The Complete Guide to Swains Island & Rose Atoll

Swains Island and Rose Atoll are among the most difficult places in American Samoa to reach, so much so that they are not open to conventional tourism at all. Their extreme isolation, strict protections, and lack of infrastructure mean that even local residents rarely make the journey.

For Swains Island, access is limited by its private ownership and remoteness, some 200 mi (320 km) northwest of Tutuila. Permission from the island’s custodians is required, and reaching it would demand a long boat voyage with an experienced crew and a well-equipped vessel. Occasional scientific or cultural visits are made, but there are no tourism services available.

Rose Atoll, 150 mi (240 km) east of Tutuila, is even more restricted. As a National Monument and Marine Protected Area, it is closed to the public. Going ashore is prohibited, and fishing is banned within miles of the atoll. Only researchers with special permits may enter, and all equipment must meet strict quarantine requirements.

For most travellers, these islands remain visible only on maps or in photographs, protected frontiers preserved for wildlife and heritage rather than visitation.

Early History of Swains Island

Swains Island has a rich cultural and colonial past. Traditionally connected to Tokelau and Samoa, the atoll was once an active copra plantation producing dried coconut meat for export. Oral histories and archaeological evidence suggest that Polynesians may have visited or briefly settled here long before European contact, though large-scale settlement came later.

The island became privately owned in the 19th century, with the Jennings family establishing and managing the copra plantation. A very small community lived on the island for decades, sustaining themselves through coconut harvesting, small-scale farming, and subsistence fishing.

Annexation and U.S. Sovereignty

Swains Island was annexed by the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila on July 1, 1911, and formally accepted by the U.S. Congress in 1925, becoming an official part of American Samoa. Today, it remains under private ownership, although it is included within the boundaries of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Rose Atoll in Samoan Tradition

Rose Atoll, known in Samoan as Muliāva meaning “end of the current,” holds spiritual importance to the people of Manu’a. It has long been revered as a place connected to oceanic life and navigation, serving both cultural and symbolic roles in Samoan tradition.

European and American Designations

On February 14, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Rose Atoll as a Naval Defense Area during World War II. Over time, the focus shifted from military to conservation, with Rose Atoll later declared a National Wildlife Refuge and, in 2009, a U.S. National Monument.

Conservation and Protection

Both Swains Island and Rose Atoll are now more valued for their ecological and cultural heritage than for settlement or resource extraction. Swains continues to see occasional small-scale farming and fishing, while Rose Atoll is strictly reserved for wildlife and scientific research. Their histories tell a story of shifting priorities, from exploitation and defence to preservation and respect for natural and cultural resources.

Simply reaching these far-flung corners of American Samoa is a feat few will ever accomplish. While both atolls are largely off-limits to tourism, their ecological richness and cultural value make them remarkable places of knowledge and conservation. If you were one of the very rare visitors with special permission, here’s what the experience would involve:

1. Witness thriving marine life - Swains Island’s reefs are among the healthiest in the territory, with huge schools of barracudas, jacks, and snappers, plus frequent sightings of sharks and the impressive humphead wrasse. Rose Atoll, meanwhile, is home to the highest density of giant clams in the American Samoan archipelago and abundant sea turtles.

2. Birdwatching in a sanctuary - Rose Atoll is one of the primary seabird nesting sites in American Samoa, with species like terns, boobies and frigatebirds filling the skies. Its importance as a bird refuge has been recognised for generations.

3. Explore cultural and historical heritage - Swains Island still carries the legacy of its copra plantation era and private ownership, while Rose Atoll holds cultural significance for the people of Manu’a and was once designated a U.S. Naval Defence Area during WWII.

For most travellers, these activities will remain out of reach, but they highlight why these islands are so carefully protected.