Tema Reef, also called Tima Reef, is a submerged

coral 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 ...

in the northern island group of the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

, southeast of

Pukapuka Pukapuka, formerly Danger Island, is a coral atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of most remote islands of the Cook Islands, situated about northwest of Rarotonga. On this small island, an ancient ...

. No coral or rock shows above water, but the sea breaks heavily over the reef. The reef measures about , covering a shallow but submerged area of .

History

Legend has it that Tima, an Aitutakian warrior sailed to Nassau, but was chased away by Ngalewu, a chief from Pukapuka. On his return to Aitutaki he passed the reef nearby and named it ''Te Toka-O-Tima'', the Stone of Tima The reef was sighted by Commodore John Byron on June 21, 1765. Captain William Williams of the missionary ship ''John Williams'' sighted the reef on May 15, 1864. It was again examined by in 1880.

References

Reefs of the Cook Islands Pukapuka Northern Cook Islands {{CookIslands-geo-stub