Marutea Atoll Nord FP - An Uninhabited Atoll...Kind Of

Marutea Atoll Nord FP

Marutea Atoll Nord FP - Landsat ETM S-07-15_2000 Image (1:150,000)

A portion of the Landsat ETM+ image looks great, the other portion is cloud covered. If I had only used the Landsat image to create my EVS precision map, it would have been an incomplete effort. Fortunately, ISS imagery helped to fill in the gap.

Marutea Atoll Nord FP - ISS006E37438 Image Modified (1:150,000)

First I had to rotate the ISS image and georectify it to my Landsat base image. I was able to do it after much tweaking of the ISS image it was positioned properly for my mapping purposes. Many of the coral heads, which I classify as shallow reef, were derived from the ISS image.

Marutea Atoll Nord FP - EVs Precision Map (1-150,000)

And here is the finished map! If one requires hi-res imagery, it can be found in Google Earth. Located at the channel leading into the lagoon are a few houses. I suspect they are used by coconut or black pearl harvesters. Although the island is uninhabited, people frequent the atoll doing the things that people do, harvesting resources.

Looking at the DigitalGlobe imagery found in Google Earth, large stretches of the island appear to be without a sand covering. It looks as if the island was washed over by a typhoon or a storm surge. Perhaps someone with first hand knowledge might share more about this uninhabited atoll...kind of.

Enjoy!

Olimarao Atoll FM - A Northern Pacific Island Jewel and Uninhabited Too

Olimarao Atoll - DG Island Image from GE (=~1:25,000)

Olimarao Atoll - EEVS Precision Map (1:25,000)

After almost five years of EVS precision island mapping projects, countless comments from the curious and, most often, complimentary guests and thousands of hours of work aimed at making this website better...

1) I have struck a deal with a corporate "sugar daddy" that will pay me to make EVS and EEVS precision island maps as I see fit.

or

2) My wife finally put her foot down and instructed me to "shut it down"! I told her to back off and she left me for a younger, computer illiterate man.

or

3) I'm still making island maps, with my wife's blessing, and am still without a corporate "sugar daddy".

Okay, I'm at Option 3) and enjoying it. However, sometimes our complicated lives cause us to wish for profound simplicity. A place where one can get away from the pressures of "big city" living and spend a day making a single decision, that being to make no decisions.

By far, my most popular posts over the past few months have been about the challenge of locating and living on uninhabited islands. It started with my post "Thoughts - An Uninhabited Island and What You'll Need to Inhabit it 'Robinson Crusoe' Style" and continued with my post "Thoughts - How Many Uninhabited Islands in the World?". These two posts alone have generated over 1,000 page views. As the world's economies continue to struggle and the economically downtrodden victims hunt for ways out, a Google search of "uninhabited islands" will lead the desperate to my aforementioned posts.

Olimarao Atoll could be their Eden. The atoll is small, but affords one fairly secure anchorage near the large motu. The large amount of vegetation suggests an adequate supply of water, most probably in the form of a fresh water lens. The small size of the island might lead one to "island claustrophobia", manifest by a longing for continental security. However, according to the occasional yachtsperson stopping for a short stay, the island is beautiful beyond imagination. Could Olimarao Atoll be your Eden? More to follow...

Enjoy!

Thoughts - How Many Uninhabited Islands in the World?

First one must define island. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Part VIII:

1. An island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.

2. Except as provided for in paragraph 3, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory.

3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

Now how about nations with lots of islands? Let's list those: Sweden 221,800; Finland 179,584; Canada 53,000; Norway 50,000; Indonesia 17,504; Philippines 7,107; Greece 6,000; Japan 3,000 and Maldives 2,000. In just these nine island rich countries, over 500,000 islands are accounted for. Now for the good news for all of you folks that want to find your own uninhabited island. That place where you can get away from all of the worries of the world - an uninhabited island. Of the 500,000 islands located in these nine countries, only 11, 000 (2%) have a permanent population. That leaves 539,000 (98%) mostly very small islands that have zero population. So take heart all of you Robinson Crusoes, there is an uninhabited island just waiting for you to claim it.

Enjoy!

