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From
the Press Room - January 2003 |
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A Visit to Rongelap |
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By Cherri Wood, Fort Myers News-Press - Waves |
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Southwest Florida in the summer is a great place to be but sometimes the
lure of a distant tropical paradise is more than a diver can resist. The
turquoise sea and sapphire blue sky of the distant Rongelap Atoll in the
Pacific waters of Micronesia promised adventure.
The Rongelap Atoll is one of 29 atolls in the central Pacific region
that make up the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). A 388 square
mile lagoon surrounded by a group of 61 islets with a combined land area
of only 3 square miles make up the Rongelap Atoll. The deep lagoon is
home to a myriad of sea creatures ranging from teeming nurseries of
microscopic sized fish to large predatory sharks gliding in from the
deep waters to hunt. Deep channels, carved by tidal flow, run from the
shallower lagoon into the darker blue ocean waters. Sloping walls fall
from shallow reef flats and drop into a deep abyss where pelagic fish
cruise, just out of a diver’s visibility but close enough to make a
heart beat just a little faster.
The story that makes this area unique began almost 50 years ago when the
people of Rongelap become unwilling partners in nuclear history
archives. The first hydrogen bomb test, codename Bravo, was being
conducted over 100 miles away. A sudden and unexpected change in wind
conditions caused inches of radioactive ash to be carried as far as
Rongelap and dropped on the islanders. The residents, some suffering
serious effects from the radiation, were temporarily relocated to
Kwajalein and then moved to Ejit Island on Majuro Atoll. Three years
later they were allowed to return to Rongelap where they lived until a
2nd evacuation to Mejatto Island on Kwajalein Atoll in 1985.
For almost 20 years the atoll has been home to only the coconut crabs
and birds living in the dense vegetation of coconut palms and banana
trees that carpet much of the land mass. No one has been fishing or
diving the waters of the lagoon and the sea life has thrived.
In recent years, scientists and government agencies have been working
toward a common goal of a safe return for the families who long to
return to their homeland. In 2003 the first families will end a journey
that began so many years ago when they return to Rongelap. Some of the
plans to help the islanders earn a living include the development of an
ecotourism resort that will encompass many activities such as scuba
diving, sport fishing, bird watching, hiking and ocean kayaking.
For several months, we had been working on development of websites for
the Rongelap Atoll Local Government and the Rongelap Tourism Company. An
invitation to visit the atoll to document and photograph the islands and
lagoon arrived from James Matayoshi, Mayor of Rongelap. Our visit took
place prior to the arrival of the newly acquired liveaboard ship, the
Oleanda and far ahead of the development of the actual resort, but
comfortable accommodations were available in the construction compound
and a small fishing boat was available to take us to the dive sites.
With the exception of some visiting scientists and the crew who placed
several mooring buoys in the lagoon, we four divers were the first to
venture onto the virgin reefs of Rongelap Atoll in over 20 years and
possibly longer.
The coral reefs of Rongelap Atoll have escaped the problems that our own
Florida reefs suffer as a result of population growth, industrialization
and runoff of fresh water and chemical pollutants. Each reef we visited
was healthy and alive. Thick fields of stag horn coral stretched from
the sandy bottom in layers. In many places the coral was so dense that
the top rose over 15 feet from the bottom and then rolled down into
valleys of deeper water. Colonies of small fish darted in and out of the
sharp coral spikes in flashes of gold and blue. Larger fish such as
Grouper, Snapper and Parrotfish were spotted so deep in the coral maze
that you wondered if they were destined to live there forever.
 Giant Tridacna clams erupted from every surface in sizes
ranging from 2 inches to 5 feet. Their soft mantles pulsate in colors of
bright neon blue and marbled tones of brown and gold as they gather
nutrients from the water flowing through them.
Unlike sea life in many populated areas of the reefs, the creatures of
Rongelap Atoll are not used to divers. Some of them appeared cautious
but not frightened when approached. Sharks, seen on every dive, were not
shy. As soon as a diver entered the water, one or two sharks would
cruise the area under the boat to watch the activity and then move
slowly out of vision as the diver settled on the bottom. The most
frequent visitors were Grey Reef, White Tip and Black Tip sharks and at
least one Thresher was spotted close by. They would periodically swim
over and around the diver and even venture through the stream of bubbles
on their trip to the surface. Occasionally, a shark would seem surprised
and would suddenly change course away from the diver as though it didn’t
expect to see something that large in its territory. The most
intimidating encounters occurred when divers ventured into some deeper
water where the sharks seemed more territorial. The sharks would
approach the diver or divers on a direct heading while making
side-to-side motions with their heads. At the last moment they would
veer to the side and frequently over the top of the diver and then
circle around for another approach. In these instances, it seemed
prudent to back away from the area and head somewhere that didn’t
encroach shark territory.
The Trade Winds usually become calmer by the end of May and in a lagoon
as large as Rongelap’s, there are always many places to dive or fish.
The constant breeze kept the air comfortable but also limited most of
the diving to the lagoon. The deep walls on the ocean side of the lagoon
are home to larger fish and more diverse coral growth than is typical on
the inside areas. A large boat such as the live aboard Oleanda will open
the possibilities but our small fishing boat wasn’t the craft to fight
the surge along the passes and walls.
The last few days of our adventure were filled with the activity of the
First Annual Rongelap Bill Fishing Tournament. Some of the best
fishermen in the Marshall Islands traveled to Rongelap. Most arrived via
a special charter flight from Majuro, the capital of the Marshall
Islands and some arrived on a ship that also transported 7 or 8
privately owned boats belonging to the hopeful winners. The two-day
tournament was hampered by the same windy conditions that plagued the
diving but the competitors managed to deliver a 310-pound Marlin to the
dock along with some impressive tuna, one Pacific Yellow Fin Tuna
weighing in at 112 pounds.
During our visit, our hosts showed us around their islands. They pointed
out the empty land areas that had been home to their parents and
grandparents many years ago and told us of their visions for the future.
They spoke of the elders who are anxious to return to their island to
finish out their final years and of the young families who have never
lived in the place they consider their homeland. One evening near the
end of our trip we gathered with our new friends who were preparing for
a celebration feast at the end of the fishing tournament. A small
ukulele appeared in the hands of the Mayor and we were treated to some
traditional island songs. Voices joined in the singing, all in harmony
as they told stories of the islands. At one point, we heard a tune that
was a little more familiar to us even in Rongelapese – the familiar
sound of “I want to Go Home” with the added phrase “to Rongelap” filled
the room.
The visit to Rongelap ended too soon – our last views of the pristine,
tropical islands seen through the cockpit view in a small plane. We had
many opportunities to experience the feelings and thoughts of the people
of this remote island state. We traveled halfway around the world for a
diving adventure but returned home with unexpected treasure – a memory
that will last a lifetime.
To learn more about Rongelap, visit their website at
www.visitrongelap.com |
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Photos:
Rongelap Atoll Local Government |
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