Tag Archives: marshall islands

Castle Bravo Hydrogen Bomb

Rongelap and the Ghost Town

Rongelap is a fairly large atoll with 61 islets and a lagoon that is 1,000 sq. miles.  It is a beautiful atoll with crystal clear turquoise waters.  However, despite its beauty it has a rather sad history and a historic ghost town on the main island of Rongelap.

Rongelap Atoll is technically “uninhabited.” However, three caretakers stay 4 months at a time to do minor work in the village on the island of Rongelap.  After four months they are replaced by other caretakers.  The caretakers are tested for radioactivity before they leave and after they return.  All have exhibited small amounts of radiation.  Yet, they return year after year.

3 Caretakers at Rongelap during our visit

3 Caretakers at Rongelap during our visit

The caretakers live in three small containers that are formed in a “U” shape.  This despite the fact that there are 50 new homes that sit unused.  These workers have use of a truck, a small van, and a work boat.  The boats in the photos below were U.S. Army boats and sit unused.

They showed us their food supplies and remarkably they were well stocked.  But then again, they just loaded up when they arrived about a month ago (they still have 3-4 months to eat it all).

Rongelap’s History

So, what’s the deal and why is there a fairly new, unused town rotting away?  For the answer to this question, you need to understand the history of this atoll.

The Germans claimed Rongelap (and the rest of the Marshall Islands) in 1885. Then Japan claimed it after WWI, and then they came under the U.S. control after WWII.

On March 1, 1954 the U.S. detonated 15-megton hydrogen bomb called Castle Bravo at the Bikini atoll.  The government was “unaware” of the fallout to neighboring downwind islands such as Rongelap where hundreds of people resided. No warning was given to the Rongelap residents and a snowstorm of radioactivity exposed the unsuspecting islanders to a near lethal dose of radiation.  The result was Rongelap residents received a high sub-lethal dose of gamma radiation, extensive beta burns of the skin, and significant internal absorption of fission products. This causing several types of cancer, jellyfish babies, vomiting, diarrhea, skin burns, and hair loss.

My question is how could the U.S. government think that neighboring islands would not be effected when they are less than 80 miles away and downwind from the explosion?

Castle Bravo Hydrogen Bomb

Castle Bravo Hydrogen Bomb

The Timeline:

March 3, 1954: US evacuates Rongelap inhabitants to Kwajalein Atoll.  Two days after the explosion.

1957: Atomic Energy Commission declares Rongelap safe for re-habitation. US scientists note: “The habitation of these people on the island will afford most valuable ecological radiation data on human beings.”  The ugly truth revealed that there was no vegetation or animal life.  Locals survive off of the land, chickens, breadfruit, coconuts, pandanus, fishing.

The residents complain for years of health issues and beg the RMI and U.S. government to relocate them.  The U.S. government refused to relocate them. 

1985: The Rainbow Warrior ship (through Greenpeace) makes three trips to evacuate the Rongelap community to Kwajalein Atoll.  It took 10 days to move over 350 people (including 80 year old locals and newborns) and 100 tons of building material.  Joblessness, suicide, and overcrowding have become problems for the Rongelap residents who settled on Kwajalein.

1986: Nuclear test compensation approved, setting aside a $US150 million trust fund.

1996 U.S. paid an additional $45 million resettlement fee. Phase I resettlement program was initiated in 1998. Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed individual radiation protection monitoring programs for resettlement workers. The scientists also verified the effectiveness of cleanup measures.

U.S. Government (2005 and 2012) feels it has adequately compensated victims and denies further payment.  

The Start of the Ghost Town

2011: The U.S. visited Rongelap to investigate resettlement options.

2012: The U.S. funds construction which begins on 50 new homes, a pier, massive generators, fuel tanks, and a water treatment plant. The workers complete the power plant, water-making equipment, paved roads, airport, and 50 homes.

Workers treated land where homes and community facilities were located, following advice from the U.S. government.  They also scraped off the top 15 inches of top soil and replaced it crushed coral and rocks. Additionally, crop growing areas were doused with potassium fertilizer to block uptake of radioactive cesium-137 by the roots.

The officials had plans to build a medical clinic, school, and more village settlements.  However, they were never executed.

A few years later, Japan funded the construction of a small 4-bungalow resort.  The Japanese built the main facility with a bar/restaurant and the 4 bungalows. But it never opened.

The Ghost Town

These homes are some of the most beautiful homes we’ve seen in the Marshall Islands. I’d say more than 70% of the population live in shacks compared to these well-made homes with solid roofs.  They are all equipped with water tanks and window mounted AC units.

There each have 3 bedrooms, with granite counter tops, and stainless sinks. Some houses still have the window/door stickers, some still have the tyvek vapor barrier exposed.  Most homes have vegetation encroaching on them and gutters falling off.  They are going into disrepair without ever having inhabitants.

The Rongelap Beach Resort

The Japanese funded the construction of the Rongelap Beach Resort in 10-12 year ago.  They built the main building with a restaurant, bar, and outdoor seating. They also built 4 bungalows with kitchenettes, decks, and hot water tanks.  Once new and beautiful, now decrepit. Never occupied.

Some of the bungalows had bed frames, dresser, and even shower curtains….yet they sit empty and rotting.

More Unused Facilities

The U.S. built this beautiful, open-air airport with bathrooms, luggage storage area, check in desk, and waiting area.  But no planes come and this facility sits unused.

Local residents built this lovely little church in the 1970s.  So, it sits rotting away and slowly disintegrating. 

We found one of the original cemeteries for children.  After the bomb went off the women were giving birth to “jellyfish” babies who subsequently died.

