Fatu Hiva, The Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia
Those sounds you heard were gasps of awe and delight as people stepped out onto the decks of the National Geographic Endeavour to gaze upon the rock pinnacles and near vertical slopes of Fatu Hiva. Or perhaps those were gasps of trepidation from the brave and hearty group of hikers who had chosen to do the long overland hike, departing from the ship at Omoa Bay. These adventurous hikers then crossed the ridge that forms the spine of Fatu Hiva to drop down into the Bay of Virgins where the rest of us awaited them. They made it, tired but content.
Fatu Hiva is the southernmost and youngest (at 1.35 million years) of the volcanic isles of the Marquesas. Soft volcanic tuff formed in explosive eruption events has been sculpted by rain and persistent trade winds into vertical pillars of supposed phallic resemblance. A steep valley rises abruptly behind the island’s main village of Hanavave. Fatu Hiva has not yet developed a fringing coral reef, so the steep slopes descend unbroken into the depths of the sea. This provided a new kind of snorkeling experience along the vertical rock wall. Those choosing not to snorkel had the opportunity of a morning Zodiac cruise in the beautiful bay. The highlight was a close encounter with a large group of spinner dolphins. These small dolphins draw their name from the habit of leaping clear of the water and pirouetting gracefully in the air.
Following lunch aboard ship we landed at Hanavave, where local people greeted us behind tables covered with carvings for which the Marquesans are famous. By the end of the afternoon the selection was depleted! Some continued through the village and into the valley beyond, where a waterfall descends from high above on this, the windward (east-facing) and hence rainy side of the island. We gathered on the village soccer field for a most interesting demonstration of native arts, including the making of tapa cloth. Refreshing coconut water poured straight from green coconuts, opened with a few deft strokes of a machete, was served to wash down a selection of local fruits, both fresh and sun-dried. The afternoon closed with a performance of dances of the Marquesas by young men clad in green leaves and women in black t-shirts.
We returned to our ship in time to cruise out of the bay and enjoy the sight of verdant, tropical slopes illuminated in the warm glow of the setting sun.
Those sounds you heard were gasps of awe and delight as people stepped out onto the decks of the National Geographic Endeavour to gaze upon the rock pinnacles and near vertical slopes of Fatu Hiva. Or perhaps those were gasps of trepidation from the brave and hearty group of hikers who had chosen to do the long overland hike, departing from the ship at Omoa Bay. These adventurous hikers then crossed the ridge that forms the spine of Fatu Hiva to drop down into the Bay of Virgins where the rest of us awaited them. They made it, tired but content.
Fatu Hiva is the southernmost and youngest (at 1.35 million years) of the volcanic isles of the Marquesas. Soft volcanic tuff formed in explosive eruption events has been sculpted by rain and persistent trade winds into vertical pillars of supposed phallic resemblance. A steep valley rises abruptly behind the island’s main village of Hanavave. Fatu Hiva has not yet developed a fringing coral reef, so the steep slopes descend unbroken into the depths of the sea. This provided a new kind of snorkeling experience along the vertical rock wall. Those choosing not to snorkel had the opportunity of a morning Zodiac cruise in the beautiful bay. The highlight was a close encounter with a large group of spinner dolphins. These small dolphins draw their name from the habit of leaping clear of the water and pirouetting gracefully in the air.
Following lunch aboard ship we landed at Hanavave, where local people greeted us behind tables covered with carvings for which the Marquesans are famous. By the end of the afternoon the selection was depleted! Some continued through the village and into the valley beyond, where a waterfall descends from high above on this, the windward (east-facing) and hence rainy side of the island. We gathered on the village soccer field for a most interesting demonstration of native arts, including the making of tapa cloth. Refreshing coconut water poured straight from green coconuts, opened with a few deft strokes of a machete, was served to wash down a selection of local fruits, both fresh and sun-dried. The afternoon closed with a performance of dances of the Marquesas by young men clad in green leaves and women in black t-shirts.
We returned to our ship in time to cruise out of the bay and enjoy the sight of verdant, tropical slopes illuminated in the warm glow of the setting sun.
