lies kilometres east kilometres east total area square miles km2 includes miles long measured northeast southwest mile wide island composed westward edwards despite sparse vegetation known breeding ground number bird species world population murphy nests pairs red tailed fairy world population species discovered named rediscovered captain sent capture named island honour 3rd baron claimed united_states united_kingdom annexed december distance rarely visited today history island discovered spanish expedition led portuguese sailor january expedition began peru supported pope viii spain given command san fleet nicknamed reyes wise men objective expedition soldiers provisions establish colony eighteen discoveries trip named island roughly moon set day sighted islands named incarnation unclear henderson island confusion later compounded chart produced admiral marked island rediscovered named island march captain hms britain arrest bounty edwards named honour 3rd baron served earlier career turned northwards change course edwards sight islands group maintained course eventually reached found bounty crew essex whale attacked sunk november mistakenly believed reached month sea fact reached captain surrey searching survivors essex recorded landing arrived hms november wrote comprehensive description island expedition land members crew sailed small boats based survey admiralty chart island published nearly years available map island june mail ship ran aground island returning san_francisco peru unloading cargo way new orders calculated route passing miles east george left mate command half hour later mate saw white line disregarded assumption water later realising land avoid running aground failed look saying thought white land cloud crew unsuccessful attempts float ship master sailed ship boats assisted local inhabitants returned aboard american boat rescue rest crew incident later investigated court liverpool ultimate cause wreck left possible causes included calculation error master unknown current carried ship island court declared master guilty wrongdoing stone marker memorial inscription located landing point unveiled commemorate recovery anchor wreck lies offshore memorial stone metres water proposed island science later recommended major expeditions came island record include southeast oceania expedition recent expeditions include new expedition year sir produced sharks including rarely approached cruise ships landings year addition visits known dump island nearby waters sovereignty captain discovered considered british possession claimed united_states established territory deposits claimed possession long country despite claims territories based documents united_states united_kingdom recognised sovereignty claimed considered mere discovery island sufficient claim sovereignty formal act possession considered proper procedure claim rights territory ultimately united_states assert sovereignty claimed territories pacific order council island governed high commissioner fiji december commissioned captain group visited nearby islands annexed united_kingdom annexed procedure placed authority western pacific high commissioner stated dispatch assured islands considered frequently visited past claim contested grounds distance lack suitable boat navigate distance casting doubt visited august captain commander reaffirmed british sovereignty placing boards proclaiming island property king george islands thought valuable potential seaplane bases ceased effect british governor fiji appointed governor separate british colony new constitution enacted february establishing rest islands ruled governor designated british monarch presently july elizabeth_ii governor duty enforce provisions constitution geography lies miles east claimed southernmost world degrees south latitude degrees south latitude assertion behalf doubtful land area acres km2 maximum elevation occurring westward feet located miles west edge formed approximately million years ago formed later caused leak generated leak spread fracture zone formed movement henderson speculated southern consists westward edwards accessed foot low tide named visited expedition north east rim larger combined measuring acres long thin largely forested composed ridges coral rubble named ship wrecked south second largest composed sand coral rubble borders named lies immediately east characteristics named captain west smallest appears sandy distance soil composed coral rubble dead shells highest point rises feet average sea level named westward ship carried members expedition central accessible boat way channel yards wide located southwest maximum depth feet consists sand coral common caused tunnels drain water ocean flora vegetation sparse lack fresh water species plant currently known grow smallest island edwards forested recorded specimens found expedition expedition whitney south sea expedition grass found disappeared storm waves island time expedition dominates vegetation additionally number species algae including fauna populated species birds fish reptiles sparse living coral found dominant species family coral dead presumed killed cold water birds terrestrial birds found known breed birds recorded nesting include red billed red tailed fairy great masked red number species including blue brown lesser white recorded members family murphy christmas island particularly important murphy world population breeds pairs christmas world total population found island red tailed fairy breed world population species phoenix previously inhabited apparently disappeared whitney expedition scientific expedition island identified important bird area principally colonies murphy herald christmas fish fish species inhabit southeastern oceania indian_ocean noted poisonous fishes dangerous sharks yellow edged known cause poisoning inhabited sharks reef shark shark dangerous humans seldom aggressive provoked species found exclusively species henderson species unnamed species genus unnamed species genus sand lance terrestrial inhabit island include white photographed expedition reported journal expedition species uncertain thought possibly oceanic mourning scientific expedition found specimens mourning white known inhabit rat successful programme aid conservation bird species threatened increasing rat population green sea turtles feed seen breed
Ducie Island