Rongelap, a former Spanish paradise from which people fled due to an invisible danger

On January 1, 1528, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra discovered an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, a paradise-like place.

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This atoll, along with three others (Ailinginae, Toke, and Utirik), was named as Islas de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Islands) when it was discovered very close to January 6, the Christian feast of Epiphany. Rongelap was part of the Spanish Empire for 357 years until the German Empire annexed the atoll along with the rest of the Marshall Islands in 1885. In 1914, the Japanese Empire took over the islands, which passed into the hands of the United States in 1944, until the Marshall Islands became independent in 1979.

The lives of the inhabitants of Rongelap changed forever on March 1, 1954. That day, the United States carried out the atomic test known as Castle Bravo on Bikini Atoll, about 125 km west of Rongelap. The atomic blast was more powerful than expected, and the inhabitants of Rongelap were affected by radioactive fallout that caused all kinds of illnesses. Evacuated to Kwajalein by the US government, the islanders were not able to return to their homes until 1957, when they were informed that Rongelap was now a safe place. They were lied to. For 28 years, the islanders suffered the terrible effects of radiation without the US government acknowledging the damage.

Finally, in the absence of government aid, in 1985 the environmental organization Greenpeace organized an evacuation of the 350 inhabitants of Rongelap, with three trips on its ship Rainbow Warrior to Kwajalein Atoll, where the inhabitants of Rongelap remain today. Today Kwajalein Atoll is uninhabited. Only three lifeguards remain there, taking turns checking for the effects of radiation. Last Sunday, Sailing Sweet Ruca posted a video visiting the atoll and showing its current state:

You can see some screenshots from this video here. Here we see an aerial view of the coast of this atoll. The sand at Rongelap is still suffering from the effects of radioactive fallout.

The sign of the old Rongelap Airport, now abandoned.

One of the abandoned homes on the atoll. The video even shows vehicles abandoned during the 1985 evacuation.

The interior of one of the atoll's abandoned homes. In some houses you can see photos of the former inhabitants, who left part of their lives behind at the time of evacuation.