Hatutu

Hatutu, also called Hatutaa, old name: Langdon, Nexsen, is an uninhabited island in the southern Pacific Ocean, the geo politically belongs to the Marquesas and French Polynesia.

Geography

The island is 6.2 km long, 1.3 km wide and is located in the northern group of the Marquesas, north-east of Eiao, separated from it only by a 5 km wide sound. Hatutu is of volcanic origin. The predominantly basaltic rocks that make up the 6.6 km ² large island, are 4.7 to 4.9 million years old.

Hatutu is not protected by a fringing reef. A heavy surf reaches the steep cliffs directly. Coastal plains and beaches are completely absent. Above an up to 400 m high cliff is a gently rolling plateau with a maximum height of 428 m, which falls slightly from west to east.

The larger main island is preceded by a pyramid-shaped, bare and rocky island in the north side, breed on the numerous seabirds.

Hatutu is one of the driest islands of the Marquesas. Nevertheless, there may be occasional heavy rain, but because of the closed plant cover not so devastating erosion as a result have on the neighboring island Eiao. Open water bodies or watercourses there is not. After the rare rains form on the plateau briefly freshwater ponds, but dry out soon.

Flora and Fauna

Hatutu is the only remaining undisturbed dry zone ecosystem in the central Pacific. In contrast to the neighboring island Eiao it has vegetation damage never been exposed by European pets. The island is, therefore, including the surrounding maritime area, since July 28, 1971 and Nature Reserve since August 14, 2000 Habitat / Species Management Area of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN).

Flora

From a distance Hatutu seem barren and lifeless. Upon entering the island you notes, however, that the plateau is covered by a closed, but climate-related sparse and low-growing vegetation layer.

A large part of the plateau is covered with tufts of grasses belonging to the robust grass Leptochloa xerophila. Approximately one-third of the land area is open bushland with Cordia lutea, interspersed with individual Waltheria indica. In between are small groves of scattered low-growing Thespesia subcordata and Pisonia grandis.

In the steep cliffs in places accumulations of grass Leptochloa xerophila and Portulaca lutea claim.

Fauna

Because of the absence of predators, such as cats and rats, the island is a valuable habitat for rare and endangered bird species. Four land bird species occur:

In the steep cliffs of the plateau and the upstream side rocky island 21 species of seabirds were observed, 19 of which also breed. Among them are:

History

The anthropologist Ralph Linton writes that there are no structures Polynesian origin on the island. Hatutu consequently it never inhabited. Linton has not entered the island itself, it relies on reports of the inhabitants of Nuku Hiva. Botanists have 1988 selectively some sparse remains of Polynesian stone structures seen, but they are so far not been investigated archaeologically. The age is not known, also not, whether it's traces of a settlement or temporary stays by residents of the neighboring islands, such as to fish in the surrounding waters, is. A permanent settlement is contrary to the lack of drinking water sources.

On April 21, 1791, the U.S. captain and long-distance traders Joseph Ingraham reached with his brigantine Hope the islands Eiao and Hatutu. However, he explored unspecified and did not go ashore. Hatutu he baptized " Hancock Iceland ," according to John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts.

Only two months later, the Frenchman Étienne Marchand came with his merchant ship off the island of Solid Hatutu without knowing of the previous discovery Ingraham. He gave her the name " Ile Chanal " after his officer Prosper Chanal. Also Marchand did not enter Hatutu.

On the morning of June 6, 1798, the merchant ship Betsey reached under the command of Edmund Fanning Island Hatutu. Fanning also did not go ashore. He considered himself the first discoverer and gave the island the name " Nexsen ," according to the Kaufmann Elias Nexsen from New York City, the shipowner of his ship.

Edward Robarts, crew member of the American whaling ship from New Bedford Euphrates, deserted in December 1798 and settled on Nuku Hiva. He called Hatutu " Langdon Iceland ", but he has probably never set foot on the island.

The Whitney South Sea Expedition, a privately funded research expedition, whose objective was the collection of Vogelpäparaten for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, reached in 1922 Hatutu and the neighboring island Eiao. The research results, however, were only partially published.

The botanist Steve Perlman and Ken Wood from the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai (Hawaii) visited 6 of the 12 Marquesas Islands in 1988, including Hatutu. They investigated the flora of the island, in particular in terms of possible environmental damage.

Management

The uninhabited Hatutu belongs politically to the French overseas country ( pays d' outre- mer - POM) French Polynesia and is used by the community Nuku Hiva (Commune de Nuku Hiva ) managed. Trespassing on the island requires an official permit, which is issued only for scientific purposes. Hatutu is anyway for tourists hardly accessible since there is no boat connections there. In addition, the landing on the inaccessible cliffs is because of the heavy surf difficult and dangerous.