Manuae – An Uninhabited Beauty in the Southern Cook Islands

Manuae is a small atoll in the midst of the Southern Cook Islands in the South Pacific. Today, the atoll is completely uninhabited. In the middle part of the twentieth century, a copra industry was in place on the western islet of Manuae. Copra is the dried meat of coconuts from which producers can extract coconut oil. A settlement was in place to support this industry. However, by 1976, those that inhabited that island were gone. The island now has no human inhabitants. No boats or airplanes visit on a regular basis. To get there you need to hook up with a charter.

Manuae is now a marine reserve. Sea birds and turtles use the atoll for breeding and nesting. Sometimes, inhabitants of Aitutaki will charter a fishing expedition to take advantage of the rich fishing available off the coast of the atoll. There are dive operators in Aitutaki that will take diving expeditions to explore the lagoon waters as well as the reefs off shore. Since the human population left, the flora and fauna have thrived without them. Visitors can find some of the best fishing as well as the most beautiful scenery. Expeditions are available from Rarotonga as well for diving, filming, and eco-tourism activities. Its untouched beauty makes it an ideal day trip.

Manuae holds the distinction of being the first of the Cook Islands that Captain Cook encountered in 1773. The first name selected for this newly discovered island was Sandwich Island. However, that distinction eventually went to the Hawaiian Island. Instead, Captain Cook named it Hervey’s Island after Lord Admiral Augustus Hervey. In fact, he named all the islands in the Southern Group after Hervey. That changed in the early 1800’s when Cook became the island group’s namesake.

Sitting atop a volcanic mountain, Manuae consists of two larger islets on the edge of the lagoon. The one to the west is Motu Manuae. The one to the east is Motu Te Au Otu. Motu Te Au Otu is the larger of the two. However, the only known human settlement was on the smaller one to the west. The highest point of land is only about sixteen feet above sea level. A coral reef encompasses the atoll on all sides. This makes boat passage impossible. The lagoon, itself, is shallow with drifting sand banks. The atoll sits about half way between Aitutaki and Atiu. It falls under the legal jurisdiction of Aitutaki, however.