Island Week is technically over, but we had to squeeze one more post in after loyal reader woowoowoo alerted us to Low Isles, off Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia.

The Low Isles comprise of Low Island to the West and Woody Island (The one with all the trees to the East). This is a Marine National park Zone and is surrounded by 55 acres of reef – perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving.

Unfortunately, it was diving around these reefs that Australia’s famous Crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin was recently killed. The man famous for dicing with death around crocodiles met his match with a Stingray, who stung him with a fatal blow to the heart.

Irwin leaves behind a wife and two young children and our deepest sympathy goes out to them.

BBC News Article and Wikipedia links for Steve Irwin and Low Island.

Thanks: woowoowoo

Consisting of 29 atolls and 5 separate islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands could have been Island Week all on its own. It probably could have been island month – all but 9 of the atolls are inhabited, and the Kwajalein Atoll alone comprises 97 islets.

Although they gained independence from the US in 1986 a large part of the Marshall Islands are and were used for missile testing. Most famously, Bikini Atoll, from which the swimming garment took its name because it would cause a burst of excitement like an atomic bomb (but without the forced evacuations and nuclear contamination).

These two giant craters are in the Eniwetok Atoll, the Western crater was filled with nuclear waste and then paved over with concrete.

The Kwajalein Atoll is the location of the US’s Reagan Test Site, so many of the islands have helicopter pads and various other military goings on. Here’s a concrete barge intentionally sunk as a breakwater on Ennylabegan.

There’s loads more to see on the Marshall Islands, but I’ve been browsing around them for two days now and Island Week is almost over. I’d suggest scanning around for the hundreds of beautiful beaches and tiny cities, there’s even a sunken German warship in there somewhere…

Wikipedia: Republic_of_the_Marshall_Islands, Reagan Test Site, Bikini Atoll, Eniwetok Atoll, Kwajalein Atoll

Thanks: Many people, especially the Gearth Community

Located in the North Pacific Ocean, Wake Island was an island of great strategic importance during World War II, and over the last few days it’s been in the news again, as is it was directly in the path of the oncoming Hurricane Ioke – the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific.

Fortunately all 188 people who live here were evacuated safely by plane before the hurricane arrived, but at around 6am yesterday (August 31st) the island’s automated weather station seems to have stopped functioning just before the southwestern eyewall passed over the island.

Some of you PC gamers might well recognise this place, as it’s a map in both Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2! So perhaps those people can tell us what this strange thing is, or if in fact this really is a bridge which has been partially washed away?

Thanks to Reek of Putrefaction, Roy and Lee Bennett.

No man is an island, but in Gambia I’ve found James Island and it even comes complete with Fort James!

Thanks: Mememe