Wailagi Lala Explained

Location:Pacific Ocean
Country:Fiji
Area Ha:30
Elevation M:3
Pushpin Map:Fiji
Archipelago:Lau Islands
Country Admin Divisions Title:Division
Country Admin Divisions:Eastern
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:Province
Country Admin Divisions 1:Lau
Timezone1:FJT
Utc Offset1:+12
Timezone1 Dst:FJST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+13

Wailagi Lala (pronounced in Fijian pronounced as /waiˈlaŋi ˈlala/) is the northernmost outpost of Fiji's Lau Islands. This tiny atoll, with an area of just and rising no more than 3m (10feet) above mean sea level, is situated at 16.45° South and 179.6° West. It is the only true atoll in Fiji.

Literally translated as "no water or rain", Wailagilala lies to the eastern sea border of the Fiji archipelago in the South Pacific, and is the gateway to Fiji for ships coming or going to Samoa through the Nanuku Passage. Its crystal-clear waters are attributed to its remote location and lack of terrestrial water run-off.

The island has an abandoned cast iron lighthouse, long, built about 1909. It is believed to have been prefabricated in England and shipped in sections to the South Pacific. The island has been uninhabited since the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation.

Dominated by its lighthouse, the sand island is surrounded by spectacular lagoon and coral reefs. The reef protecting the island has a deep, wide, fairly well marked pass that appears to have been blasted through it, allowing easy passage into the lagoon and the sandy anchorage just off the island.

The island is composed of carbonate sands and gravel, and beach-rock. Alexander Agassiz bored a hole there late in the 19th century. It passed through of coarse sand with coral and shell fragments before reaching "yellow limestone", which continued to the end of the hole at . There are submerged terraces, and possibly below mean sea level, and marine notches and possibly and below MSL.

The seabird nesting colony and marine ecosystem of the atoll contribute to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.[1]

The island was leased in early 2007 and will be developed as a luxury private retreat.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ganilau. Bernadette Rounds. Fiji Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. 2007. Convention on Biological Diversity. 107–112. 28 May 2017.