United Kingdom
Henderson Island
Henderson Island is an isolated uplifted coral atoll known for its bird life.
The island is part of the Pitcairn Islands and lies in the South Pacific Ocean. The landscape consists of limestone cliffs, sandy beaches and forests. Due to a shortage of fresh water, it is not well-suited for human occupation. It has large breeding seabird colonies and all four land bird species are endemic to the island, including the flightless Henderson Crake.
Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Henderson Island (ID: 487)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
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Inscribed 1988
Site history
History of Henderson Island
- 1988: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Natural
- Criteria
- vii
- x
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- thesalmons.org — Visit to Henderson Island June, 1997
- visitpitcairn.pn — Henderson on Visit Pitcairn
News Article
- April 22, 2018 earthsky.org — This Pacific island is the most plastic-polluted place on Earth
- May 16, 2017 metro.co.uk — Henderson Island has more plastic rubbish than anywhere else
- Dec. 20, 2011 google.com — Campaigners hail bid to remove rats from Henderson
Community Information
- Community Category
- Natural landscape: Insular
Travel Information
Takes more than 5 days to visit
The shortest cruise calling on this Island takes 25 days; it fortunately also stops …
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “Tourist numbers are very limited” (IUCN Outlook 2020) At nearby Pitcairn island …
Recent Connections
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Perfect Inscriptions
1988 -
Plant WHS not in a CPD
"While the flora is also typically poor… -
Located in a TCC Territory
Pitcairn Island
Connections of Henderson Island
- Geography
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Polynesia
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Atoll
Raised Coral atoll -
Formerly inhabited islands
has archaeological remains of Polynesian settlement plus the occasional shipwrecked sailors/castaways! -
Dependent territories
Henderson is one of The Pitcairn Islands (officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands) that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. -
Pacific Ocean
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Uninhabited islands
"The island was settled by Polynesians – possibly as early as 800 AD – but by the 1600s it had been abandoned." (wiki) There is currently no on-site management (AB ev) -
Isolated WHS
1914 kms from Rapa Nui
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- History
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Castaways or shipwrecked mariners
The crew of the whaleship Essex, "wandering the ocean in open boats after the Essex had sunk following a collision with a sperm whale, landed briefly on the island, staying from December 20 to December 27, 1820. Three of the crew stayed and survived until their subsequent rescue on April 9, 1821 while their companions sailed for South America". (Wiki)
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- Ecology
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Turtles and tortoises
Green turtles occasionally nest on the east beach (UNEP-WCMC) -
Endemic Bird Species
Henderson Crake, Fruit Dove, Lorikeet, Warblber -
Coral
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Lagoons
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Whales
humpback whale -
Significant Karst Features
An outstanding example of early phase of karstification with intact natural processes, (AB ev)
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- World Heritage Process
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Perfect Inscriptions
1988
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Alliance for Zero Extinction
Pterodroma atrata (Henderson Petrel) -
Plant WHS not in a CPD
"While the flora is also typically poor with some 57 native vascular species recorded, these include six endemic species, three endemic varieties and another species endemic to Henderson and Pitcairn." (OUV) -
UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
Pitcairn - UK -
Located in a TCC Territory
Pitcairn Island -
Biodiversity hotspot
Polynesia-Micronesia
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- Timeline
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Early Pleistocene
Durch weitere vulkanische Aktivitäten, die vor 900.000 Jahren zum Entstehen der Insel Pitcairn geführt haben, erfolgte eine Verformung der Erdkruste derart, dass das Henderson-Atoll noch weiter über die Meeresoberfläche angehoben wurde. (Wiki)
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- Visiting conditions
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Takes more than 5 days to visit
The shortest cruise calling on this Island takes 25 days; it fortunately also stops at Easter Island (a 2nd WHS within 25 days) -
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “Tourist numbers are very limited” (IUCN Outlook 2020) At nearby Pitcairn island “ approximately 800-1,000 passengers set foot on the island annually” http://www.pitcairn.pn/Pitcairn%20Islands%20Economic%20Report%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf
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- WHS Names
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Named after individual people
British Capt. Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules, who re-discovered the island in 1819
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News
- earthsky.org 04/22/2018
- This Pacific island is the most pl…
- metro.co.uk 05/16/2017
- Henderson Island has more plastic …
- google.com 12/20/2011
- Campaigners hail bid to remove rat…
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