Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island, also known as Île de la Passion, is an exceptionally isolated French atoll in the eastern Pacific, roughly 1,280 km southwest of Mexico. Only about 1.7 km² of land rises above the ocean, forming a narrow coral ring around a closed, brackish lagoon. There are no permanent inhabitants or settlements. The atoll's isolation has allowed unusual marine and terrestrial ecosystems to develop, although introduced species and human activity have altered parts of the environment. Clipperton is now protected and primarily serves as a site for scientific and environmental research. Its combination of extreme isolation, coral reefs and a closed lagoon makes it geographically unusual even among Pacific islands.
Overview
Clipperton is exceptionally important for seabirds, despite its tiny land area. It supports one of the world's most important breeding colonies of Masked Booby, alongside large numbers of Brown Booby, with smaller colonies of Red-footed Booby, Great Frigatebird, terns and Wedge-tailed Shearwater. The lagoon also attracts occasional migrant birds from North America, making the atoll interesting beyond its breeding seabirds. For birders, however, Clipperton is essentially a scientific expedition destination rather than a conventional tourism site. Access, landing and even anchoring require prior authorization from the French authorities, and visits are extremely rare.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocos Booby Sula brewsteri | 7.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 18.8% |
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Nazca Booby Sula granti | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| American Coot Fulica americana | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
| Blue-billed White-Tern Gygis candida | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
| Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
| Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | 6.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Red-footed Booby Sula sula | 3.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 17.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 20.3% |
| Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 20.3% |