Inside Palmyra Atoll, America’s Most Remote ‘Secret’ Island in the Pacific (Video)
About 1,000 miles due south of Hawaii, sitting out in the South Pacific Ocean, there lies one of the most remote and untouched places on earth: Palmyra Atoll.
It’s a curious place, both geographically and administratively. The low-lying island is totally isolated, making it home to a host of tropical wildlife including sharks, manta rays, giant clams, and a variety of seabirds. It’s also controlled by the United States, once serving as a naval base during World War II, and yet, visiting Palmyra is extremely restricted.
Below, take a peek inside the mystery and magic of Palmyra Atoll.
The video caption reads:
“Deep in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a small chain of islands so remote that its nearest continental neighbor is over 3,000 miles away. It’s a place where the norms of modern American life are instead replaced by a million seabirds and the gentle rustling of coconut palms. This is the US territory of Palmyra Atoll. And because of a unique set of circumstances, it stands as one of the most isolated, pristine, and inaccessible places on the planet. Not even American citizens can easily visit.”
How does one visit Palmyra? It is possible. And for a select few, people can even spend extended periods of time there serving as stewards. Per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
"Public access to Palmyra Atoll is self-limiting due to the very high expense and difficulty of traveling to such a remote destination. The Nature Conservancy owns and operates the only airplane runway on Palmyra and by boat, it's a five to seven day sailing trip from Honolulu.
"With prior approval by the USFWS, privately owned vessels are permitted access to the atoll for up to seven days to see and enjoy the natural resources of the refuge. A maximum of two vessels are allowed at one time and no more than six vessels may visit in a single month. As no dumping of any kind is allowed within the refuge, private vessels must have sufficient holding tanks for all black and gray water to accommodate their needs throughout the entire length of stay."
So, when it comes to visiting Palmyra, that’s a very rare experience for the general public. It’s limited to volunteer work, scientific research, private donors, and so on. However, despite the exclusive access, surfing’s three-time world champ John John Florence (along with his slab-slaying brother, Nathan) visited the remote atoll a few years back.
And what they found was truly magical; relive their adventure below: