Enderbury Island Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Enderbury Island

Enderbury Island, also known as Ederbury or Guano Island, is a small, uninhabited Pacific atoll situated within the Republic of Kiribati. Positioned roughly 63 kilometers east-southeast of Kanton Island, the landmass measures approximately one mile wide by three miles long and is encircled by a fringing reef extending 60 to 200 meters outward. The terrain is flat and bare, with elevations rising between 15 and 22 feet above sea level. Unlike many neighboring atolls, the island is predominantly land, containing only a small lagoon.

The surface vegetation comprises low-growing plant life such as bunchgrass, herbs, sida, and morning-glory vines, along with isolated stands of kou trees and coconut palms. Non-native coconut palms originating from Manra, Orona, and Nikumaroro have also spread across the territory. Enderbury is a significant habitat for regional wildlife, serving as the primary nesting location for green sea turtles in the Phoenix Islands chain. Large populations of roosting seabirds inhabit the island alongside Polynesian rats, which were targeted by an eradication program in 2011. Feral cats previously inhabited the atoll but have since died out.

Surrounding the shorelines, marine surveys recorded an average live coral cover of 20 to 25 percent. Strong wave energy pounding the northern, eastern, and southern marine boundaries constantly fragments delicate branching and plating formations, accumulating coral rubble at the reef base. Encrusting and submassive species dominate these waters, with commonly identified corals including Pavona maldivensis, Leptastrea purpurea, Goniastrea stelligera, Favites pentagona, and Pocillopora verrucosa.

Discovered in 1823 by Captain James J. Coffin of the British whaling ship Transit, the island was named after London whaling merchant Samuel Enderby. Natural resource extraction defined its early modern history, with guano mining beginning in 1860 and peaking in 1870 under the Phoenix Guano Company before ending later that decade. Both Great Britain and the United States asserted sovereignty in the 1930s, leading to a joint condominium arrangement. A tiny group of American colonists resided on the island from 1938 until their evacuation in 1942, when all existing structures were cleared. Today, Enderbury is preserved as part of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.