Welcome to Nikunau!
Nikunau is a low coral atoll in the Gilbert Islands and forms a council district of the Republic of Kiribati. It consists of two parts, (the larger one in the northwest), joined by an isthmus about 150 meters (490 ft) wide.
There are several landlocked, hypersaline lagoons located within the island, measuring about 30 hectares (74 acres) in area. The island is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Vegetation on Nikunau is moderately dense and consists largely of coconut palms and pandanus. The population of the island is 1,789 Kain Nikunau I-Kiribati people. Typically, there are also a few other I-Kiribati there, working for the Republic Government or the Nikunau Island Council. From time to time United States Peace Corps and other I-Matang volunteers have been stationed there. Other external residents over the years have included castaways and beachcombers in the days of whaling and itinerant trading, Protestant Samoan pastors, traders, and agents running the island's trade stores and cooperatives (e.g. Andrew Turner, Tom Day, Frank Even, Kum Kee, Kwong), and Roman Catholic clergy.
Surf on Nikunau depends on location, but averages 2 ft to 8 ft in height. The tip of Nikunau, close to the airstrip, has the largest waves on the island. This is the point where two tides meet, clashing one wave with another, thus creating strong tides, waves, and currents.