Manihi

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Manihi ( other Polynesian name: Mani, Manuhi, Paeua; old names: Waterlandt, Prince of Wales Iceland ) is a low coral atoll in the North West Group of the Tuamotu archipelago in the South Pacific. Geographically one of the atoll to the subgroup of the King George Islands ( Îles du Roi Georges ). The nearest inhabited island is Ahe, 14 km to the west.

Geography

Manihi and the neighboring island of Ahe lie on the 2,760 m high " Ahe Seamount ", which grew out of a hot spot of the Pacific Plate. The undersea mountain has been lowered due to tectonic processes and does not protrude more today about the sea beyond. From the atoll, only the tight ring of over 100 Koralleninselchen ( Motus ) is retained, which together have a land area of ​​almost 13 km ². In the 160 km ² large oval and up to 100 m relatively deep lagoon are several coral reefs. The only navigable passage to the Pacific Ocean, Passe de Turipaoa, is located in the south-west and is up to 60 m deep. Here stony corals of the genus Leptoseris and Pachyseris are common. The beach in the northeast of the island looking for sea turtles to lay their eggs on. The area is now a nature reserve.

Politics and Administration

Politically, the island is part of the French overseas country ( pays d' outre- mer - POM) French Polynesia and is the EU attached. It is managed by a sub-division ( subdivision administrative des Îles Tuamotu - Gambier ) of the High Commissioner of French Polynesia (Haut- commissariat de la République française en Polynésie ) based in Papeete. Together with the neighboring island of Ahe is the political community Manihi (Commune de Manihi ) with a total of 1,240 inhabitants, of whom 685 accounts on Manihi itself. The official language is French. Currency is (still) bound to the Euro CFP Franc. The only place is in the southwest Turiopaoa with about 400 inhabitants. On some of the other with coconut palms and other tropical vegetation lush Motus, especially in the south and west of the ring, there are some scattered settlements.

Infrastructure

On the Motu Tihohora, north of the flow channel, is the first opened in 1994, Manihi Airport (ICAO ID: NTGI ), no more than a 930 m long asphalt runway that is served only by small aircraft of Air Tahiti. On the same Motu is also currently the only resort on the island, Manihi Pearl Beach Resort. Otherwise, the infrastructure is only slightly adapted to the needs of tourism. While there is a post office ( with satellite phone ) and some small shops, with limited supply, restaurants, bars and a bank, however, are lacking. The atoll is known among divers for its rich and interesting underwater fauna, including numerous manta rays and eagle rays, sea turtles, barracuda and gray and hammerhead sharks to be seen.

Manihi was known in the 19th century as a source of mother of pearl and is considered the origins of the breed of black pearls in Polynesia, now the economic mainstay of the island. In the lagoon several floating pearl farms are anchored.

History

In the north of the island ring on the Motu Tokivera, and in the south, on the Motu Kamoka, there are built from coral blocks Zeremonialplattformen ( Marae ) of the Polynesian natives. The age of the plants is not known, since the Tuamotu islands have hardly been explored archaeologically.

Willem Cornelisz Schouten, the Dutch and Jacob Le Maire were the first Europeans to reach 1616 with their ships Eendracht and Hoorn Manihi. They named the island " Waterlandt ". Le Maire reported that they reached Manihi in heavy rain. They could supplement their water and out of the garden cress -like plant, which took the team on the island, we cooked a big kettle of soup. About the inhabitants of Le Maire makes no statement.

During his circumnavigation of the world with the ships Dolphin and Tamar, the British explorer John Byron Manihi reached on June 7, 1765th He named the island "Prince of Wales Iceland " by the future King George IV The ships sailed along the southern coast. She seemed to be densely populated but because of the strong surf and the numerous reefs contributed Byron the island not to.

The Belgian diplomat, commercial traveler and travel writer Jacques- Antoine Moerenhout went in 1829 with his schooner Volador to Manihi to make diving in Tahiti hired Polynesians in the lagoon for pearls. He writes that the island had only half a dozen coconut trees. Three men, two women and a little boy were the only inhabitants.

The ships Vincennes and Peacock of the United States Exploring Expedition reached on September 6, 1839 Manihi. The commander Charles Wilkes sent out boats with scientists and naval officers who explored the west side of the island for several hours and samples collected. There was also a friendly contact with the Polynesian inhabitants. One of the sailors of the Peacock took the opportunity to desert to.

The Whitney South Sea Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History, whose primary objective was to collect bird specimens on various Pacific islands, visited Manihi and other neighboring atolls in February-March 1923. Scientists collected botanical specimens and recorded the occurring coral species as well as the rest of fauna of the reefs.

Gallery

Houses in Turipaoa

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