Gagan Island is an extremely small island (just over 6 acres) on Kwajalein Atoll's east reef, about 10 miles south of Roi-Namur. This is a collage of photos I shot from atop the splash detection radar tower, looking north along the reef toward Roi.
Gagan's missile tracking systems: (from left to right) The abandoned Splash Detection Radar, the telemetry receiver, the Super RADOT, Spectral Camera, and BC-4 Ballistic Camera.
I worked one or two Minuteman reentry missions here at the Super RADOT.
Once when I was at Gagan the entire island was covered with red crabs, and when I say covered, I mean COVERED! I'd say there were at least 20 crabs per square ft. of island! There were millions of them, and every inch of ground was covered with crab!
Another view of the tracking stations at Gagan, taken while I was snorkeling in the lagoon.
I once spent an entire weekend on Gagan Island. A strange antenna and receiver was set-up there for a few weeks, and it needed to be monitored. So one Friday afternoon the helicopter dropped me and another of the Optics technicians off at Gagan. We stayed on the island until Monday morning when the chopper arrived again.
The only "work" we had to do all weekend was check a meter every 6 hrs. to see if it was in the green. If it was in the red we were to call a telephone number and inform whoever answered, and they would deal with the problem. We never had to call.
The low tides were especially low that weekend, and I spent quite a while exploring the tidal pools and exposed reef.
Scuba tanks weren't allowed on the helicopters, but we took snorkeling gear. I spent quite a while in the water on the lagoon side of the island. I remember seeing, just in the area near the dock, three small sharks, a school of squid, an octopus, and several barracuda.
These big urchins seemed to be everywhere on the reef at Gagan.
At each end of the island there was a small jungle. The one at the south end was especially thick, and lots of birds lived there. Late one night I went into that jungle with a very bright flashlight and was immediately attacked by a flock of birds! Awakened by my presence and my light the disoriented birds were launching themselves from their roosts and slowly but frantically flying, almost hovering, toward me. I soon realized that they were attempting to fly through the lens of my light! I have no idea why.
Text and Photos © 1985 by Bob Hampton All Rights Reserved