Temoe, or Te Moe, is a small
atoll
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...
of the
Gambier Islands
The Gambier Islands ( or ) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of , and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera alo ...
in
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
. It is located in the far southeast of the
Tuamotu
The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extendin ...
group archipelago. It lies about 37 km southeast from the Gambier Islands and more than southeast from
Mataiva
Mataiva (meaning "Nine Eyes" in Tuamotuan), Tepoetiriura ("Sparkling Pearl")[lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...](_blank)
has a maximum depth of . Its islands are low and flat and the lagoon has no navigable pass to enter it.
Temoe is permanently uninhabited. Administratively it belongs to the commune of the
Gambier Islands
The Gambier Islands ( or ) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of , and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera alo ...
.
southwest of Temoe Atoll lies
Portland Reef
The Portland Reef (french: Banc Portland) is a submerged shoal not rising above the surface in the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the far southeast of the Tuamotu group archipelago, about 68 km southeast from the Gamb ...
, a submerged
shoal
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...
lying at a depth of about .
History
Temoe was formerly inhabited. There are
ancient Polynesian
Polynesian culture is the culture of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. The development of Polynesian culture is typically divided into four different historical eras:
*Exploration and se ...
archaeological remains
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...
on this lonely atoll; foremost among these are temple structures (
marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
).
It is said that buccaneer
Edward Davis might have arrived at Temoe and
Mangareva
Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north. Mangareva has a permanent pop ...
in 1686; there is no historical proof of this.
The first recorded European to effectively arrive at Temoe was British mariner
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to:
Politicians and government officials
Canada
*James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada
* James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
on the ship
''Duff'' in 1797. Captain Wilson named this atoll "Crescent Island".
In 1838 Christian missionaries moved all the inhabitants of Temoe to Mangareva to help in construction work.
Rats were eradicated from Temoe Island in 2015. Their eradication was confirmed in 2020.
Birds Thrive Five Years After Restoration
/ref>
See also
* Desert island
A desert island, deserted island, or uninhabited island, is an island, islet or atoll that is not permanently populated by humans. Uninhabited islands are often depicted in films or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereot ...
* List of islands
This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water
A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another plane ...
References
External links
Atoll list
Atoll namesIsland Conservation: Acteon and Gambier Archipelagos Restoration Project
{{Authority control
Atolls of the Tuamotus
Islands of the Gambier Islands
Uninhabited islands of French Polynesia
Island restoration