Clipperton Island or, Île de la Passion, is an uninhabited nine-square-kilometre coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Central America. It is an overseas possession of France under direct authority of the Minister of Overseas France.
Clipperton’s name comes from John Clipperton, an English pirate and privateer who fought the Spanish during the early 18th century, and is said to have passed by the island. Some others say he used the island as a hidden base for his raids on shipping, yet there is no documentary evidence for this.The name Île de la Passion (English: Passion Island) was officially given in 1711 by French discoverers Martin de Chassiron and Michel Du Bocage, commanding the French ships La Princesse and La Découverte, who reached the island, drew the first map, and annexed it to France. Captions: Wikipedia. Photo source: Shannon Rankin, NOAA
Excerpts;
Though this French overseas territory is now considered a marine protected area, it still faces threats from overfishing, with sharks and other large marine life nearly vanishing.
Clipperton is located in a zone known as the ETP (Eastern Tropical Pacific). It lies 870 miles (1400 km) off the west coast of Mexico, on the same latitude as northern Costa Rica. San Jose del Cabo, on the tip of Baja Peninsula, will be the departure point of our expedition. The atoll is only accessible by boat.
Aside from its location, which has earned it the title of most isolated atoll on the planet, Clipperton’s history is surprising and complex…
Read Full Article; Padi2 (04-17-2017)
Île de la Passion ou Île de Clipperton
L’atoll ne comporte aucune population humaine permanente.
