Expedition to Swains Atoll

Finally made it to Swains Atoll.   Swains Atoll is 360km north of Tutuila, about an 18hr boat ride.  Although it is part of American Samoa, it is actually part of the chain of islands belonging to Tokelau.  The Lady Naomi dropped us off on the island and came back to pick us up 6 days later.  

Swains is privately owned by the Jennings family but is also governed by the government of American Samoa.  The island was purchased by the Jennings family in 1856.  Most of the island was planted with coconuts for copra production.  The plantation has remained unmanaged for many years and no one is currently living on the island because of the difficulty in getting supplies to the island on regular basis.  Beautiful island but unfortunately I wasn't there for a vacation.  I had to walk all over the island for a mapping project.  Great fun busting ass on coconuts, peeling spider webs off my face, sweating, and being eaten alive by mosquitos.  Some photos of the trip....

Satellite image of Swains Atoll, showing the fringing reef flat 

and central lagoon along with my GPS tracks

Our transport to the island, the Lady Naomi

Arriving at the island

Our transport from the Lady Naomi to the island

Unloading equipment.  Everything had to be brought to the 

island on the small skiffs and then carried across the reef flat

The field camp

Photos of the lagoon in the middle of the island:

Graves and house of the Jennings family.  Eli Jennings and 

family originally settled on the island in 1856. 

around the island 

Never used to be scared of coconuts, until I came to this island. 

Every now and then you hear the beautiful sound 

of a coconut falling and smacking into the ground

Pandanus forest

Coconut crab

Thankful to be walking on the beach

Members of the Jennings family cleaning fish for dinner

Loading up for the return trip to Tutuila

Yes! your eyes are not deceiving you, that is an ATV 

with a person on it, floating on a homemade raft, 

and being pulled by a skiff to the Lady Naomi

Samoan ingenuity at it's best,  watch the 

video of the loading of the ATV, Samoan style

Departing the island

THE END