31.10.2024 - Makatea, An Island Full of Surprises

During our first visit to French Polynesia in 2017, we were given a tip: you absolutely have to see the small island of Makatea. Unfortunately, anchoring there is impossible because the coral reef drops off steeply. However, there are a few moorings (mooring buoys) where you can tie up—provided they are available. Since the weather is stable, we decide to try our luck and sail the 40 nautical miles south from Rangiroa.

Makatea is part of the Tuamotus, a chain of atolls in the heart of French Polynesia. However, it is a "raised atoll": the entire coral reef was lifted about 80 to 100 meters by geological processes. This created a limestone island with spectacular cliffs rising to a plateau. The island is primarily known for phosphate mining, which was carried out there until the 1960s.

When we arrive, we see that the three existing moorings are unfortunately occupied. That’s not good. Tom jumps into the water and looks for a spot where we could set our own mooring—but without success. However, we learn from another sailor that a buoy will become free this evening. So, we drift in the lee of the island until the other boat finally departs.

Just as we have caught the buoy, humpback whales swim past the back of our boat. We can only catch a glimpse of them in the moonlight, but the experience is fantastic nonetheless. What a welcome! As we go to sleep, we hear them singing. The whale songs gently lull us to sleep.

The next day, we snorkel at the reef. While it looks beautiful, we discover an extreme number of crown-of-thorns starfish, which leave a trail of destruction on the corals. Not a good sign. We don’t see any sharks at all, and the fish stocks also seem rather depleted. On the other hand, we observe several tuna hunting a small school of fish in the shallow, crystal-clear water. Throughout the entire time, we hear the humpback whales singing in the background. They often swim directly past the boat—unfortunately almost always at night. It would be nice to see them during the day for once!

On our first trip ashore, we meet Tapu, who lives on the island and offers climbing tours. A few years ago, a climbing championship was held here, for which around a hundred routes were established; Tapu was one of the organizers. For us beginners, there is a via ferrata on the east side. Meanwhile, there is a second via ferrata on the west side, which is much steeper and features a zip-line on the outside. This one is more demanding, and you should really have a head for heights if you want to climb there. Finally, we are allowed to practice free climbing on some easy routes, which the children especially enjoy. The view from the climbing paths is magnificent, and the climbing itself is quite challenging.

After the exertion in the hot sun, Tapu shows us the large grotto. It is filled with crystal-clear, cool freshwater—the perfect way to cool off. Makatea is one of the few islands in French Polynesia with its own freshwater resources. The island’s name is even derived from this: "Ma" means clear or pure (in the sense of drinking water), and "Atea" stands for the light of day. The "K" was inserted for a better sound. So, Makatea roughly means: "Drinking water brought from the dark caves into the light." Another name for the island is "Papa tea," which means "white rock." Inside the grotto, we admire numerous stalactites and stalagmites above and below the water. Since we didn’t bring any lamps, we decide to return the next day better equipped.

No sooner said than done. We bring our bicycles ashore and cycle across the island. Arriving at the grotto, we descend into the cool water with snorkeling gear, underwater lights, and a GoPro. It is a flooded stalactite cave that must have a connection to the sea, as the water level fluctuates slightly with the tides. This can also be seen by the shimmering layers (haloclines) in the deeper water. In the glow of the lamps, the formations shimmer in beautiful shades of brown and yellow.

Suddenly Keanu shouts: "There’s a fish in the water!" At first, we think of a newt but of course there’s usually no amphibians on oceanic islands. Then we recognize an eel (Pacific short-finned eel – Anguilla obscura) that clearly feels at home in the darkness. He finds plenty of food thanks to the many small shrimp. In the deeper water, ropes are laid out for scuba divers. We finally reach a second large grotto, the exit of which lies in the dense island thicket. There, we are fascinated by a mighty labyrinth of roots underwater—the trees above the grotto stretch their roots down to the freshwater. One particular stalactite is shaped like an elephant's foot. Legend has it: whoever touches it and makes a wish will have that wish come true. A breathtaking place that we have all to ourselves.

