I've been there (Gardner Island). In the mid 1980s, as a grad student on an oceanographic research cruise dredging midocean seamounts for phosphorites in the eq

I've been there (Gardner Island). In the mid 1980s, as a grad student on an oceanographic research cruise dredging midocean seamounts for phosphorites in the equatorial Pacific, sailing from Pago Pago (American Samoa) to Funafuti (Tuvalu). Our ship (the Sonne, from Bremerhaven, Germany) anchored offshore and we took zodiacs in through the reef, which I remember as tricky to navigate without mishap. Strange, utterly lonely place. Saw the crabs, along with tons of sharks. Hot as Hades. We stayed for an hour or two, hiked around a bit, ate lunch by the lagoon, and left.