11/07/2024
Bikini Atoll is famous for two things: First the bikini swimsuit was named after the atoll in 1946. Second, as part of the Pacific Proving Grounds it was the site of more than 20 nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958.
The indigenous people were relocated in 194 and have remained in exile on other islands. Today, the islands are safe to visit, and background radiation is now less than most large cities, but the soil still contains dangerous levels of radioactive material. Fish are unaffected, and are in abundance due to lack of fishing. Most visitors travel to the atoll to dive the wrecks from the 1946 tests, resting on the lagoon floor.