Orona
Orona atoll, also known as Hull Island, is one of the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati. It measures approximately 8.8 km (5 mi) by 4 km (2 mi), and like Kanton, is a narrow ribbon of land surrounding a sizable lagoon with depths of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft). Numerous passages connect the lagoon to the surrounding ocean, only a couple of which will admit even a small boat. Total land area is 3.9 km2 (2 sq mi), and the maximum elevation is nine metres.
Kiribati declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in 2006, with the park being expanded in 2008. The 164,200-square-mile (425,300-square-kilometer) marine reserve contains eight coral atolls including Orano.
Although occupied at various times during the past, including as late as 2004, Orona is uninhabited today.
Like Manra, Orona is covered with coconut palms (mostly on the western side), towering 12–18 metres (39–59 ft) above the surface. The remainder of the atoll is covered with scrub forest, herbs and grasses, with a maximum height of 6–12 metres (20–39 ft). Feral cats exist on the island, together with rats, pigs and dogs. Ducks and chickens were raised by the former inhabitants, but it is unknown whether any remain. Orona also boasts three species of lizards, land and hermit crabs, together with approximately fifty species of insects. Turtles are also known to use the island as a nesting area.
Unlike Manra, whose lagoon is too salty for marine life, Orona's lagoon teems with fish and giant clams.
A survey of Orona carried out in 2006 did not detect rats. However, in 2009 Polynesian rats were located on the island, as well as more than 20 cats.
Like Manra, Orona contains evidence of prehistoric Polynesian inhabitation. An ancient stone marae stands on the eastern tip of the island, together with ruins of shelters, graves and other platforms.
No one is certain who discovered Orona or when, but history shows that it was named "Hull Island" in honor of Commodore Isaac Hull, USN by Commander Charles Wilkes of the USS Vincennes when he visited the island on 26 August 1840 in the United States Exploring Expedition. It continued to be generally known by this name until the Republic of Kiribati was granted independence in 1979, when its name was changed to the I-Kiribati Orona.
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