by the residents of nearby Utirik Atoll.- Geography :The atoll is north of Majuro Atoll, the capital...
, Bokak was traditionally the hereditary property of the Ratak atoll chain Iroji Lablab
Iroijlaplap
Iroijlaplap is the title given to the paramount chiefs in the Marshall Islands. An ordinary chief holds the title of Iroij ....
. The exploitation of abundant sea turtles, birds, and eggs was regulated by custom, and overseen by the Iroji.
16th to 19th century
The first European to record discovering Bokak was Alonso de SalazarAlonso de Salazar
Alonso de Salazar was the Spaniard who discovered the Marshall Islands on August 21, 1526. De Salazar was in command of Santa Maria de la Victoria but is not known to have landed. He is believed to have sighted the Bokak Atoll...
, a Spanish explorer, on August 21, 1526. A number of Western ships recorded landfall on or passage by Bokak over the following three hundred years, but no attempt at settlement or establishment of food animals was noted, likely due to the arid conditions, and more fertile atolls nearby.
The Marshall Islands were added to the protectorate of German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
in 1906. Using the justification that uninhabited atolls were unclaimed, the Germans seized Bokak as government property, despite the protests of the Iroji. As Japan's economic vigor expanded under the Meiji Emperor, the German administration noted Marshallese complaints of Japanese bird poaching, more from the view of protecting German sovereignty, rather than the interests of the islanders.
20th century to Present
In 1914, the Empire of JapanEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
occupied the Marshall Islands, and transferred German government properties to their own, including Bokak. Like the Germans before them, the Japanese colonial administration did not attempt to exploit the atoll, and the Northern Radak Marshallese continued to hunt and fish unmolested.
As a part of the 1940s Japanese militarization the Marshall Islands, a small seaplane and communication outpost was established on Sibylla Island. During the early stages of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, USN submarines operating in the area would periodically note patrols by Japanese aircraft. In March, 1943, the 20 man garrison was removed to Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
because of the lack of food and their general inability to sustain themselves on Bokak. Air elements of the USAAF, USN, and USMC bombed the (abandoned) facility on April 23, 1944.
The Marshall Islands as a whole were transferred to American administration in the wake of battles with Japanese forces in 1944. In September, 1945, as a part of the post-war repatriation of Japanese from their former Pacific possessions, a landing party was dispatched on LCI(L) 601
Landing Craft Infantry
The Landing craft, Infantry or LCI were several classes of sea-going amphibious assault ships of the Second World War utilized to land large numbers of infantry directly onto beaches. They were developed in response to a British request for a vessel capable of carrying and landing substantially...
from Kwajalein to Bokak Atoll, and in conjunction with a PBM Mariner
PBM Mariner
The Martin PBM Mariner was a patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War period. It was designed to complement the PBY Catalina in service. A total of 1,366 were built, with the first example flying on 18 February 1939 and the type entering service in September 1940.-Design and...
searched for potential survivors. Two days of search failed to turn up any survivors, human remains, or graves.
While en route from the US to Asia in April, 1953, LST 1138, later commissioned as USS Steuben County, dropped anchor at Bokak to search for rumored Japanese stragglers. The landing party noted the remains of the wartime outpost, but found no signs of any current occupants.
In 1954, the experience of large scale fallout from the Castle Bravo
Castle Bravo
Castle Bravo was the code name given to the first U.S. test of a dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device, detonated on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, as the first test of Operation Castle. Castle Bravo was the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the United States ,...
nuclear test on Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
led to a pre-planned aerial survey of atolls adjacent to the subsequent Castle Romeo
Castle Romeo
Castle Romeo was the code name given to one of the tests in the Operation Castle series of American nuclear tests. It was the first test of the TX-17 thermonuclear weapon , the first deployed U.S...
test, timed at one and four hours after the shot. The aircraft were equipped with gamma radiation detectors designed to measure ground contamination from altitudes of 200 to 500 feet. An overflight of Sibylla Island measured 1.0 mrem
Röntgen equivalent man
Named after Wilhelm Röntgen , the roentgen equivalent in man or rem is a unit of radiation dose equivalent...
/hr (10 μGy
Gray (unit)
The gray is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose of ionizing radiation , and is defined as the absorption of one joule of ionizing radiation by one kilogram of matter ....
) an hour after the shot, dropping to 0.4 mrem/hr (4 μGy) three hours later. In 1957, Bokak was surveyed as a site for nuclear weapons testing as a part of Operation Hardtack, but due the number of improvements required to develop it, was passed over in favor of reusing the Bikini, Enewetak, and Nevada
Nevada Test Site
The Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
test sites. The atoll came under renewed consideration for use during Operation Dominic, but by that time the potential for political fallout from nuclear testing within a United Nations Trust Territory was deemed too great.
The atoll played a part in the disappearance of several men from Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. On February 11, 1979, Scott Moorman and four companions set sail from Hana harbor in a 17' Boston Whaler
Boston Whaler
Boston Whaler is a boat company that builds foam filled fiberglass boats. Boston whaler was founded in 1958 by Richard T Fisher, and is still in business today.-History of the Design:...
, and went missing in subsequent high seas. The boat and buried remains of Mr. Moorman were discovered on Bokak in 1988.
In 1988, the US firm Admiralty Pacific proposed to use the Bokak lagoon as a dump for millions of tons of solid waste. The proposal involved shipping 3.5 million tons of waste the first year and up to 25 million tons and 30 ships after five years.
In August, 2003, two ham radio enthusiasts from Texas camped on Sibylla Island for 76 hours to inaugurate the first Taongi ham station, call sign V73T, and assigned the IOTA reference number OC-263. The station transmitted from coordinates 14°36.574′N 168°59.977′E.
The Dominion of Melchizedek
Dominion of Melchizedek
The Dominion of Melchizedek is a micronation known for facilitating large scale banking fraud in many parts of the world. The president was Pearlasia Gamboa, wife of vice-president David Korem...
, an unrecognized micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
, claims sovereignty over Bokak, based on a 45 year lease allegedly granted by the Iroji Lablab.
Currently, historic remains include an abandoned camp/homestead, several wrecked ships and the remnant of the former World War Two Japanese communication outpost.
External links
- UNEP Protected Areas Program Profile
- Atoll Research Bulletin Archive Home Page
- U.S. Dept. of Energy OPENnet advanced search page, (search full text field on string "Taongi").
- Plants in the Marshall Islands, A Photo Essay
- Additional papers from DG406, Theories of Governance, Pacific Studies Program, PIAS-DG, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
- Lost Fishermen still cast shadow... (photos)
- Phantoms, A True Story
- A Taongi visitor's photolog