.gif)
Manuae (Society Islands)
Encyclopedia
The atoll
of Manuae, also known as Scilly, is located approximately 60 km (37.3 mi) to the northwest of Maupihaa
(aka Mopelia) and 255 km (158.5 mi) to the west of Maupiti
, at 16°31′S 154°42′W. It is the westernmost of the Society Islands
' Leeward Islands
, located 217 mi. (350 km) west of Bora Bora
and 342 mi. (550 km) west of Papeete
.
. The motu
s are covered primarily with coconut palms and tropical scrub with sandy beaches, and comprise a total land area of about 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi).
, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands
.
since 1992. The beaches are popular with sea turtle
s, including the endangered Green Sea Turtle
, which come annually to lie on Manuae's beaches beginning each November. The atoll is also home to large oyster
beds, containing up to 3 or 4 million oysters.
an visitor was British
navigator Samuel Wallis
, in 1767. A small village was established there at the time, the remains of which can still be found on the northern part of the main island. The atoll was the site of the 1855 shipwreck
of the three-masted Julie Ann. Its crew and passengers, including twenty-four women and children, lived on the atoll for two months, during which time they were able to build a boat with which they were able to sail to Raiatea
. There is no evidence that the islands were ever permanently inhabited prior to the shipwreck of the Julie Ann, a ship whose passengers were mainly Latter-day Saints on their way from Australia to the United States. Beginning in 1952, the islands were regularly visited by copra
merchants. During the 1960s, these casual visitors began capturing large numbers of sea turtle
s until their activities were legally restricted in 1971. Today the atoll is visited regularly by fishermen from Raiatea.
The islands, which have no regular ship or airline connections with other locations in French Polynesia, are owned by the "Compagnie Française de Tahiti", which cultivated 57,000 coconut palms there in the 1920s. The now-abandoned plantation once produced up to 70 tons of copra annually.
On June 25, 2005, the Silverwood family of California crashed into the reef in a 55-foot catamaran, the Emerald Jane. Thanks to an EPIRB distress call, the family was spotted by a French Navy airplane, picked up by the resident Taputo family, and flown out in a helicopter on June 26. John Silverwood, the captain of the Emerald Jane, would lose his leg and the experience is described in the book "Black Wave".
), Isla de Pájaros ("Island of Birds", in Span.
), and Scilly (English
).
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
of Manuae, also known as Scilly, is located approximately 60 km (37.3 mi) to the northwest of Maupihaa
Maupihaa
Maupihaa, also known as Mopelia, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. This atoll is located 72 km southeast of Manuae, its nearest neighbor.-Geography:...
(aka Mopelia) and 255 km (158.5 mi) to the west of Maupiti
Maupiti
Maupiti is a small coral atoll with a volcanic island in its midst.-Geography:Maupiti is located to the west of the Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. It is the westernmost volcanic high island in the archipelago, 40 km west of Bora Bora. The central island of Maupiti has a high peak of 380...
, at 16°31′S 154°42′W. It is the westernmost of the Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
' Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands (Society Islands)
The Leeward Islands are the western part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. They lie south of the Line Islands , east of the Cooks and north of the Austral Islands . Their area is 395 km² with a population of over 33,000...
, located 217 mi. (350 km) west of Bora Bora
Bora Bora
The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² in total, and of the atoll of Tupai , located north of Bora Bora...
and 342 mi. (550 km) west of Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
.
Geography
Manuae consists of a ring of islands approximately 6-7 mi. in diameter, separated by unnavigable passages, rising just a few feet above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The motu
Motu
Motu may refer to:*Motu language, a language of Papua New Guinea*Motu proprio, a type of Papal document*MOTU, also known as "Mark of the Unicorn", a maker of professional audio hardware and software...
s are covered primarily with coconut palms and tropical scrub with sandy beaches, and comprise a total land area of about 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi).
Administration
The atoll is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of MaupitiMaupiti (commune)
Maupiti is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands....
, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands (Society Islands)
The Leeward Islands are the western part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. They lie south of the Line Islands , east of the Cooks and north of the Austral Islands . Their area is 395 km² with a population of over 33,000...
.
Nature Reserve
The atoll's lagoon, home to a number of rare species, has been a nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
since 1992. The beaches are popular with sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s, including the endangered Green Sea Turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
, which come annually to lie on Manuae's beaches beginning each November. The atoll is also home to large oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
beds, containing up to 3 or 4 million oysters.
History
Manuae's first EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an visitor was British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
navigator Samuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis was a Cornish navigator who circumnavigated the world.Wallis was born near Camelford, Cornwall. In 1766 he was given the command of HMS Dolphin to circumnavigate the world, accompanied by the Swallow under the command of Philip Carteret...
, in 1767. A small village was established there at the time, the remains of which can still be found on the northern part of the main island. The atoll was the site of the 1855 shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
of the three-masted Julie Ann. Its crew and passengers, including twenty-four women and children, lived on the atoll for two months, during which time they were able to build a boat with which they were able to sail to Raiatea
Raiatea
Raiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
. There is no evidence that the islands were ever permanently inhabited prior to the shipwreck of the Julie Ann, a ship whose passengers were mainly Latter-day Saints on their way from Australia to the United States. Beginning in 1952, the islands were regularly visited by copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
merchants. During the 1960s, these casual visitors began capturing large numbers of sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s until their activities were legally restricted in 1971. Today the atoll is visited regularly by fishermen from Raiatea.
The islands, which have no regular ship or airline connections with other locations in French Polynesia, are owned by the "Compagnie Française de Tahiti", which cultivated 57,000 coconut palms there in the 1920s. The now-abandoned plantation once produced up to 70 tons of copra annually.
On June 25, 2005, the Silverwood family of California crashed into the reef in a 55-foot catamaran, the Emerald Jane. Thanks to an EPIRB distress call, the family was spotted by a French Navy airplane, picked up by the resident Taputo family, and flown out in a helicopter on June 26. John Silverwood, the captain of the Emerald Jane, would lose his leg and the experience is described in the book "Black Wave".
Other Names
Other names given to Manuae include Fenua Ura and Putai (TahitianTahitian language
Tahitian is an indigenous language spoken mainly in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is an Eastern Polynesian language closely related to the other indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia: Marquesan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, and Austral Islands languages...
), Isla de Pájaros ("Island of Birds", in Span.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), and Scilly (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
).
See also
- Maupiti (commune)Maupiti (commune)Maupiti is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands....
- Classification of the French Polynesian atolls by Salvat (1985)
External links
- Manuae at partenaire-info.net (accessed Oct. 22, 2006)
- Lesser known Society Islands at colonialvoyage.com