Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga, located in Polynesia, is an island nation comprising 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its islands are scattered over a vast oceanic expanse of about 700,000 square kilometers (270,000 square miles). With a population of around 100,000, Tonga is known for its rich cultural heritage and history as a regional power in the South Pacific.
Tonga is the only remaining Polynesian monarchy. The capital, Nukuʻalofa, is situated on the main island of Tongatapu. Tonga’s cultural heritage is a vibrant tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and practices that have been passed down through generations. The country is deeply rooted in Christianity, with a significant majority of its population adhering to various Christian denominations.
As a young conservation biologist, I spent 17 months on the remotest islands in this archipelago, most of which are volcanic, to help save the endangered ‘volcano bird’ (Polynesian megapode). This adventure is featured in my book, Volcanic Adventures in Tonga. Below, you will find some photos from that time. These are scanned slides, so they are not of today’s digital quality, but they still give a sense of what life was like when living without most Western comforts and in ‘Tongan Time’.
Click here if you want to buy the book
An aerial view of the volcanic island Niuafo’ou (Tin Can Island). The smaller islet on the far left is Motu Molemole, where we often camped during the week.
An aerial view of the village Esia on Niuafo’ou, including the runway for the airport.
The Moana, our first transport vessel to Niuafo’ou, is anchored safely near the volcanic shore of Niuafo’ou, with a small dinghy transporting people and luggage ashore.
A tent was erected on top of the loading deck of the Moana, under which we travelled for three nights to get from Nuku’alofa to Niuafo’ou.
The dinghy with our equipment is about to land on the only platform on Niuafo’ou. One of the women is wearing a traditional ta’ovala around her waist.
Our newly built hut awaited us on Niuafo’ou, constructed entirely from wood and woven coconut palm leaves.
Our host family dressed up for church on Sundays.
The interior of the hut which was our home for 17 months.
Malohi’s outdoor kitchen, where his wife Emeni prepared most of our meals. It consisted of a firepit and a bench to keep some of the food out of reach of pigs and dogs.
The author fetching coconuts for drinking.
Walking on the only road that circumnavigates the island.
A typical village scene on Niuafo’ou, where each family clan borders their property with walls of black lava stones.
Coconut palms line the outer rim of the crater. The name Niuafo’ou translates to ‘New Coconut Land’.
The steep inner crater walls where the Polynesian Megapode (Malau) lived.
Barren lava fields stretch near the shore, remnants of the last volcanic eruption in 1946.
The author, hot and sweaty from the hike to Motu Molemole (the first islet visible in the background), prepares to descend the steep path from the crater rim to the lake below.
The author and a local horse taking an inflatable boat to the crater lake
Our camp on the shore of the crater lake is equipped with solar panels to charge batteries and power a single light during the 12-hour tropical nights.
Locals preparing for a Christmas feast, with food spread out on banana leaves on the floor.
The Christmas feast. Note the decorations consisting of a cigarette, lollies and matchboxes.
Ofato beetle larvae, a local delicacy, are usually eaten alive.
Breadfruit and shearwater, all cooked over an open fire—another local delicacy.
Malau eggs: They are incubated for up to 90 days and the shell becomes thinner as the developing chick absorbs calcium from the shell into its bones.
A Malau chick hatching—this one from our artificial incubator, though they typically hatch in soil as deep as 1.7 meters.
A female Malau at the entrance to an egg-laying burrow, ready to dig a nesting chamber where she will lay her egg and leave the incubation to the natural heat of the volcano.
A one-day-old Polynesian megapode chick (Malau).
The inner crater of Tofua Island, featuring a smaller, still-active volcano within the extinct larger volcano, which continues to smoke and emit sulphurous gases.
A close-up of the smaller still-active volcano on Tofua with the crater lake in the background.
Our helpers are carrying our equipment down into the inner crater of Tofua Island.
The author digging holes on Tofua, with the smoking volcano in the background. No suitable temperatures were found, making the island unsuitable for the translocation of the Malau.
Aerial view of parts of Late Island, highlighting the small crater lake near the site where we buried Malau eggs for translocation.
Salesi and his crew were ready for the trip to Late, but with our group and equipment onboard, the boat felt overcrowded.
Landing on Late’s rough shore, Salesi received some of our equipment from Vaha, who had swum it ashore through the surf, his head still visible bobbing in the sea.