United Kingdom

Henderson Island

WHS Score 2.49 Votes 3 Average 3.17

Henderson Island is an isolated uplifted coral atoll known for its bird life.

The island is part of the Pitcairn Islands and lies in the South Pacific Ocean. The landscape consists of limestone cliffs, sandy beaches and forests. Due to a shortage of fresh water, it is not well-suited for human occupation. It has large breeding seabird colonies and all four land bird species are endemic to the island, including the flightless Henderson Crake.

Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far.

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Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Henderson Island (ID: 487)
Country
United Kingdom
Status
Inscribed 1988 Site history
History of Henderson Island
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • vii
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • April 22, 2018 earthsky.org — This Pacific island is the most plastic-polluted place on Earth
  • May 16, 2017 metro.co.uk — Henderson Island has more plastic rubbish than anywhere else
  • Dec. 20, 2011 google.com — Campaigners hail bid to remove rats from Henderson

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Insular
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “Tourist numbers are very limited” (IUCN Outlook 2020) …
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Takes more than 5 days to visit
The shortest cruise calling on this Island takes 25 days; …
Recent Connections
View all (24) .
Connections of Henderson Island
Geography
  • Dependent territories
    Henderson is one of The Pitcairn Islands (officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands) that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Uninhabited islands
    "The island was settled by Polynesians – possibly as early as 800 AD – but by the 1600s it had been abandoned." (wiki) There is currently no on-site management (AB ev)
  • Isolated WHS
    1914 kms from Rapa Nui
  • Polynesia
  • Formerly inhabited islands
    has archaeological remains of Polynesian settlement plus the occasional shipwrecked sailors/castaways!
  • Atoll
    Raised Coral atoll
History
  • Castaways or shipwrecked mariners
    The crew of the whaleship Essex, "wandering the ocean in open boats after the Essex had sunk following a collision with a sperm whale, landed briefly on the island, staying from December 20 to December 27, 1820. Three of the crew stayed and survived until their subsequent rescue on April 9, 1821 while their companions sailed for South America". (Wiki)
Ecology
Damaged
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Early Pleistocene
    Durch weitere vulkanische Aktivitäten, die vor 900.000 Jahren zum Entstehen der Insel Pitcairn geführt haben, erfolgte eine Verformung der Erdkruste derart, dass das Henderson-Atoll noch weiter über die Meeresoberfläche angehoben wurde. (Wiki)
Visiting conditions
  • One thousand visitors or fewer
    DD : “Tourist numbers are very limited” (IUCN Outlook 2020) At nearby Pitcairn island “ approximately 800-1,000 passengers set foot on the island annually” http://www.pitcairn.pn/Pitcairn%20Islands%20Economic%20Report%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf
  • Takes more than 5 days to visit
    The shortest cruise calling on this Island takes 25 days; it fortunately also stops at Easter Island (a 2nd WHS within 25 days)

    See cruise-international.com

WHS Names
News
earthsky.org 04/22/2018
This Pacific island is the most pl…
metro.co.uk 05/16/2017
Henderson Island has more plastic …
google.com 12/20/2011
Campaigners hail bid to remove rat…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

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