Geography and Discovery
The atoll’s geographical beauty is matched by its fascinating history. First discovered in 1606 by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, Ducie Island was originally named Luna Puesta. Over a century later, in 1791, it was rediscovered by Captain Edward Edwards of HMS Pandora and renamed in honour of Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie. Today, Ducie’s untouched landscapes and tranquil lagoon remain largely unchanged since those early explorations.