Thoughts - An Uninhabited Island and What You'll Need To Inhabit it "Robinson Crusoe" Style

A few days ago I received an email from a reader wanting to know the location of an uninhabited island far removed from the "cares of man". Actually, the person desires a habitable island that is currently uninhabited. In addition, it should be so far off the beaten track, no one visits it, ever!

I haven't answered the email directly, but I will answer it in this post.

Some Challenges of Living on an Uninhabited Island

You must have water! Three to five days without it and you are gone. On islands with vegetation, water does exist, most often in a fresh-water lens, a fragile structure that traps fresh water amidst sea water and rock. Since water is the most critical element for human survival, one must locate and tap into this water source and hope that it is stable (no mixing with sea water) and of sufficient size and quality to supply potable water at a rate necessary to sustain human, animal and flora life. Another source of water is rainfall. Of course one would develop their own rainwater catchment basin to collect nature's falling waters. To be completely safe, a portable saltwater to freshwater conversion device would be handy.

Once you have water, you need shelter and loads of shelter making tools. A shelter should allow one to escape the elements, when necessary. It should provide a secure resting place away from the creeping, crawling, buzzing and walking critters. It should keep you dry during rain and be a comfortable place to read a good book.

Food is next up. Your diet will be opportunistic - non-poisonous fish, coconuts, taro (if possible), breadfruit and any other edible plant or animal found on your paradise isle.

Learn how to make you own clothing. It is less about modesty and more about protection from the elements. If you really dig the "leather skin" look, minimal clothing will suffice. If you are an anti-skin cancer person, clothing and an umbrella are a necessity.

Let's see, we have water, shelter, food and fashion taken care of. How about medical attention? If you are off the beaten track, you become your own doctor and your own medical supply source. Try to account for every medical eventuality that might occur on your coral surrounded island home (and know that you won't) and supply appropriately. Be careful! If you are alone, a small "boo boo" can turn into a major medical problem fast. Know how to treat those common medical problems so that you can live a quality existence on your tropical isle.

Taongi Atoll - EVS Precision Map (1:110,000)

Let's discuss the merits of two types of uninhabited islands. The first and perhaps most romantic is the coral atoll. Taongi Atoll is uninhabited today. It is a possession of the Republic of Marshall Islands. It is located in the Radak Chain at their northern extreme. It is off the beaten path. The land area is of sufficient size to allow many, let alone one, to live in reasonable comfort. The weather is Pacific-balmy many months out of the year. When rain falls, it is enough to feed it's freshwater lens and should be of sufficient quantity to capture in your rainwater catchment basin. Taongi is covered with vegetation, which consists of native and non-native flora. One of your most important flora being coconut palms for food and shelter. It is a low island, not more than 5 to 10 meters above sea level. A good storm surge would swamp the island. A catagory-4 typhoon would do loads of damage. However, the vegetation and it's appearance suggests that this island is frequently spared the ravages of typhoons. However, it is visited occasionally by RMI islanders to gather copra. Perhaps when they arrive, you could hide.

Eiao Island - EEVS Precision Map (1:65,000)

Or you could head to Eiao Island. It is located at the northern end of the Marquesas. It is 8 x 3-miles and has an elevation of 500-meters plus. Is was inhabited, but is no longer. The island is overrun with feral animals (rats, goats, sheep, pigs, cattle and a few horses) and they eat the vegetation to the point of extinction. The island has a freshwater spring. The amount of standing vegetation suggest ample rainfall. This island is subject to droughts, so a freshwater catchment basin is a necessity. The same fundamental living challenges apply to a high island as they would to living on an atoll with one exception, the occasional typhoon will blow your house down and level trees, but you should survive as no storm surge will reach this island's heights.

Would I Want to be the Only Inhabitant on My Own Island?

When I was younger, yes, most definitely. I absolutely knew I could not only survive, but I would thrive. Now that I'm a mite bit older, I would still like to go, but with a large amount of the comforts of civilization along with a carefully selected group of friends and family. I won't share my list of "must-haves", but know that my shelter would rival that of the Swiss Family Robinson, the Disneyland version.

Enjoy!