Our bike tour also leads us to the old phosphate mining area. Makatea is one of three Pacific islands with significant phosphate deposits, created by guano (bird droppings) deposited over millennia. Intensive mining took place here from 1917 to 1964. Back then, there was a large port (Temao) and the town of Vaitepau, where around 3,000 people lived. After mining ended, almost everyone left the island; many engineers were later employed during the nuclear tests on other atolls. Today, the port and the town are mostly ruins.

The traces of mining, however, are impossible to miss: the island is riddled with holes, mostly three meters wide and up to 25 meters deep. From above, it looks like Swiss cheese—and it’s dangerous. Anyone who falls in can hardly be rescued, as the walls are smooth and deep. One of these holes is natural and 70 meters deep; this is where drinking water was once pumped up for the population. Old machinery is rusting away all over the island, and old railway tracks are slowly being reclaimed by nature.

During another visit to Makatea, we take an island tour with Ruben, who tells us a lot about its history. You get an impression of how large the village once was—with a school, bakery, hospital, and even two cinemas. Makatea was even the first place in all of French Polynesia to have electricity, including street lighting. Today, only about 60 people live here, who are mainly supplied from Tahiti.

Thanks to the phosphate-rich soil, fruits and vegetables thrive excellently. We are lucky and can buy fresh supplies from Jaqui, who farms on a larger scale. Ruben also gives us a lot of fruit as a gift. In addition to gentle tourism, the inhabitants live from selling coconut crabs. Ruben shows us several specimens waiting in wooden crates for transport. Only males are caught to protect the population. At the end of the tour, we enjoy a rich Polynesian buffet where we also taste coconut crab. Although we don't normally eat them, we make an exception because of the strict quotas. The meat actually tastes subtly of coconut!

Another special feature of Makatea is its birdlife. Two rare species live here: the endemic Makatea fruit dove (Ptilinopus chalcurus) and the Polynesian imperial pigeon (Ducula aurorae), which is extinct almost everywhere else. The Makatea fruit dove is small and green with a pink cap. Although common, it is hard to spot in the green thicket. After a long day of searching, we finally find it, of all places, at the harbor, right next to our dinghy! The imperial pigeon, on the other hand, is almost as big as a chicken, has a silver-grey body and dark blue wings. We see many of them, especially on the east side. There are an estimated 1.000 to 1.500 birds left here.

Between October and March, Green Turtles reportedly come to the beach to nest. We can hardly imagine how they overcome the shallow reef, but at high tide, they probably let themselves be washed over the coral edge. We definitely want to observe this for ourselves in October.

After many days of waiting, the time has finally come: the humpback whales show themselves in daylight right at the mooring. We immediately jump into the water, excited. At first, we only see them as hazy shapes, but our patience is rewarded. Suddenly, a cow and her calf surface directly beneath us to take a breath. We only see the bull, who gifts us with his songs, from a great distance. The cow and her calf stay right next to our boat for almost two days. The water is crystal clear, and we watch them cuddle and surface to breathe.

At first, the mother is cautious, but soon she realizes we pose no threat and even lets the calf swim to the surface alone. It is an indescribable feeling to be so close to these giants; you suddenly feel very small. The calf is so curious that it swims directly toward Sonja and almost lifts her out of the water—you can tell it hasn't quite mastered its massive body as skillfully as the adults. Because they are right next to the boat, our entire bodies vibrate with every note of their song. A moment we won't soon forget! Another time, we encounter a cow, her calf, and another young humpback whale swimming closely together. Perhaps the young whale is a calf from the previous year? For some time, the mother and her calf rest to nurse, while the young whale swims excitedly around them. Once again, a great experience here in Makatea.

The island has enchanted us so much that we keep returning to enjoy even more of it. Even though we will soon be sailing further west, we hope to come back to this special and wonderful place one day.