Maupihaa, Atoll in Leeward Islands, French Polynesia
Maupihaa is an atoll in the Leeward Islands featuring a triangular shape with a deep central lagoon at its heart. Coral reefs and small vegetated islands surround this lagoon across a considerable expanse.
A German warship ran aground on the reef in 1917 and its crew built a settlement using materials salvaged from the wreck. This event shaped the atoll's early modern history and left marks on the landscape.
The handful of residents here maintain lifestyles deeply tied to the ocean and its resources. They rely on fishing and harvesting from the surrounding waters as central parts of daily life.
Reaching this atoll requires navigating through narrow reef passages, making access challenging and infrequent. Visitors should expect limited facilities and conditions that vary greatly with weather.
Residents here communicate with the nearest inhabited island using satellite phones, as it lies hundreds of kilometers away. This reliance on satellite connections underscores just how remote this settlement truly is.
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