On November 17, 1858, under Emperor Napoleon III, the French annexed
Clipperton. However, in 1897, Mexico reasserted its claim over the island and
established a Mexican garrison under the command of Ramon Arnaud, which
remained in place for many years. The conflict between Mexico and France over
the island was submitted to the arbitration of King Vittorio Emmanuel of Italy. It
was in February 1930 that the king of Italy finally declared in favor of France.
Debarking on the island it is not an easy task because a coral reef and the
constant swell makes any debarkation approach very risky. The N.O. Jean Charcot
stopped about 1 mile away from the coast, and a zodiac was put over-board. A
sailor piloted the zodiac and waited for us, so that I, along with the chief engineer
(Jacques Guillemin) plus another engineer from the engine room were the three
people who were able to visit this deserted outcrop. In the meantime, the ship
made a bathymetry survey around the Island.
Because of the swell, we could not approach too close to the shore with the
zodiac. Coral that could have damaged our inflatable boat covered the coastal area.
The sailor stopped the engine about 150 m from the sandy beach and we had to
swim the rest of the way. Both the chief engineer and his crewman from the engine
room dove in first and I followed them. I had my socks on and I had laced my
shoes together and hung them around my neck. It seemed that it took me forever to
reach the shore. When I finally arrived safely, without encountering any sharks, I
was very tired and I had lost my socks. I had to put my shoes on quickly because
the beach was full of red-colored coconut crabs that were not at all afraid to come
close to try to nibble our feet.
Prior to leaving the ship we had equipped ourselves with a small bag of cement
and a commemorative bronze plate indicating the passage of the N.O. JEAN
CHARCOT near the island. The plate was made on board and was going to be
sealed into the rocky outcrop on Clipperton Island.
The island hosted thousands of birds, mostly boobies, as is the case for the Islets
of St Peter and St Paul’s Rocks in the Atlantic Ocean. It seems that animal life can
develop extensively when humans are absent. In addition, a multitude of yellowpink colored crabs are always waiting along the sandy beach to greet any
adventurer. In 1968, when French scientists surveyed the island they estimated that
eleven million land crabs had once stripped the island of all plant life except for
the tall palm trees. The southern side of the Island is made-up of a 30 m high
volcanic trachytic (alkali enriched) outcrop covered by guano. The first petrographic study was made by Teall (1898) who identified the rock as a trachyte. Near
the rocky outcrop, there is a lake (lagoon) consisting of fresh water less than 50 m
deep, but the water also contains dissolved sulfates which give off a rotten egg
smell. The far northern end of the island consists of a coconut forest with an
abandoned wooden house. The wooden house was the site of tragedy that happened on this island at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Around 1905 the Mexicans had annexed the island and they sent a detachment
of soldiers with their wives. About 100 people were living in a Mexican army
garrison and some phosphate-mining people from a British company were also
living on the island, which was regularly supplied by ships from Mexico.
212
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation
Clipperton. However, in 1897, Mexico reasserted its claim over the island and
established a Mexican garrison under the command of Ramon Arnaud, which
remained in place for many years. The conflict between Mexico and France over
the island was submitted to the arbitration of King Vittorio Emmanuel of Italy. It
was in February 1930 that the king of Italy finally declared in favor of France.
Debarking on the island it is not an easy task because a coral reef and the
constant swell makes any debarkation approach very risky. The N.O. Jean Charcot
stopped about 1 mile away from the coast, and a zodiac was put over-board. A
sailor piloted the zodiac and waited for us, so that I, along with the chief engineer
(Jacques Guillemin) plus another engineer from the engine room were the three
people who were able to visit this deserted outcrop. In the meantime, the ship
made a bathymetry survey around the Island.
Because of the swell, we could not approach too close to the shore with the
zodiac. Coral that could have damaged our inflatable boat covered the coastal area.
The sailor stopped the engine about 150 m from the sandy beach and we had to
swim the rest of the way. Both the chief engineer and his crewman from the engine
room dove in first and I followed them. I had my socks on and I had laced my
shoes together and hung them around my neck. It seemed that it took me forever to
reach the shore. When I finally arrived safely, without encountering any sharks, I
was very tired and I had lost my socks. I had to put my shoes on quickly because
the beach was full of red-colored coconut crabs that were not at all afraid to come
close to try to nibble our feet.
Prior to leaving the ship we had equipped ourselves with a small bag of cement
and a commemorative bronze plate indicating the passage of the N.O. JEAN
CHARCOT near the island. The plate was made on board and was going to be
sealed into the rocky outcrop on Clipperton Island.
The island hosted thousands of birds, mostly boobies, as is the case for the Islets
of St Peter and St Paul’s Rocks in the Atlantic Ocean. It seems that animal life can
develop extensively when humans are absent. In addition, a multitude of yellowpink colored crabs are always waiting along the sandy beach to greet any
adventurer. In 1968, when French scientists surveyed the island they estimated that
eleven million land crabs had once stripped the island of all plant life except for
the tall palm trees. The southern side of the Island is made-up of a 30 m high
volcanic trachytic (alkali enriched) outcrop covered by guano. The first petrographic study was made by Teall (1898) who identified the rock as a trachyte. Near
the rocky outcrop, there is a lake (lagoon) consisting of fresh water less than 50 m
deep, but the water also contains dissolved sulfates which give off a rotten egg
smell. The far northern end of the island consists of a coconut forest with an
abandoned wooden house. The wooden house was the site of tragedy that happened on this island at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Around 1905 the Mexicans had annexed the island and they sent a detachment
of soldiers with their wives. About 100 people were living in a Mexican army
garrison and some phosphate-mining people from a British company were also
living on the island, which was regularly supplied by ships from Mexico.
212
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation