Expedition to the Marquesas:
The Marquesas are a group of high South Pacific islands lying 1,200 km (750 mi.) northeast of Tahiti. Dramatic and off the beaten track, the islands fall in two, loose clusters--six in the north and four in the south plus some tiny islets. Hiva Oa in the southern group is largest, occupying 58 square miles and rising to 1,272 m (4,134 ft.). (Its main claim to fame seems to be that French painter Paul Gaugin is buried there.) Next in size, is the "capital" island, Nuku Hiva, situated in the north and rising to 1,224 m (3,978 ft.). The young Herman Melville once jumped ship in this paradise island, later recounting his unusual experiences in his highly successful novel, Typee. The Marquesas has another claim to fame other than Gaugin that is more likely to tweek the interests of divers and fish-lovers. It turns out that these islands have a very unique ichthyfauna. In fact, they are fourth in the world in there rate of endemism! In this two part Coral Realm Feature Article CoralRealm advisor and author John Hoover writes about his expedition to the Marquesas Islands. It includes information and photos of some of the marvelous endemic fishes from this region.
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Destinations - Marquesas Diving
