The Aleipata Islands are a group of four uninhabited islands off the eastern end of
Upolu Island,
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
, in central South Pacific Ocean. The islands are eroded volcanic
tuff rings, and consist of a small northern pair on Upolu's
barrier reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
C ...
, and a larger southern pair outside it.
Collectively the islands have an area of about .
Administratively, the islands are part of the
Atua district. The islands are important for Samoa's biodiversity and are protected by the
Aleipata Marine Protected Area.
Geography
From north to south, the islands consist of:
*
Namua (0.20 km
2)
*
Fanuatapu (0.15 km
2)
*
Nuʻutele (1.08 km
2)
*
Nuʻulua (0.25 km
2)
Namua and Fanuatapu lie at the outer edge of the fringing
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
of Upolu, at a distance of 0.7 km and 2.5 km, respectively, from Upolu Island itself. Nuʻutele and Nuʻulua are 4 to 6 km further south, outside the fringing reef, and lie 1.4 km 3.5 km off Cape Tapaga, which is the southeastern
headland
A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...
of Upolu. Only Namua is open for visitors, who can enjoy the Namua Island Resort and the beaches. Fanuatapu, being the easternmost island, has a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
.
Environment
The islands are uninhabited and relatively undisturbed, and provide an important refuge for native plant and animal species.
[ The northern islands are mostly bare rock and coastal forest, while the larger southern group are mostly covered by coastal and lowland forest.][ The islands are home to the largest population of Tongan ground doves in Samoa, as well as Coconut crabs, and provides a nesting place for critically-endangered ]Hawksbill sea turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution that is largel ...
s,[
In 2009 an attempt was made to eradicate the introduced ]Polynesian rat
The Polynesian rat, Pacific rat or little rat (''Rattus exulans''), or , is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the brown rat and black rat. Contrary to its vernacular name, the Polynesian rat originated in Southeast Asi ...
from the southern islands using air-dropped Brodifacoum to provide a pest-free refuge.[
]
See also
* Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands () are an archipelago covering in the central Pacific Ocean, South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Political geography, Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Samoa, Indep ...
* Geography of Samoa
References
{{Authority control
Uninhabited islands of Samoa
Volcanoes of Samoa
Tuff cones
Atua (district)