Carondelet Reef
Encyclopedia
Carondelet Reef is a horseshoe-shaped reef
of the Phoenix Islands
, also known as the Rawaki Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati
. It is located 106 km southeast of Nikumaroro
, at 05°34′S 173°51′W, and has a least depth of 1.8 meters. It is reported to be approximately 1.5 km in length. The sea occasionally breaks over it.
. It had been previously referred to as Carondelet reef before the USS Carondelet was named and commissioned, as mentioned in a report of the air search for Amelia Earhart
dated 16 July 1937.
The multiple positions of Winslow Reef, mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson
, may have been due to confusing the position of Carondelet Reef with Winslow Reef.
as an underwater nauture reserve.
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
of the Phoenix Islands
Phoenix Islands
The Phoenix Islands are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs, lying in the central Pacific Ocean east of the Gilbert Islands and west of the Line Islands. They are a part of the Republic of Kiribati. During the late 1930s they became the site of the last attempted colonial...
, also known as the Rawaki Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
. It is located 106 km southeast of Nikumaroro
Nikumaroro
Nikumaroro, or Gardner Island, is part of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati, in the western Pacific Ocean. It is a remote, elongated, triangular coral atoll with profuse vegetation and a large central marine lagoon. Nikumaroro is approximately 6 km long by less than 2 km wide...
, at 05°34′S 173°51′W, and has a least depth of 1.8 meters. It is reported to be approximately 1.5 km in length. The sea occasionally breaks over it.
History and Name
Carondelet Reef was named after the vessel which reported it, which was not the USS CarondeletUSS Carondelet (IX-136)
USS Carondelet was a tanker and served in the United States Navy during World War II.The second Carondelet was built in 1921 by Societa Esercizio Bacini, Riva Trigossa, Italy, as Brennero ; transferred from the War Shipping Administration on 24 February 1944; and commissioned on 4 April 1944,...
. It had been previously referred to as Carondelet reef before the USS Carondelet was named and commissioned, as mentioned in a report of the air search for Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
dated 16 July 1937.
The multiple positions of Winslow Reef, mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, may have been due to confusing the position of Carondelet Reef with Winslow Reef.
Status
The reef is part of the Phoenix Islands Protected AreaPhoenix Islands Protected Area
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area is located in the Republic of Kiribati, an ocean nation in the central Pacific approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii. PIPA constitutes 11.34% of Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic Zone and with a size of it is the largest marine protected area in the...
as an underwater nauture reserve.