Pakin Atoll

Pakin lies some thirty kilometres northwest of Pohnpei, a small atoll with a handful of islets around a lagoon and a population of a few dozen people living on coconut, fish and what the boats bring. There is no shop, no power grid and no accommodation beyond staying with a family. The reef is in good condition and the lagoon is clear. Boats run irregularly from Kolonia.

Background

Pakin and nearby Ant Atoll together make up the Senyavin group. The people of Pakin all belong to the Mortlockese community of Sokehs. The community has its own traditional leaders, the Sounirek Pakein, and is organised as the Pakin Community Association, whose by-laws were signed on August 28, 2007. Nikahlap, the largest islet, holds a large Catholic church and Pakin Elementary School, and Painpwel, Wesetik, Mwanid and Olamwin are also lived on. Divers and snorkellers come for the atoll's waters. The first recorded European sighting came on 21 December 1595, from the Spanish ship San Jeronimo, commanded by Isabel Barreto with Pedro Fernández de Quirós as pilot.

Source: Wikipedia, "Pakin Atoll"

What you'll find

• The lagoon - clear shallow water enclosed by the reef.
• The islets - the small motus around the atoll rim.
• The community - a few dozen people living on subsistence.
• The reef - coral in better condition than around the main island.

When to go

December to March is the drier and calmer season. Boat crossings are cancelled in swell and are irregular in any season. Trade winds pick up from December.

Before you go

Getting there means arranging passage on an irregular boat, a rough three-hour crossing. Staying means being hosted by a family, with everything that implies. There are no facilities of any kind.

Nearby

Ant Atoll is southeast, and Pohnpei is southeast beyond it.

Key facts