Clipperton Island, an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean that holds a tragic story, power struggles, and a shocking dark history, making it known as ‘Hell in Paradise’.
Clipperton Island may sound foreign to many people, and that’s no wonder. The island has no major tourist attractions or permanent residents. Located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the island is only 8.9 km² in area. When measured from Paris, the distance is 10,677 km.
The island is shaped like a ring around a lagoon. However, the lagoon is devoid of fish because the water is considered eutrophic, meaning it contains very high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and minerals. As a result, many have described Clipperton as the “Scab of an Island” due to its barren and eerie coral.
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The island is only covered with vines and coconut trees. The occupants? Only schools of orange crabs and seabirds dominate the ecosystem.
An Island that is Contested by Many Countries
Although it looks unattractive, Clipperton Island was once fought over by several large countries such as Mexico, France, England, and the United States. Its strategic location for shipping routes and guano content (seabird droppings rich in phosphate) made it valuable.
During the rainy season, the island emits a pungent ammonia odor due to the piles of guano that fill the atoll area.
The island was first discovered in 1520 by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Then in 1711, France discovered and claimed this island as part of its territory.
However, in 1821, Mexico took control of the island, only to be reclaimed by France during the reign of Napoleon III. The United States also claimed Clipperton Island in 1892 under the Guano Islands Act.
At that time, guano was considered an extraordinary fertilizer of great value, so many countries competed to control it.
Clipperton Island in Modern Day
After much struggle, Clipperton Island eventually became a French overseas territory. Although it has no significant economic value today, the atoll’s existence gives France the right to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 425,000 km², equivalent to the size of Paraguay.
This water area is one of the richest fishing areas in the world, known as a tuna fishing paradise. Uniquely, France actually allows Mexican fishing vessels to operate in this area through a special agreement.
Hell in Heaven: The Dark Tragedy of Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island was once inhabited by a group of people who depended on food supplies from Mexican ships. As long as the ships came regularly, the residents felt like they were living in “paradise” with ample food supplies.
However, in the early 20th century, Mexico experienced political turmoil which caused the food supply to Clipperton Island to stop.
Conditions became very difficult. The island’s leader at the time, Captain Arnaud, tried to save his people by sending a coconut every week to the starving women and children.
Residents began hunting seabirds and catching crabs to survive. Unfortunately, many end up falling ill due to vitamin deficiencies and poor nutrition.
Two Versions of the Captain Arnaud Tragedy
There are two versions of the story about the fate of Captain Arnaud and his inhabitants:
The first version says that Arnaud saw a ship in the distance and invited the villagers to row their boats to approach it. Unfortunately, the ship was not there, and Arnaud and the villagers drowned when the boat capsized.
The second version tells that Arnaud and his group rowed towards a ship that was visible in the distance. However, strong ocean currents caused their boat to crash into the reef and killed all the passengers.
The Dark Story of a Lighthouse Keeper Who Became a Cruel ‘King’
From this tragedy, only 15 women and 1 lighthouse keeper named Victoriano Alvarez managed to survive.
Instead of protecting them, Alvarez instead appointed himself as ‘king’ of Clipperton Island. He ruled cruelly, used physical violence, and even treated women as objects of his lust.
Alvarez’s cruel actions ended in 1917, when one of the surviving women dared to stand up to him and kill the tyrant.
The Rescue That Shocked the World
Shortly after Alvarez’s death, an American ship that docked at Clipperton Island found the survivors in a terrible condition: emaciated and malnourished. Even so, the joy was evident on their faces at finally being free from their long suffering.
After this tragic event, Clipperton Island was left uninhabited for many years.
Clipperton Post World War II
In 1944, during World War II, the United States briefly occupied Clipperton Island and established a military base and weather monitoring center there. However, after the war ended, the island was abandoned again and became an uninhabited area.
Current Condition of Clipperton Island
Today, Clipperton Island is known as a remote, uninhabited area. The island’s environment has also been damaged due to pollution and lack of maintenance.
Despite this, the tragic tale and dark history surrounding Mauritius Island remains a story that is told from generation to generation.
Valuable Lessons from Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island is a living proof of how human greed can turn a peaceful place into a stage of suffering. The struggle for power, greed for natural resources, to the dark story of cruelty and starvation become a dark historical record.
This island may be small and uninhabited, but its stories hold valuable lessons about humanity, greed, and the desire to survive.
Clipperton Island proves that behind the stretch of white sand and clear sea water, sometimes there is a hidden sad story that touches the heart.
