Jaluit Atoll

Jaluit in the southern Ralik chain was the administrative capital of the Marshalls under both the German and Japanese administrations, and the remains are there: foundations, seawalls, a hospital and the traces of a substantial town on Jabor islet. A typhoon in 1958 destroyed much of what was left. The atoll's lagoon is a conservation area with intact reef and a large seabird population. The atoll holds around ninety islets and the main settlement is on Jabor at the southern end. The lagoon is deep enough that ships once anchored inside it, which is part of why the capital was placed here.

History

The British merchant ship Rolla sighted Jaluit in 1803, and from 1888 to 1906 the Marshall Islands were run from here by the Jaluit Company on behalf of the German colonial government; Jaluit was long the islands' administrative seat and is now a conservation area and Ramsar wetland (Wikipedia, Jaluit Atoll).

Highlights

• The colonial remains - foundations and seawalls of the former capital.
• The Jabor islet town - the traces of the administrative centre.
• The conservation area - the protected lagoon and its reef.
• The seabirds - the colonies on the atoll's islets.

When to go

December to April is the drier season. Flights are small and irregular. The wet season brings heavier weather.

Things to know

Little survives above ground and the remains take local knowledge to find. Transport is irregular. There is no accommodation beyond community arrangements.

Nearby

Ailinglaplap is north, and Ebon is southwest.

Key facts