Rotting Equipment

Workers left a lot of construction equipment to just rot.  

Workers dug out giant trenches in the coral and used it in the construction of the ghost town.  I took a photo at low tide (top) and at mid-tide (bottom).

The Problems

There are 4 main problems:

The U.S. claims Rongelap is ready for inhabitants to return.  However, Rongelap residents are afraid of the poison in the land and now flowing through the vegetation and wildlife.  They do not want to move back.  Seems to me the U.S. should have determined if anyone wanted to move back before building the village and spending hundreds of millions of dollars.

Several agencies have conducted various tests on the main island of Rongelap. However, nobody has tested any of the other 61 islands in the atoll.

The Rongelap irooj (owner/chief) receives a stipend for each displaced resident.  If any of the residents move back that money will go away.  Rumors are that the irooj is “encouraging” the Rongelap residents to remain in Majuro and Kwajalein. This is despite the residents desire to return to their home atoll.

Residents would need to be import their food by boat or plane.  With Rongelap being almost 400 miles away from Majuro it makes it difficult for the limited supply ships to visit. In addition, the local airline, Air Marshall Islands (owned by the Marshallese government) refuses to add Rongelap to its routes.

Links:

Our blog posts run 8-10 weeks behind actual live events.  We were in Rongelap in mid-January 2025. Don’t miss our last blog post on the beautiful atoll of Rongerik.

Exclusive Yacht Club in Rongerik

Rongerik is an uninhabited atoll.  The only visitors here are private yachts seeking solitude and remote beauty.

However, if you are in the know, you can find a hidden treasure on one of the small islands, tucked into the woods.  What kind of treasure? A small “yacht club.”  Seven years ago some very creative cruisers established a private space for future cruisers.  There are no coordinates, no markings, and no indication of a club.  You have to know exactly what island it is on and where it is located in order to find it.  It is not visible from the beach.

How it Started

Fishing floats, random items, and trash float up on to the windward side of every island of every atoll.  The clever cruisers gathered some items and the yacht club was born.  

Cruisers made the table from an old crate and fishing floats. The swing was made from a large fishing float cut in half and the RYC sign at the entry appears to be an old surfboard.  Then of course several floats with boat names and random items hidden in trees.

Please keep in mind that we are not leaving our trash behind, we simply took items off the shores and created this unique and interesting space to enjoy.

Matt and I wanted to scope out what already at the yacht club before we started our search. We were looking for unique items to mark our visit.  

It was great fun to recognize several of our friends that have been here over the years.

Some cruisers got super creative.  They made wind chimes, a seat, table, and more.

Go Big or Go Home.

We had a lot of different ideas.  But they all hinged on what we could find on the island.  We scored the best item!  Matt and I found HUGE 2′ 5″ long pair of binoculars. They had a 25 x 150 zoom!  Makes you wonder how big the ship was that they came from.

We had to schlep the binoculars 200 meters to the corner of the island. We picked them up with the dinghy and brought them closer to the club.

RYC Signage

Matt and I found a large piece of drift wood on the windward side of the island. It became the perfect canvas for a sign so we carried this drift wood back to the beach. My creative husband hand carved “Rongerik Yacht Club.”    I think this is super cool and it looks really sharp!

A New Hammock

We picked up a large net from a FAD and made a hammock.

Matt and I spent several days cleaning the space. We then hung our new sign, hammock, binoculars, and float. 

We are felt pretty proud of ourselves.  Hopefully, others will enjoy our contributions when they visit.

Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual live events.  The events from this blog post occurred in December 2025. 

Check out the Enchantment of Rongerik in our last blog post.

The Enchantment of Rongerik

Despite the hardships this beautiful atoll has endured over the last 80+ years it is one of the most beautiful places to visit.  We had the pleasure of visiting 8 of the 12 islands on the perimeter of the Rongerik Atoll.

This is our beautiful anchorage between Rongerik Island and Bird Island. Look at the various colors of blue!

Most of the island have this stunning pink sand on the lagoon side that has crystal clear turquoise waters lapping up their shores.

On the windward side (ocean side) you can find these pretty little pools of water with crabs, fish, and eels thriving.

A few of the islands have coral walls that put on an impressive water display when the waves crash against them.

Sand dollars covered one part of the beach on Rongerik Island. It was a treasure trove of beautiful shells.  I tried so hard to walk around them so as not to ruin the beauty for others.

Loads of Bird Colonies

One island has been apply named “Bird Island.”  However, most of the islands are heavily populated by a variety of birds, including boobies, frigates, terns, and oh so many more.  When humans come ashore, the birds become super curious. These birds are not used to seeing two legged creatures.  Many will fly right over your head or swoop down you to check you out.

We did our best to stay on the outer perimeter of the island – as close to the water’s edge as possible so as not to disturb the birds and their nests.

So Many Babies

The good news is that we came across many birds nests with 1-2 eggs in each nest.  I’d say half were on the ground and half in the trees.  The nests on the ground are a clear indication that there are no rates on the islands.  Check out this beautiful blue egg.

We also came across over a dozen infants and teenagers.  They are so cute when they are so fuzzy!  Yes, I have a very good zoom on my camera. We tried to always be 10 meters from the nest and the babies.

Turtle Nests

The other beauty about rat-less islands is the survival of the turtle nests.  We encountered so many nests but never saw any baby or mamma turtles.  

We came across an old ship wreck. Only the bow remains.

Our blog posts run 4-6 weeks behind actual events.  We were in Rongerik during the last week of December and early January 2025. Don’t miss out on our last blog post on The Haunted Past of the Northern Atolls.