Heritage Expeditions

Geographical Information:

The Caroline Islands consist of 607 islands extending 1800 miles through the Pacific Ocean.

Physical features:

Most of the Islands comprise low, flat coral atolls, a few rise high above sea level.

Historical features:

First discovered by Europeans in 1527 by the Portuguese explorer Diego da Rocha who named them the Sequeira Islands. Admiral Lazeano named them the Carolines after the Spanish King Charles II in 1686.

Missionaries arrived in 1732 but it was not until 1875 that Spain made any attempts to assert her rights. Germany which had occupied Yap disputed the Spanish claim. Pope Leo XIII arbitrated finding in favor of Spain but gave Germany free trading rights. The Spanish did not occupy any island formally until 1886.

After the Spanish-American war of 1899 Spain sold the Islands to Germany. Japan occupied the islands in 1914 but after World War II they became Trust Territories of the United States of American eventually gaining independence.

Wildlife:

Eighteen restricted-range species of bird occur in the Carolines.  Thirteen species are endemic to the eco region, including the Truk monarch (Metabolus rugensis), the Pohnpei fantail (Rhipidura kubaryi), the Pohnpei mountain starling (Aplonis pelzeni), and the Pohnpei lory (Trichoglossus rubiginosus). Among the 29 recorded bird species on Pohnpei, 24 make extensive use of the upland forest habitat.

Click here for a detailed Bird Checklist