Fanning Island

Tuesday, October 16th
South Pacific
Day 16
ms Westerdam
Fanning Island, Kiribati
Arriving:  8:00 AM
Departing:  5:00 PM
Partly Cloudy - 82 Degrees

Happy Monday to all of you back at home, and Hello from Tuesday.

We have decided to skip Monday, October 15th, 2012.  Never happened.  Not going to happen.

We crossed the International Date Line Westbound last night, going directly from Sunday, the 14th, to Tuesday, the 16th.  Pretty cool if the 15th is a birthday you don't want to celebrate, and you're in the clear if you are a suspect in a crime that was committed on the 15th.  We should have passed through here on April 15th.

We are all familiar with the concept of time zones.  We move our watches ahead one hour as we travel from time zone to time zone traveling East, and back one hour for each time zone traveling West.  As we move through time and space, we have to make sure that the sun is always high in the sky at noon, regardless of where we are.  The Prime Meridian at 0 degrees longitude is where we start counting time zones.  That imaginary line on the other side of the planet defines Universal Time.  So what happens if you and I meet at the Prime Meridian, and we both start traveling at the same rate of speed in the opposite direction?  You go East and add one hour for each time zone you travel, and I go West and subtract one hour for each time zone I travel.  We will meet back up at the International Date Line, at 180 Degrees Longitude, having each traveled half way around the world.  You are just on the West side of the line, I am just on the East side.  So, what time is it?  You, and I, and the sun, will all agree it's the same time.  But, what day is it?  You have been moving time ahead all day, while I have been moving it back.  You are starting tomorrow, but I am back at the beginning of today.  If we trade places, I lose today entirely, and start living tomorrow, while you will start today all over again, living through it for a second time.  Crazy!!!

Now that we have time and space figured out, let's look at the geology of South Pacific Islands.  As we understand it, and don't quote us on this, here is how an island is made:

A volcanic hotspot on the ocean floor begins to erupt lava.

The lava cools and begins to form the base of a volcano.

The volcano grows and grows, ultimately rising above the surface of the ocean, creating an island.

The volcano continues to erupt and the island continues to grow.  As the Earth's crust shifts, eventually the new island moves beyond the volcanic hotspot.  The volcano goes dormant and the island stops growing.

Under the waterline, just out from the shore, coral begins to grow.  The little coral animals secrete limestone and a coral reef forms all the way around the island.

As the coral grows, the island begins to sink under its own weight.  The part of the island above the water gets smaller, but the coral keeps growing.  Soon, there is an outer ring of coral reef fringing the island and framing a lagoon between the coral and the island.

Soil begins to collect on the exposed reef and an atoll is created.  Eventually, the island sinks completely and all that's left is the perfect lagoon protected by the atoll that encircles it.

Fanning Island is in the final stage of this process, an atoll surrounding a lagoon.  The atoll was an unbroken circle, the lagoon isolated, when it was formally claimed in the name of Great Britain in 1888.  The Britts cut a passage through the atoll into the lagoon.  They call it...The English Chanel.  From the air, Fanning Island is in the shape of your right foot.  It is beautiful.  In fact, it's adoratoll!!!

Fanning Atoll, known in the local Gilbertese as Tabuaeran, is in the Line Islands of Kiribati.  There was no native population, the islands of Kiribati were uninhabited until settled by migrating Polynesians beginning about 200 years ago.  Now, just 2,500 people live here on land that peaks at ten feet above sea level at high tide.  There are no wires and no pipes here.  The lagoon is kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom.

The cruise industry has been both boom and bust to this remote island community.  The Jones Act of the United States was enacted to protect the domestic ship-building industry, an industry which has largely disappeared.  The Act requires that foreign-flagged vessels must call on a foreign port in between embarking and disembarking guests at American Ports.  When Norwegian Cruise Line started cruising in the Hawaiian Islands, they needed to add a foreign port of call to the itineraries of their foreign-flagged vessels.  Fanning Island is the closest foreign territory to Hawaii.  Norwegian invested heavily in the island.  They built a pier, support facilities, employee housing with indoor plumbing, and the largest generator on the island.  They built a school and a health clinic to serve the local population.  And then, they left.  Norwegian launched three American-flagged vessels to cruise Hawaii, so they no longer needed a foreign port to satisfy the Jones Act.  Once again, Fanning Island was isolated, a suply ship visiting just once a month, the new facilities falling into disrepair.

Since 2010, Holland America Line, and sister line Seaborne, have started calling on Fanning Island on a limited basis.  These are humanitarian efforts, as well as tourist calls.  The ships deliver supplies very much in need on the island, and passengers are encouraged to contribute as well, by buying local handicrafts and making donations.  Our Travel Guide, Julia, gives a presentation about each of our ports of call.  She was very clear about two things as we visit Fanning Island:  First, these people are not to be pitied or looked down upon.  They are happy and proud people, unashamed by their circumstances, and unenvious of ours.  Second, we must be thoughtful about our donations.  There is no garbage service on the island, so packaging should be minimal.  They don't need tiny soaps and bottles of shampoo, or pillow chocolates wrapped in gold foil, from the ship.

While Julia put our visit here in proper perspective, this still has the feel of a visit to the people zoo.  This is not an equal and open cultural exchange.  We are here to point and stare, and we want no part of it.  We support the humanitarian efforts of the ship and our fellow passengers, but we stayed on board, and enjoyed the view of the island.

Next Stop:  The Cook Islands