Navassa Island (French: l'île de la Navasse; also La Navasse, La Navase) is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea. Navassa, an uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, is off the coast of Haiti. Between two- and three-square miles, it sits approximately 100 miles from Guantanamo Detention Center.
About[]
This island, situated between Haiti and Jamaica, is a desolate and uninhabited rock formation. The United States Lighthouse Service undertook the construction of an impressive lighthouse on this site. Despite facing numerous challenges due to the island's inaccessibility, the lighthouse began projecting light from the top of its reinforced concrete tower on October 21, 1917.
Since that time, two beams of light, each equivalent to 47,000 candles, have illuminated the horizon twice every minute, maintaining a punctuality akin to that of a clock. This beacon can be observed from a distance of up to 47 kilometers (29 miles), marking it as the most significant lighthouse constructed by the United States in the last quarter of the century.
The island itself resembles the shape of an oyster shell, covering just over a square mile. It rises steeply from the sea, creating a plateau that stands 60 meters (200 feet) above the water's surface. To ensure that the light was visible to passing ships, a tower was erected to a height of 200 feet, positioning the lighthouse light at an elevation of 120 meters (395 feet) above sea level. Designed to endure hurricanes and earthquakes, this lighthouse features a robust base measuring 8 meters (25 feet) in diameter, with walls exceeding 2 meters (6 feet) in thickness. It is one of the tallest reinforced cement towers.
The design is simple; It features a bell-shaped base that rises in a cylinder to the lookout cabin. Almost all materials required for this construction were imported to the site. Skilled labor from the United States, along with materials and specialized tools, was utilized, while labor was sourced from Cuba and Jamaica, including the sand and fresh water necessary for the project. Navase lacks a port, and its coastline is characterized by steep cliffs. The schooner responsible for transporting personnel and materials had to anchor beneath the cliffs, with cargo being hoisted up when weather conditions allowed. There were numerous days when disembarkation was impossible. The sailors soon grew weary of the monotonous life on this isolated rock. The climate, transportation challenges, and scarcity of fresh food troubled them. The excessive heat diminished their productivity. Three keepers were tasked with overseeing the lighthouse.
Navase is composed of volcanic limestone and is extensively perforated with deep cavities. Water is scarce, as rain is absorbed by these openings, giving the island the appearance of a vast, petrified sponge. The high plateau is home to vegetation consisting of shrubs and bushes, along with goats, wild cats, seabirds, and land crabs.
Peter Duncan informed the Secretary of State that on July 1, 1857, he had discovered a guano deposit on Navase, an uninhabited island, which he claimed on behalf of the United States. A company exploited these guano deposits until 1898, and the remnants of a significant factory for this purpose can still be observed.
This small island of the Republic of Haiti, lies 12 leagues from Cape Tiburon, between Jamaica and Haiti, measuring approximately 34 leagues in width and 1.5 leagues in length.
Conditions[]
Here's a fun but eye-opening take on the brutal working conditions on Navassa Island in the 1800s:
🎭 “Welcome to Navassa: Where the Guano Never Sleeps”
💩⛏️☀️ A Survival Guide (You Probably Won’t Survive)
Sponsored by: The 19th-Century American Guano Company
☠️ Chapter 1: "Congratulations! You’ve Been Hired (Sort of)"[]
You’re a Black laborer from the U.S. South, hoping to earn some money. A recruiter says:
"Come work on a tropical island! Good pay! Adventure! Sunshine!"
✨ Expectations:
Tropical breeze, hammocks, maybe a coconut or two.
😬 Reality:
You're dropped on Navassa Island, a hot limestone pancake in the middle of nowhere, with no freshwater, no shade, and no way to leave.
🔥 Chapter 2: "It’s Not Hell, But It’s Close"[]
Temperature: Boiling.
Drinking water: Brought in by boat—often rotting or rationed.
Food: Spoiled meat and weevily bread.
Days off: 😂 What’s a day off?
💡 Anecdote: Workers said you’d get ONE barrel of water per week to do everything—drink, bathe, clean. One guy tried to sneak an extra dip and almost started a fight over it. Priorities.
⛏️ Chapter 3: “Mining the Moon... But With Shovels”[]
The job? Digging bird poop. By hand.
It was hard-packed and sharp. You chipped away at it for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.
☠️ Guano dust would get in your eyes, nose, lungs—people coughed blood. Some collapsed in the heat. Supervisors didn’t care.
💡 Anecdote: One worker passed out from heat exhaustion. Instead of help, the overseer said:
“Pick him up and keep working—he can nap at night.”
🔒 Chapter 4: “Work or Die (Literally)”[]
Want to leave? Too bad.
