Three coral atolls rising from 400m of ocean, so isolated they have never been fished commercially, 50m visibility, 200+ coral…Three coral atolls rising from 400m of ocean, so isolated they have never been fished commercially, 50m visibility, 200+ coral species, giant potato cod and Maori wrasse that follow you, and a lagoon-entrance drift where the tide pours through a channel at 6 knots and you fly over untouched coral. Named for a Royal Navy captain in 1800. Their remoteness means the reefs have almost no bleaching or fishing history, scientists use them as a pristine reference point against which to measure damage elsewhere. Protected as marine parks from 1990. Anchorage: Lagoon anchorages inside Clerke and Mermaid; 160nm offshore with no services. Liveaboard season is short. Hazards: No site-specific hazards noted, brief normally. Altro