ROBERT S. C.ANDEM 
Caroline Atoll Description 
Draft 
p.l 
C a roline Atoll is a long slender atoll nearly 7 
miles in length and about 1 mile across at its wide; 
est point. Its 1 southern island is situated 10° 
South and 150° West. The nearest land is Vostok 
Island 128 miles due West. Flint Island is also 
the same distance to the WSW/; There are 
no people on the island. 
A landing can be made just Norh of South Island 
where an old anchor stock can be seen in t he break 
ing surf. The barrier reef comes up suddenly and 
it is necessary to pull a small boat nearly }i of a 
mile to dry landl 
There are more than 30 small islets in addition 
to the 2 major islands at each end of the atoll. 
The lagoon is clogged with many coral heads making 
passage impossible at low tide. In two places it 
is more than a mile between islets, but the barrier 
reef which completely surrounds the atoll is enough 
t 4 
to stop outside wave action from reaching the 
la goon.. ^here is , however, .plenty of live cora. 
in Ihe lagoon. Shallow coral usually extends inward 
00 ^ , . .. 
from the reef, all the way to the la goon making it 
possible to walk between all the islands without 
going into the water more.than waist deep. 
The isl nds and islets are all low and covered w: 
with J focom^ a nd Corj jja trees. The 
vggetation is thick and where trees are scarce 
fljesserschmittia is dominant. 
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