Phoenix Islands

The Phoenix Islands are a remote group of eight atolls and coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean, forming part of the Republic of Kiribati. Located roughly 1,800 km southeast of the Gilbert Islands, they are among the most isolated island groups on Earth. The archipelago comprises Kanton (Abariringa), Orona, Enderbury, Nikumaroro, Birnie, Manra, McKean, and Rawaki — all of which are the exposed tops of submerged seamounts rising from the ocean floor.

The Phoenix Islands are virtually uninhabited. Kanton Island, the largest, hosts a small number of government workers in caretaker mode, but has no permanent civilian population. The other atolls are entirely unpopulated. The islands' extreme isolation has preserved them in a near-pristine state, with undisturbed coral reefs, seabird colonies, and marine ecosystems that are among the most intact anywhere in the Pacific.

The primary significance of the Phoenix Islands lies in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), the world's largest marine protected area, which covers 410,500 sq km of ocean and was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2010. The islands are seldom visited except by sailing yachts, research expeditions, and occasional charters.

The dry season from May to October offers the calmest seas and most predictable weather, making it the most practical window for visiting. The wet season from November to April brings stronger winds, higher seas, and occasional storms that can make the already difficult journey even more challenging. Water visibility for diving and snorkelling is generally best during the dry months. Given the extreme remoteness and limited transport options, any visit requires extensive advance planning regardless of season.

Inter-island movement within the Phoenix Islands is extremely limited. There are no roads, no vehicles, and no regular transport services of any kind between the atolls. Movement between islands requires a private vessel — typically a sailing yacht or chartered boat. Kanton Island has a lagoon and wharf that can accommodate small vessels, and its disused airstrip (a relic of its past as a Pan American Airways refuelling stop) provides limited access for research flights. The government supply ship visits Kanton a few times per year. On Kanton itself, getting around is by foot only.

• Kanton — The only island with any infrastructure, Kanton is the gateway to the Phoenix Islands, featuring a large lagoon, a disused historic airstrip, and the remnants of its 1930s–40s role as a trans-Pacific aviation waypoint.

There are no restaurants, markets, or food services in the Phoenix Islands. Any visitor must bring all food and drinking water with them. The islands support coconut palms and there is fish in the surrounding waters, but relying on local resources alone is not practical. Visitors on expedition vessels eat aboard their ships.

The Phoenix Islands have no permanent civilian population and therefore no living cultural traditions or festivals. Historically, several of the atolls were colonised in the 19th and early 20th centuries for copra (coconut) production, and Kanton was briefly settled during its aviation era. The I-Kiribati government workers on Kanton maintain a caretaker presence. The islands' cultural significance today is primarily tied to the Kiribati nation's stewardship of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area and its commitment to marine conservation.

• Diving in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area — The PIPA offers some of the most pristine and untouched coral reef diving on the planet, with large pelagic fish, sharks, manta rays, and vibrant coral ecosystems. Access is limited to research expeditions and rare charter voyages.
• Birdwatching on uninhabited atolls — The atolls host vast seabird colonies including terns, boobies, frigatebirds, and petrels, largely unaccustomed to human presence, making for extraordinary close encounters.
• Exploring Kanton's aviation history — The island's disused runway and Pan American Airways-era buildings are a tangible reminder of the golden age of trans-Pacific flying boats in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
• Sailing to one of Earth's most remote places — For experienced blue-water sailors, reaching the Phoenix Islands under sail is itself a significant achievement and a journey through some of the most remote ocean on the planet.
• Experiencing the world's largest marine protected area — Simply being within the PIPA's vast boundaries, surrounded by undisturbed ocean ecosystems, is a rare privilege available to very few people.