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 NASA picture of the island of Maupihaʻa Atoll | |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean pito |
| Coordinates | 16°48′S153°57′W / 16.800°S 153.950°W /-16.800; -153.950 |
| Archipelago | Society Islands |
| Area | 2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Leeward Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 20 (2017) |
| Pop. density | 4/km2 (10/sq mi) |
Maupihaʻa (Maupihaa), also known asMopelia, is anatoll in theLeeward group (Iles sous le Vent) of theSociety Islands, in theSouth Pacific. This atoll is located 72 km southeast ofManuaʻe, its nearest neighbor.
Maupihaʻa atoll is roughly 8 km in length and contains a lagoon that is up to 40 m in depth and surrounded by submerged reefs on three sides.[1] The atoll's outer reefs are continuous except for a small passage on the western side of the atoll. The eastern side consists of a narrow, thickly vegetated islet (Motu Maupihaʻa), and a number of smaller islets bring the total land area of Maupihaʻa to 2.6 km2. The only village on the atoll is located on Motu Maupihaʻa; as of August 27, 2023, the population consisted of 7 people.
Maupihaʻa Atoll was inhabited in very ancient times byPolynesians; archaeological remains and fish hooks have been found. The first European to arrive on Maupihaʻa, along with neighboringFenua Ura andMotu One, wasSamuel Wallis in 1767.
In 1917, the atoll was leased to aPapeete company, with three employees producingcopra, and raising pigs and chickens and collecting turtles. It was later leased to another copra company and entirely planted withcoconut palms.
In the same year, CountFelix von Luckner of the famedSMSSeeadler visited the island during his voyage to raid Allied shipping in the South Pacific during theFirst World War. The purpose of the stop was to obtain provisions and to make repairs to theSeeadler'shull after traveling across thePacific and aroundSouth America. After a short time, rough seas and wind caused theSeeadler to run aground on Mopelia's reef, leaving von Luckner and more than 100 others.[2][3]
At that time the island was inhabited by only three Polynesians, who collected coconuts forTahiti and processed them into copra. The 64 crew members of theSeeadler and 47 prisoners — crews and passengers of the previously captured ships — lived with thePolynesians on Maupihaʻa for several months in what Luckner jokingly referred to as "Germany's last colony".[4] The crew built the Seeadlerburg settlement from the remains of the stranded ship.[5]: 231 The called the island Cäcilieninsel.
Some of the stranded sailors were American prisoners of war who were captured on the ocean by Luckner's raiders. Eventually von Luckner chose a few men and rigged a long boat with a sail to journey about 2,000 mi (3,200 km) to theFiji Islands, where von Luckner intended to capture another sailing ship and go back and rescue the remaining seamen on Mopelia. However, the plan did not succeed, for while von Luckner was able to reach his destination, he ended up surrendering to a British lieutenant. Von Luckner spent the rest of World War I as a POW in New Zealand, though he successfully escaped on one occasion, absconding on the boat of the prison warden with several other prisoners, only to be recaptured.[6]
Meanwhile, the rest of his crew captured a French schooner,Lutece, which called at Mopelia, sailed it toEaster Island arriving on 4 October and ran aground there, after which they were interned by theChilean authorities. Four American seamen then sailed an open boat 1,000 mi (1,600 km) toPago Pago, where they arranged for their colleagues' rescue from Mopelia.
The most recent supply ship visited in 2021. A sailing vessel named Russula arrived in August 2023 while on a wandering type of cruise across the Pacific. The crew donated clothes, tools, and much needed motor oil for the outboard motors of the islanders.
The atoll is administratively part of thecommune (municipality) ofMaupiti, itself in theadministrative subdivision of theLeeward Islands. Presently Maupihaʻa is listed as permanently uninhabited.
