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Geographic Diversity in the South Pacific

© Larry Low

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There are many geographic factors that account for cultural diversity in the South Pacific. Distance is but one factor and is not the most important one. It is the diverse physical geography of the various island groups mainly having to do with the presence or absence of coral reefs. Contrast the Tuamotus, the oldest island group in French Polynesia with the neighbouring Marquesas, islands which are geologically speaking the youngest islands in French Polynesia.

The Tuamotus are atolls. They have tiny land areas surrounding large lagoons. The inhabitants are attuned to the sea. These islands, vulnerable to tsunamis, support small populations and the food supply is rather erratic due to frequent droughts.

The Marquesas, on the other hand, do have coral but it is so far beneath the surface that it could be quite some time before the shallows around these islands will have protective reefs. The coral surrounding the Marquesas is still in the formative stage so be patient. Sometime within the next ten or twelve thousand years, the coral should have grown to the low tide marker. Coral will keep growing as long as it is covered by water twice a day but the process is slow.

Placid lagoons in tropical Pacific waters are a double-edged sword. The lagoons promise safe anchorage but first the sailor has to find safe passage into the lagoon. How does he do it? The best first step is to sight a new island reasonably early in the morning so that the sailor has time to deal with adverse currents and winds before making a landfall.

What should the sailor do if he approaches the island in the afternoon? The thing to do is box the compass until first light the next morning. Sail north for an hour, then east, then south, well you get the idea. At false dawn begin your run for the island. How will you determine where the break in the reef is likely to be? Coral does not grow in fresh water. Look for a river or stream. The river mouth contributes a constant flow of fresh water into the lagoon. There is bound to be a break in the reef somewhere close depending on ocean currents, which can also flow into lagoons. I know, I once swam in a lagoon for close on an hour but eventually realized I would never reach the fringing reef. I arrived back on the beach in about ten minutes.

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