We are lucky to have adventurous guests like you; guests who believe in us and trust us to take you to the most remote corners of our planet. Who can say they have set foot on Bikini Island? Hand up: us, us, us, us, us!!!
As we saw in our 10 facts blog, the Marshall Islands are one of the least visited places on earth. Firstly, for most of us, it’s at least 3 flights just to get to Kwajalein. Then there’s the matter of the 27-hour cruise before you finally reach the wreck paradise that is Bikini Atoll Lagoon.
After all these efforts and determination, you will enjoy some of the most amazing wreck diving in the world. But you’ll also have the chance to join one of the highest-sought elite groups on earth. This is the group of people who have set foot on Bikini Island.
We can almost guarantee you that if you turn around right now and ask anyone who is within earshot, no one will have ever walked on that soil.
An afternoon off
During our diving trips in Bikini, it’s mandatory for our guests (and us) to take an afternoon off. Diving the nuclear fleet is not for the faint-hearted and we want to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all. So a break is good. This normally happens mid-trip and might be on day 6, 7 or 9 depending on the length of your itinerary.
After a morning dive and lunch, you will have the opportunity to take a land tour on Bikini Island followed by beach barbeque. You can of course just relax on board…but why would you miss this unique opportunity to set foot on Bikini Island?
On arrival at the pier, a truck is there to shuttle us to the village. The village is a couple of kilometers away. Bikini being Bikini, the truck sometimes breaks down. But no problem, you can reach the village in about 30 minutes on foot: it’s good to stretch the legs after having been onboard! Also, we can assure you you do not have to worry about the traffic.
The village
“The village” is understandably, somewhat quiet. though it still has the ancestral Bikini cemetery and two repair shops.
You can also see and visit the old diving resort. It opened in 1996, but closed again in 2000.
All the facilities are still there. It consists of the equipment shop, lounge and briefing building, guest rooms, dining and kitchen building, and staff accommodations.
The briefing building is the most interesting. You will still find books, white boards with dive plans, pictures, and a ping pong table still with paddles and balls.
You may also bump into the 7 island residents! 3 of the islanders are employees of the Department of Energy who are carrying out studies on the island. The other 4 are the custodians of the Bikini Council who keep things ticking over through regular maintenance.
You will see loads of old equipment scattered around the place while you’re on land. There are vehicles, boats, engines, buildings, a satellite dish, fully equipped workshops, fuel tanks, huge generators, and much more rusting equipment giving the place an eerie feeling.
We also visit an old bunker which is falling apart, but still cool to visit. There is an old 50’s era washing machine in there as well as some derelict furniture. The bunker remains are from the US nuclear testing in the 50’s as most of the infrastructure from the nuclear program of the 40’s were removed.
Using the facilities
We finish off the day in old school fashion with a BBQ prepared by our chef! We normally use the bar restaurant area of the old diving resort. A rather convenient place!
Stretching your legs on the amazing beach right in front of the resort, as the sun is setting, is an experience very few have enjoyed.It’s even made better with a few cold beers!
After mooching around for a while, we head back to the pier to return to the boat and tuck in for the night.
So strap on your flip-flops or sandals: join this elite group of people who can say they have set foot on Bikini Island beach!
