Bikini Atoll, in the northern Marshall Islands, entered world history in 1946 when the United States asked its 167 residents to leave “temporarily” so the atoll could be used to test atomic weapons. Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. detonated 23 nuclear devices at Bikini — including the 1954 Castle Bravo test, the largest ever exploded by the United States. The Bikinians were moved first to Rongerik, then Kwajalein, and finally to Kili Island, beginning decades of displacement, hardship, and unresolved efforts to safely return home.
The nuclear tests left the atoll’s lagoon littered with sunken warships — targets from Operation Crossroads in 1946, including the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and the Japanese battleship Nagato. From 1996 to 2008, the Bikini Atoll Council opened the lagoon to divers, and Bikini became a world-renowned wreck-diving destination, drawing roughly 2,500 divers to explore its “ghost fleet” before rising fuel costs and airline troubles forced the operation to close.
Today Bikini remains uninhabited. Radiation levels, while much reduced, still exceed what most resettlement plans consider safe, and the Bikinian people continue to live in exile — most in Kili, Ejit, and the United States.
FACT FILE
Number of Islets: 23. Population: A small number of maintenance workers, usually less than 10. Land Area: 3.4 square miles. Lagoon Area: 229.40 square miles. Yacht permit fee: Need to get permission from Bikini Atoll Local Government. Phone: (692) 625-3177. Mayor: Tommy Irujiman Jibok Nitijela Member: Jess Gasper Jr. (For details about the flag, see below.)
Pictured: Captain Robert S. Quakenbush (left), King Juda (right) and Commodore Spencer (center) aboard the USS Mt. McKinley the morning of Baker Day, July 25, 1946.
We will go believing that everything is in the hands of God.
— King Juda, the leader of the Bikini people
Book Corner
For the Good of Mankind: A History of the People of Bikini and Their Islands — Jack Niedenthal (2nd Edition)
Bikini Atoll was the site of a series of 23 nuclear detonations by the United States between 1946 and 1958. Former Bikini Liaison Officer Jack Niedenthal's history of that era draws heavily on oral testimony from the Bikinians themselves — beginning with the Sunday in February 1946 when Commodore Ben H. Wyatt asked the islanders to leave their atoll temporarily "for the good of mankind and to end all world wars," and King Juda answered, "We will go believing that everything is in the hands of God." The book follows the Bikinians from that first removal ahead of Operation Crossroads through decades of displacement — their struggle to make sense of the science reshaping their islands, alongside the day-to-day work of finding food, raising families, and holding onto their culture amid forces of the Cold War largely outside their control.
In their own words
"I thoroughly enjoyed the book, particularly reading the history of Bikini in the words of the people. The book assures that these traditional stories will be available for others to read, but perhaps most importantly, for younger generations of islanders."— Allen P. Stayman, U.S. Compact of Free Association Negotiator, 1999–2001
"A compelling account of the troubled history of the people of Bikini Atoll. Niedenthal's skillful use of oral history enables the Bikinians to tell much of their own story… a welcome and useful contribution to Pacific Islands studies."— Robert C. Kiste, Director, Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i
Find it on Amazon, or search for more editions and sellers here.
The above brochure was produced by Lust4Rust & Aquatic Adventures, which you can check out by going to Bikini Atoll | Pete Mesley Dive Excursions
THE FLAG OF THE PEOPLE OF BIKINI ATOLL
The 23 white stars in the field of blue in the upper left hand corner of the flag represent the islands of Bikini Atoll. The three black stars in the upper right of the flag represent the three islands that were vaporized by the March 1, 1954, 15 megaton hydrogen bomb blast, code named Bravo. The two black stars in the lower right hand corner represent where the Bikinians live now, Kili Island, 425 miles to the south of Bikini Atoll, and Ejit Island of Majuro Atoll. These two stars are symbolically far away from Bikini's stars on the flag as the islands are in real life (both in distance and quality of life). The Marshallese words running across the bottom of the flag, "MEN OTEMJEJ REJ ILO BEIN ANIJ" [Translation: "Everything is in the hands of God."], represent the words spoken in 1946 by the Bikinian leader, Juda, to U.S. Commodore Ben Wyatt when the American went to Bikini to ask the islanders--on a Sunday after church--to give up their islands for the 'good of all mankind' so that the U.S. could test nuclear weapons. The close resemblance of the Bikinian's flag to the flag of the United States is to remind the people and the government of America that a great debt is still owed by them to the people of Bikini.
BIKINIAN ANTHEM
No longer can I stay; it’s true.
No longer can I live in peace and harmony.
No longer can I rest on my sleeping mat and pillow
Because of my island and the life I once knew there.
The thought is overwhelming
Rendering me helpless and in great despair.
My spirit leaves, drifting around and far away
Where it becomes caught in a current of immense power –
And only then do I find tranquility.
Written in 1946 by Lore Kessibuki (1914-1994)
To dive Bikini Atoll you must contact Bikini Local Government for information on current visitation options and regulations: bikinijack@gmail.com
Return to Bikini Atoll
In 1973, three extended families and workers returned to Bikini Atoll to rebuild, believing it was safe after a declaration by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the 1960s. However, by 1975, monitoring revealed high radiation levels in their bodies, leading to their evacuation in 1978 and the conclusion that the atoll was uninhabitable." From the RiMajolOnline archive
