Pacific Drifters

Stroll along the windward ocean shoreline of any atoll or island in Micronesia and the high tide mark resembles a children’s paint box of colors: Yellow foam floats, red plastic jugs, tangles of blue nylon rope, black flip-flops and a slew of multi-colored objects that often defy description.

The ‘spatters of paint’ have floated in on the breeze and ocean swells, cluttering the shores with debris. But it’s not just decrepit objects that drift around this region that covers the size of the continental United States: For many months of the year, out in the relentless sea are people drifting in small boats, their fate up to their wits, the winds and the currents. Power boats swirl; precious glass balls bob along; and “pillows of powder” pound their way for thousands of miles.

The most astonishing tale of drifting the Pacific came to light shortly after August 9, 2006, when the captain of the Marshall Islands-registered fishing boat Koo’s 102 reported that they had discovered three Mexicans drifting in a 27-foot boat in Kiribati waters, nine months and nine days after the trio had left their home town of San Blas.

The world’s press was entranced by this incredible voyage. How could Salvador Ordonez, Jesus Vidana Lopez, and Lucio Rendon endure the hardships they encountered as they drifted over 5,000 miles of ocean? Koo’s 102 Captain Ching-sheng Tien was not so amazed, having witnessed drifters on a number of occasions. So nonchalant was he, that after picking up the trio and their boat and concluding they were not in immediate medical danger, it was business as usual and he continued to fish, taking the ship southwest hundreds of miles to the vicinity of Nauru.

Salvador Ordonez, Lucio Rendon, and Jesus Lopez sit on the deck of the Marshall Islands-registered Koo's 102 fishing boat and tell the tale of their incredible voyage. Photo: Karen Earnshaw

By now the media was in a frenzy, scraping up every bit of information they could about the Mexicans’ adventure. The story appeared on a Taiwanese television channel and was watched by ship owner Kuan-min Koo—a senior advisor to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian. He ordered the Koo’s 102 back to its home port of Majuro, capital of the Marshall Islands. There Salvador, Jesus and Lucio told their story of surviving by catching seabirds, fish, and water, and eating the barnacles and algae they scraped from the side of the hull. In October, an Atlanta-based company called Ezekiel 22 reportedly bought the rights to their story and a number of movie houses are said to be vying for the right to make a film of the journey .

Just weeks after their rescue, yet another extraordinary tale of survival unfolded when a group of four Chuukese were spotted on September 3 by the Marshall Islands Fishing Venture boat Fu Yuan Yu 047 43 miles south of Ebon Atoll and then brought to Majuro.

Politician Tender Haser, his wife Ritako, captain Johnny Asael (Haser’s uncle) and his nephew Jeremy Jenny were traveling through Chuuk’s Mortlock Islands from their home island of Oneop on Lukunor Atoll so that Tender could hold public meetings in his campaign to run for congress in the FSM’s national election in March this year. The group left Satowan at 3pm on August 2 headed back to Oneop, about 20 miles away, when a storm blew in, pushing them off course. The group had 15 gallons of fuel for their 40hp outboard, some fishing gear; a knife. some basic food and spare clothes. Johnny said that when he realized he was down to five gallons of fuel he turned off the motor and their long drift began.

Chuukese Ritako and Tender Haser relax at the Marshall Islands Resort after drifting for 33 days in a small open boat. Photo: Karen Earnshaw

“After four days we twice saw a green military plane that seemed to be searching for us,” Johnny said, so they tied a yellow skirt and a red towel to a wooden pole and waved it at the plane, “but they didn’t see us.”

On the fifth day, the drifters saw an Asian fishing boat and elected to use their remaining five gallons of fuel to run up to the boat. Relief then turned to despair as they managed to get within 25 feet of the huge refrigeration vessel, its crew staring down at their little boat, only to have it power away.

Over the following weeks, the group saw five other ships in the distance, as they struggled though some huge waves: “They were the biggest waves I’ve ever seen,” said Tender. “They must have been over 15 feet.” During their voyage, Jeremy, 18, and Ritako, 39, spent most of their hours awake fishing. “Tuesdays was our lucky day for fish,” she said.

The Chuukese were adrift for 33 days before they were found by the Fu Yuan Yu 047.

During the past year or so, three other groups of drifters were picked up by fishing boats. Teiwaki Kaikai, George Hugil and Jenimoa Iciato of Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, drifted for two and a half months; one month later another two I-Kiribati men—Koru Teema and Nobere Nakiaro — were caught in a big storm and drifted from Tarawa for 30 days before being spotted by a purse seiner’s helicopter pilot; and late in 2005 a 52-year-old I-Kiribati couple, Taate Toakai and Botara Betaia, survived 35 days at sea after their outboard quit working just miles off Tarawa.

I-Kiribati Botara Betaia hugs Taate Toakai after surviving 35 days at sea. Photo: Suzanne Chutaro

After her ordeal, Taate said: “Botara forgot his tools, the cell phone wasn’t charged, the batteries for the walkie-talkie were weak and before we left he had turned off the CB radio at the house. I really got mad at him and I told him: ‘This is not God’s will! We’re drifting because of your carelessness.’ I didn’t stay mad for long though, I had to accept it. There was no point in staying mad.”

A more unusual visitor made it to the Marshalls in October, 2005: A saltwater crocodile that made it ashore on the central atoll of Ailinglaplap. The forlorn beast terrified local residents, despite the fact that it was extremely weak from its long ocean voyage. The giant reptile died while being brought to Majuro on the local patrol boat, the Lomor.

Power boats often float into the Marshall Islands. In 1999 a 45-foot ‘cigar boat’ floated into Wotje Atoll and was recovered by RMI Ports Authority chairman James Bing, who named the now bright orange boat Lady Lu. He also owns a smaller boat that floated into Kwajalein a few years back.

Champion fisherman Leigh Tobin, an American who came to the Marshalls in 1995, spent six years on Bikini Atoll, assisting with that atoll’s dive operation, and three on Rongelap Atoll, helping to set up a fishing program. “The main items that floats in on these atolls are glass balls ... maybe 100 balls of all sizes would float in over a year.” Leigh also found a couple of boats. “One was an aluminum old-fashioned life boat with pedals. It was about 35 feet and would have held about 60 people.” Leigh believes that more stuff drifts in El Nino years than others. “I’ve found kayaks and a few surfboards,” the latter being a real find as Leigh grew up surfing in Hawaii. “There are some great breaks in Bikini,” he grinned.

On a number of occasions, Leigh found “big pillows made of black plastic and secured with silver tape” that had floated in to Bikini. These turned out to be bails of between 24 and 28 kilograms of cocaine. “I’ve heard that since the mid-1980s cocaine has floated in on Likiep, Arno, Kwajalein, and Mili as well.” The story goes that at first the islanders thought it was flour and used it to cook with. “They quickly worked out it sure wasn’t flour,” Leigh said, suggesting that the floating bails were the result of simply being dropped in the water during a boat transfer in rough weather or “they were just thrown overboard because the authorities were approaching.”

As the Mexican drifters proved, the path from that area to Micronesia is well-trodden ... And it will continue to be as the people of Micronesia wonder what will turn up on their back door-step as each day dawns.