Bokolap Island Majuro is one of the most popular diving destinations in the Marshall Islands. The beauty of the waters around the island have turned it into a major tourist spot.
Location
Majuro is the capital of the Marshall Islands. The islands are in the center of the Pacific Ocean to the north of the Equator and west of the IDL. The islands are accessible by plane.
What to See
The island is an excellent dive site. It is filled with schools of colorful fish. There are also many types of corals to be seen. The depth ranges from 20 to 120 feet. There are also four types of anemone species at the dive site.
The waters also boast of 3 species of lionfish and three species of clownfish. The dive site is also home to the nudibranch and the Harlequin shrimp. The Bokolap Island Majuro is also home to thousands of other kinds of fish.
History
The Micronesians have been inhabiting the islands since the 2nd millennium. The Europeans started coming to the island in the 1500s and the 1700s. After World War II, control of the islands was wrestled from the Japanese by the US. The islands were annexed by the US by virtue of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
After World War II, several of the islands became nuclear weapon testing sites. 1946 to 1958 saw the US conduct tests with 67 nuclear weapons. The test the US conducted in Castle Bravo was the largest ever done by America.
In 1952, the US tested their first hydrogen bomb code named Ivy Mike. It was detonated on the island of Elugelab in the Enewetak atoll. The island was completely destroyed. In 1979, the island became self-governing.
Cost
Majuro is small enough to explore by walking. But there are cabs and rental cars available. The car rentals cost about 60 USD a day.
Other Info
Visitors to the site will also see the wreckage of a World War II US torpedo plane. The aircraft was gunned down by anti aircraft fire. The Avenger crashed on the island and ended up in a lagoon. The plane can still be seen in the waters today. The tail portion can still be seen.
When you are diving at the Bokolap Island Majuro, you will also see three striped Marshallese clown-fish. You can find it at the 115 FSW. The starboard is topped by coral debris.
