Mohotani, island in France
Mohotani is an uninhabited island in the southern Marquesas, located roughly 8 kilometers southeast of Hiva Oa and covered in basaltic rock. The western and central portions contain forests with tall native trees, while the drier eastern slopes are covered with grasses and sparse vegetation shaped by grazing animals.
The island was named by the Spanish in 1595 when Álvaro de Mendaña called it San Pedro, while James Cook surveyed it during the 1770s. It was officially protected in 1971 and has remained a nature reserve dedicated to preserving its wildlife and vegetation.
Mohotani was once home to the Moi a Tiu tribe, and place names there reflect this Polynesian heritage. Today visitors can encounter stone platforms that mark ancient villages and feel the quiet history of these abandoned settlements.
The island is accessible only by boat and offers no lodging or food services. Visitors should bring sturdy footwear and supplies, knowing that rough conditions and steep terrain require good physical fitness.
The island is home to the Marquesas monarch, a rare bird species found almost nowhere else in the world. This isolated location has allowed the development of this and other endemic species that set it apart from other Pacific islands.
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