Motu Nui

Motu Nui is the summit of a large volcanic mountain which rises over 2,000 meters from the sea bed.

This took place starting from Motu Nui where the Hopu (representatives from each clan) waited for the sooty terns to lay their first eggs of the season.

Motu Nui was scientifically surveyed by the Routledge expedition of 1914, which reported that six other varieties of seabirds nested there in addition to the sooty tern.

Although the Tangata Manu cult's rituals have long since been discontinued (the last competition known to have taken place in 1888), current visitors to Rapa Nui often enjoy the beauty of the Motus via small boat excursions from Hanga Roa, the island's only town.

Once heavily populated with sharks, the coastal waters of Rapa Nui are now much safer, due in large part to overfishing.

Motu Nui, with the smaller Motu Iti and the sea stack of Motu Kao Kao. Picture taken September 2018, from Orongo on the Rano Kau volcano, around 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level.
Map including Motu Nui
(largest of three tiny islets located off lower left corner of Rapa Nui in bottom left corner of map)
Katherine Routledge's drawings of images in the caves