Holaniku Atoll

Hōlanikū, also known as Kure, is a low coral atoll at the far northwestern end of the Hawaiian island chain, west-northwest of Midway. A ring of reef surrounds its lagoon, with Green Island its only permanent island. Its low profile made it difficult for mariners to see, while old charts located it unreliably.

Before 1827, about half a dozen ships had visited the atoll, giving it a fresh name on each occasion. These repeated names reflected the difficulties of recognising and charting a remote reef. Shipwrecks on its reefs are recorded from 1837, at the close of this period; the same reef that sheltered a lagoon also presented an almost submerged obstacle to passing vessels.