Pélé, sometimes spelled Pele in English,[1][2] is a volcanic island located 11,2 miles north of the island of Éfaté in the Shefa Province of the Republic of Vanuatu.[3][4][5] It has a total area of 1.7 square miles,[6][7] Pélé is inhabited by about 200-220 Ni-Vanuatu villagers[8][9][10] residing in the four villages: Worsiviu, Worearu, Piliura, and Launamoa.[11][12]
 Beach by Worearu Village with Nguna Island in the background. | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Vanuatu |
| Area | 4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 198 m (650 ft) |
| Administration | |
Vanuatu | |
| Province | Shefa Province |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 220 (2015) |
| Ethnic groups | Ni-Vanuatu |
Geography
editMuch of the island is extremely steep and rocks prevent you from walking along the coastline around the island. White sandy beaches are found in Piliura, Worearu, Laonamoa, and Sake.
Overpopulation has led to a steady migration from Pele villages to southern Nguna in recent times.[13][14]
The Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area
editPélé Island is a part of the MPA Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area, which was established in 2003,[15][16] and is a popular Vanuatuan diving location.[17]
The Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area covers a total area of 11.5 sq. mi., including numerous reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove forests and intertidal lagoons.[18] The Nguna-Pele Marine Protection Agency is located in the village of Piliura, and mounts an exhibition and sells T-shirts.
Tourism
editIncome from tourism is distributed by the Village Tourism Committee and supports aims as village water supply projects.[19] The island can be visited daily by boat from the Paonangisu area by the town of Emua on Éfaté's north coast.[20][21] There are also yachts available both from Emua and Nguna for day and overnight charters to the island.[22] The island is nearly adjacent to the island of Nguna, with a small passage no deeper than 33 yards separating the two. It has a tropical climate and has a maximum elevation of 650 feet at its highest.[23]
References
edit- ^ Michelle, Bennett (2003). Vanuatu: Dive into paradise. Lonely Planet. Page 80. ISBN 9781740592390.
- ^ O’Byrne, Denis and David Harcombe (1999). Vanuatu: Volcanoes, beaches, reefs, land dives. Lonely Planet. Page 130. ISBN 9780864426604.
- ^ "Informations culturelles".
- ^ Carter, John (1984). Pacific Islands Year Book. Pacific Publications. Page 495. ISBN 9780858070554.
- ^ Bevan, Stuart (1990). Vanuatu. Other People Publications. Page 131. ISBN 9780959062649.
- ^ ftp://ftp.nodc.noaa.gov/pub/data.nodc/coris/library/NOAA/CRCP/project/1395/vanuatu_mpa_mgmt_plan_2006.pdf
- ^ Wells, Sue and Charles R.C. Sheppard (1988). Coral Reefs of the World: Central and Western Pacific. UNEP. Page 311. ISBN 9782880329587.
- ^ Michelle, Bennett (2003). Vanuatu: Dive into paradise. Lonely Planet. Page 80. ISBN 9781740592390.
- ^ O’Byrne, Denis and David Harcombe (1999). Vanuatu: Volcanoes, beaches, reefs, land dives. Lonely Planet. Page 130. ISBN 9780864426604.
- ^ Brillat, Michael (1999). South Pacific Islands. Hunter Publishing, Inc. Page 55. ISBN 9783886181049.
- ^ Connell, John and Barbara Rugendyke (2008). Tourism at the Grassroots: Villagers and Visitors in the Asia-Pacific. Routledge. Page 5. ISBN 9781134135424.
- ^ http://www.shefa.travel/pele--emau.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ Michelle, Bennett (2003). Vanuatu: Dive into paradise. Lonely Planet. Page 80. ISBN 9781740592390.
- ^ O’Byrne, Denis and David Harcombe (1999). Vanuatu: Volcanoes, beaches, reefs, land dives. Lonely Planet. Page 130. ISBN 9780864426604.
- ^ Ramutsindela, Maano and Marja Spierenburg (2013). Sponsoring Nature: Environmental Philanthropy for Conservation. Routledge. Page 147. ISBN 9781134040346.
- ^ ftp://ftp.nodc.noaa.gov/pub/data.nodc/coris/library/NOAA/CRCP/project/1395/vanuatu_mpa_mgmt_plan_2006.pdf
- ^ Jasons Travel Media Ltd. Vanuatu Visitor Guide. Jasons Travel Media. Page 58. ISBN 9780473171742.
- ^ "Nguna-Pele does Vanuatu proud | Biodiversity & Ecosystems Management". Archived from the original on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
- ^ Connell, John and Barbara Rugendyke (2008). Tourism at the Grassroots: Villagers and Visitors in the Asia-Pacific. Routledge. Page 5. ISBN 9781134135424.
- ^ Stanley, David (2004). Moon Handbooks South Pacific. Avalon Travel. Page 922. ISBN 9781566914116.
- ^ O’Byrne, Denis and David Harcombe (1999). Vanuatu: Volcanoes, beaches, reefs, land dives. Lonely Planet. Page 130. ISBN 9780864426604.
- ^ Carroll, Tiffany (2011). The essential Vanuatu: culture, commerce, tourism, adventure. Media21 Publishing Pty Ltd. Page 13. ISBN 9781876624200.
- ^ ftp://ftp.nodc.noaa.gov/pub/data.nodc/coris/library/NOAA/CRCP/project/1395/vanuatu_mpa_mgmt_plan_2006.pdf
External links
edit
Media related to Pele Island at Wikimedia Commons
