La Grande Cascade de la rivière du Château
An impressive waterfall on Château stream. It is some 150 m tall and has three main cascades.
Grand Bois, Amsterdam Island
The only remnant of the dense forest of Phylica arborea – an subantarctic tree. This forest covers 8 ha, earlier, before the human inflicted forest fires it covered large part of the island.
Niau tropical forest – feo
One of the rare areas covered with a specific ecosystem – Tuamotu tropical moist forest. The whole island – atoll is some 20 km² large. The island has a green, hypersaline lagoon. The only habitat of the very rare Tuamotu kingfisher (Todiramphus gambieri).
Vaipo Falls
Approximately 350 m tall waterfall in dramatic, impressive valley.
Vailulu’u Eel City and Moat of Death
A hydrothermal vent in the summit of an enormous submarine volcano rises 4,200 m from the ocean floor. The Nafanue volcanic cone in the center of the 400 m deep caldera contains a group of hydrothermal vents inhabited by numerous eels (Dysommina rugosa). This is unusual – in general vertebrates do not live near hydrothermal vents.
Sinaloa Waterfall
The tallest waterfall in Samoa – 180 – 250 m tall waterfall, sliding down along a nearly vertical cliff. Located in a beautiful jungle setting in the most pristine area in Samoa.
Nanumanga Fire Caves
Undersea caves, approximately 37 – 46 meters under sea level. The cave has dark patches on the roof and blackened fragments of coral on its floor, suggesting that people lived here long before the coming of Polynesians – more than 8000 years ago. This find contradicts the current assumptions of the sea-level changes.
Moqua Caves and Moqua Well
Cave where is Moqua Well – an underground lake (0.2 ha) – an important source of freshwater.
Savusavu Hot Springs
Hot springs located at the seaside, some springs are seen only at low tide. The temperature of springs – up to 90° C. In earlier times these springs were used by locals to boil their food. In the 1870ies for two months these springs turned into geysers, up to 12 – 18 m high.
Le Bone de Leproserie
A magnificent sinkhole that starts with some 50 m deep well and then continues with a 40 m deep lake. The entrance is only 25 m wide but the lake at its base is 160 m wide. Contains 350,000 m³ of freshwater.