Boats were infrequent, and you couldn’t go home until your “contract” was up. It was more like a prison. Guards carried guns. Workers were threatened and beaten.
💡 Anecdote: A man asked for time off to recover from an injury. The foreman’s reply?
“You can rest when you're buried.”
💣 Chapter 5: “The Revolt That Rocked the Rock”[]
By 1889, tensions boiled over. The workers had had enough—after months of abuse, they rose up.
When supplies were delayed and beatings continued, a violent rebellion erupted, and five overseers were killed.
Aftermath: The U.S. government swooped in. 18 workers were arrested, tried for murder in Baltimore, and nearly sentenced to death—even though this all happened on an island 35 miles from Haiti!
🪦 Chapter 6: "Island of Ghosts"[]
The guano dried up. The island was abandoned. No one sings about Navassa Island in history class—but its story is a mix of labor abuse, resistance, and bird poop-fueled colonialism.
🎤 Final Thought: Navassa wasn’t just an island. It was a tiny, hellish stage for a bigger story: exploitation, racism, and the power of people pushed too far.
The Americans based their actions on a law enacted on August 18, 1856, by the United States Congress, which permitted the federal government to claim any unoccupied island or rock discovered by an American. They seized the island towards the end of 1857 and began exploiting the abundant guano found there. Since that time, the Haitian government has been unable to assert its sovereignty over the area, despite numerous protests and resolutions aimed at gaining recognition from the United States and seeking compensation for the unauthorized use of the island. In 1858, France, represented by Mr. Mellinet, and England, represented by Mr. Byron, exacerbated tensions in Haiti, which was preparing an armed expedition to challenge this unlawful occupation.
It is hoped that the great Republic of the United States of America will one day render justice to its deserving little sister, Haiti, by submitting the resolution of this matter to the arbitration of a neutral power. The issue remains unresolved.
Archaeological findings on Navase Island have uncovered terracotta vessels used by the indigenous Haitians, referred to as "canaris," which are the native name for these utensils. During the conflict between the United States and Spain, American forces vacated the island, but they have since returned.
Haiti has pressured the U.S. for the return of La Navase. By 1999, in opposition to Haiti's continuing demands, the U.S. turned it into a wildlife refuge, operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). FWS is a poor steward of La Navase, allowing biopiracy of marine life by pharmaceutical companies. Only U.S. scientists recognize Haitian fishermen's practices to conserve marine life. They believe La Navase should be returned to Haiti so they can acquire knowledge about marine-species preservation.
Neighboring areas
| East 35km (56 mi.) 1re Matador | |||
History[]
Founded in 1504 by sailors, its status during the next 300 years is mostly unclear. But between its founding and U.S. acquisition of the island, marine forces occupied it until it was turned over to the U.S. in the 1850s. For four decades, the U.S. mined the island for the phosphate, guano. Foreign and domestic conflicts brought mining to a halt by the end of the century.
The completion of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s raised Navassa's profile again when a lighthouse was constructed on the island. But in 1996, Navassa became abandoned when its lighthouse operations ceased.
Navassa experiences moist and tropical weather and contains coral and limestone deposits. Mainly barren rock, the island nourishes a goat population with grass pastures. Populated growths of tree species and random appearances of cacti are part of the eco-system.
Navassa possesses no harbors because vertical cliffs near the shore are inhospitable to sea vessels. They must anchor off-shore.
Several entities have laid claim to Navassa, among them U.S. government agencies: Coast Guard, Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs (USOIA), and Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS, in late 1999, created a wildlife refuge. The USOIA, who had been managing all government activities on the island since 1997, gave over authority to USFWS for its management as a wildlife refuge in late 1999.
Other islands[]
Mona[]
Mona and La Monica are two small islands located to the east of Hayti (Hispaniola), situated between Hayti and Puerto Rico. Mona, also known as the Island of Macaques, extends approximately three leagues in length from north to south and two leagues in width from east to west. The smaller island, Monica, measures one league in length and is positioned to the north of Mona. Both islands were once part of the Dominican Republic, located two leagues away, but have been under Spanish control for many years. Mona features ports suitable for medium-sized boats and is equipped for agricultural establishments and livestock farming. In 1852, the island was granted to Don Barthélémy Colomb, the brother of Christopher Columbus, by the King of Spain. It was cultivated extensively and yielded significant produce for its previous owners. After a long period of abandonment, the Spanish reclaimed possession of the island in the late 19th century and established a free port there. The oranges grown on the island are of exceptional quality. The Mona Canal lies between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In its western section, the water depth reaches 1,100 meters (3,600 ft.), while in certain areas it is only 200 meters (660 ft.) deep. The distance between Mona and Puerto Rico is 450 meters (1,500 ft.).