Mangareva Island, the Gambier Archipelago
Our recent stops in the Tuamotu Islands showed us low coral atolls barely reaching above the sea and enclosing aquamarine lagoons. After spending yesterday at sea, early this morning we reached the Gambier Archipelago. Here, in contrast, rugged volcanic islands rise abruptly from the sea; perhaps they are the peaks of an ancient crater. All of the islands are contained within a coral barrier reef, and fringing reefs butt against the individual islands. Mangareva, the site of our morning landing, is the main island of the Gambier group. We landed at the town of Rikitea, where French Catholic missionaries established themselves and exerted their considerable influence on island life. We walked past the huge limestone block cathedral, now closed and locked due to the ravages of termites, and made a visit to a vocational school. We thoroughly disrupted the girls’ sewing class, but they seemed to enjoy the opportunity to practice their English. A walk up a sloping road past fruiting breadfruit, papaya, and mango trees brought us to the tomb of the last king of Mangareva, and then to the ruins of the convent or nunnery. The rich volcanic soils supports dense vegetation, most of it regrowth following earlier deforestation.
Our afternoon was spent at leisure on the small island of Kamaka. Our Zodiacs carefully found their way through the coral heads of the fringing reef to land on soft quartz sand. The island’s single dwelling was just above the small beach, waiting to be explored. Some chose a Zodiac cruise around the island. Frigatebirds soared high overhead, and wandering tattlers, recently returned from their breeding grounds in Alaska and northwestern Canada, foraged on lava rocks just above the surging ocean swell of the Trade Winds. We returned to our good ship for a fine barbeque dinner served outdoors on the pool and sun decks.
Our recent stops in the Tuamotu Islands showed us low coral atolls barely reaching above the sea and enclosing aquamarine lagoons. After spending yesterday at sea, early this morning we reached the Gambier Archipelago. Here, in contrast, rugged volcanic islands rise abruptly from the sea; perhaps they are the peaks of an ancient crater. All of the islands are contained within a coral barrier reef, and fringing reefs butt against the individual islands. Mangareva, the site of our morning landing, is the main island of the Gambier group. We landed at the town of Rikitea, where French Catholic missionaries established themselves and exerted their considerable influence on island life. We walked past the huge limestone block cathedral, now closed and locked due to the ravages of termites, and made a visit to a vocational school. We thoroughly disrupted the girls’ sewing class, but they seemed to enjoy the opportunity to practice their English. A walk up a sloping road past fruiting breadfruit, papaya, and mango trees brought us to the tomb of the last king of Mangareva, and then to the ruins of the convent or nunnery. The rich volcanic soils supports dense vegetation, most of it regrowth following earlier deforestation.
Our afternoon was spent at leisure on the small island of Kamaka. Our Zodiacs carefully found their way through the coral heads of the fringing reef to land on soft quartz sand. The island’s single dwelling was just above the small beach, waiting to be explored. Some chose a Zodiac cruise around the island. Frigatebirds soared high overhead, and wandering tattlers, recently returned from their breeding grounds in Alaska and northwestern Canada, foraged on lava rocks just above the surging ocean swell of the Trade Winds. We returned to our good ship for a fine barbeque dinner served outdoors on the pool and sun decks.
