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According to many, Manihiki is the most beautiful of the Cook Islands. It comprises 40 tiny islets encircling a lagoon two and a half miles (4km) wide. This completely enclosed body of water is the source of the island's greatest asset - black pearls.

Like its sister island of RAKAHANGA 18 miles north, Manihiki sits on top of an underwater mountain which rises 13,000 feet (4,000 m) from the ocean floor. But the island itself is flat and only a few feet above sea level. Polynesians are believed to have lived on Manihiki since at least 1500 AD. It was discovered by Europeans on October 13 1822 when the US ship "Good Hope" sighted it. Its commander, Captain Patrickson, named it Humphrey Island. It's 665 miles north north west or Rarotonga.

The fantastic pictures on this page were taken by Andrea Richichi who is a scientist at the European Southern Observatory in Germany, and like me enjoys travelling for the sake of it. I am grateful for his permission to reuse them on this site. You can read his personal account of his visit to the Cook Islands by clicking here.

Pearl Farming

Pearl farming, centred at Manihiki atoll, is based on cultivating the black-lip pearl oyster. Cultured pearls are the Cook Islands' most valued export.

A survey for the Ministry of Marine Resources in Rarotonga in the year 2000 calculated 1.5 million oysters were being cultivated. This survey also recorded 111 farms with a total of 690 culture lines and 424 spat collection lines. The total length of these farm lines is 160 kilometers. The farms cover seven square kilometres. It is estimated a quarter of a million pearls a year are produced. This contributes around NZ$18 million to the economy of the islands.

On the first day of
the hurricane season of November 1997, cyclone Martin smashed
huge waves through the villages and lagoon of Manihiki. Twenty
died. Some evidence of that day still remains