French Polynesia: Tahiti and Her Islands

Galapagos Islands to Fatu Hiva Island

The crew is sailing to Fatu Hiva Island which is the youngest of the volcanic Marquesas Islands (French: Îles Marquises, or Archipel des Marquises, or Marquises) at about 1.3 million years (wikipedia.)

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

Marguesas Islands according to wikipedia:

..... "Although French and Tahitian are the only official languages of French Polynesia, and therefore of the Marquesas Islands as well, the Marquesan languages, in their various forms, remain the primary means of communication within the archipelago."

..... "Unlike the majority of the islands of French Polynesia, the Marquesas are not surrounded by protective fringing reefs."

..... "The South Equatorial Current lashes the islands mercilessly, which has led to sea-caves dotting the islands' shores. Except for where the valleys empty into the small bays, the islands are remarkable for their mountain ridges, which end abruptly as cliffs where they meet the sea."