Manihiki Magic. The endless azure horizon, the

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1 Manihiki Magic Story & photos: Tim Meyer The endless azure horizon, the omnipresent sound of waves crashing onto the reef, a light breeze gently moving the coconut palm fronds and the sun dipping everything in vibrant, tropical colours. On a normal quiet Sunday afternoon on Manihiki, a black tip reef shark is patrolling the shallow reefs as I am writing this story, sitting in the shade of my favourite Tauhunu Tree behind the Manihiki Cyclone Centre. Manihiki is the pearl of the Northern Group of the Cook Islands. Located 1,000 km north of Rarotonga and roughly 1,350 km south of the equator, the hidden gem of this country is world famous for its Black Pearls. The lustre that the Manihiki pearl farmers are producing is second to none on this blue planet. With the earth being made up of two thirds water and one third land, Manihiki takes the term blue planet to a whole other level. The tiny little atoll in the middle of the Pacific is only half a meter above sea level and is a mere spec of sand in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Toddlers learn how to fish before they can properly walk! Manihiki is as close to paradise as you can get to on this planet. The main sources of income for the people in Manihiki are Black Pearl farming and government positions. With very few visitors finding their way this far north due to limited access, tourism is not part of the economic development of this beautiful island. 40 ESCAPE

2 I found myself on Manihiki through my involvement in the Lagoon Clean-Up Project generously funded by the New Zealand Government and operated by Pacific Divers. The project assisted with the removal of abandoned farming material in order to help protect this pristine lagoon. For the last five months, I was fortunate to work alongside some of the best and most experienced pearl farmers that have operated in this incredible lagoon, namely Trainee Samson, Pepe Makira, James Brown, Jack Pokipoki, Joe Hiro, John Mehau and one of the most experienced divers of the atoll Rino Mareko. A second-generation farmer Tamuela Karaponga and his mother Nga Karaponga from Manihiki Pearl Tech have invited me to spend a day out harvesting with them and their crew to show me the beautiful and technical side of farming. This once in a lifetime opportunity gave me the chance to appreciate the hard work, time and patience that is behind the stunning Black Pearl of Manihiki. A day in the life of a pearl farmer Pearl farming is a year-round affair and during the harvest that lasts between one to three weeks, days start before sunrise and end after sunset. Today, Tamuela Karaponga's team from Samuela Pearl Service consists of his brother Kaina Karaponga, Koa Arii, Alex Samson and myself. We leave the wharf at 5.45am to arrive on the farm before sunrise. The 10 minutes boat ride in itself was worth waking up at dawn on a Saturday. The sun is still down, the water is calm, and the warm breeze sets up the mood for a very early dive. Our first job is to harvest oysters off the lines. So, we have to get into the water in total darkness, an eerie feeling. The light breeze and tiredness give me a chill, the tiny waves slap gently against our aluminium hull and the sound resonates into the darkness. Tamuela stops all conversation and says a prayer in Maori asking for protection while being in the water. The boys gear up with mask, snorkel and gloves and disappear into the deep. All of a sudden, I feel very alone while putting on my own gear knowing that there is nothing between me and the lagoon floor but 18 meters of indifferent ocean water. Nga Karaponga looks at me and says: Look, the horizon, it will be getting lighter soon. I take her word as encouragement and glide off the boat into the 28 C water that swaddles me like a warm blanket. My heart starts jumping as soon as I open my ESCAPE 41

3 ...and glide off the boat into the 28 C water that swaddles me like a warm blanket. My heart starts jumping as soon as I open my eyes underwater. There are biofluorescent plankton all around us. eyes underwater. There are biofluorescent plankton all around us. As we stroke to swim towards the lines, the water lights up green right in front of our eyes. Looking past this beautiful spectacle, I see Koa and Kaina diving down to the oysters and the harvest begins. There are three different types of lines to be found in the lagoon. A - The spat collectors or Haru Haru lines that are catching the spawn from the oysters in the water to produce new shells. B - Double chaplets that are used to grow the oyster to seeding size. C - The chaplets. These lines hold the actual nucleated oyster, which have been seeded with a nucleus. The nucleus is a fresh water pearl that will be coated by the mantle tissue of the black lip oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) with nacre thus creating the beautiful black pearl. The process from catching the spat to collecting the actual pearl takes four to five years. In this extensive period of time, many things can happen to destroy the harvest: severe weather, diseases, El Niño. The pearl farmers need to constantly check their lines, clean the shells and truly look after them like their own children. Only the best caretakers harvest the true unspoiled beauty of a round pearl with rousing lustre. There are two men free diving and one on the boat pulling up the heavy loads of shells. A main line is full of chaplets. Each chaplet holds oysters in strings of 10 every meter for a full line length of 220m, which means in theory 220 chaplets and 2,200 oysters per line. First, we tie an anchor float to the line to make it rise closer to the surface and to hold the boat in place. We then untie the chaplets and bring them up to the boat. The chaplets are tied to the lines with a clove hitch tied as a slipknot that is strong but can easily be undone. I need both hands to handle a chaplet. The pros and strong locals untie with one hand, swim to the next, untie and bring two chaplets up to the surface. Kaina and Koa are incredibly skilled divers and manage an average of four chaplets per dive. All of that on one single breath of air. On the boat the shells are taken off the chaplets and stored in grey plastic baskets, at three chaplets per basket. A full shipment of 100 chaplets will be transported to the seeding house. This process needs to flow and time is of the essence since the shells are put under enormous stress by being out of the water. Once the boat arrives at the seeding house a team of four workers is starting to prepare the shells for the technician. The baskets are being hung from a wooden platform with stainless steel hooks to 42 ESCAPE

4 The layers of nacre in the Cook Islands Black Pearl creates iridescent colours in various shades of black, purple, green, silver, gold and white. very adequate considering how much endurance and perseverance the locals need to live this lifestyle in harmony with their surroundings, and considering how long it takes to produce the beautiful Black Pearl. The mood is good, it was a successful day. It is now time for a BBQ. The puru, coconut husks are collected for firewood. Nothing beats the smoky flavour of fish grilled over coconut husks. We sit there watching the flames kiss our fish, a cold drink in our hand, chatting away while overlooking the endless lagoon of Manihiki. We know that out there, the re-seeded oysters that we have put down earlier that day are resting on the line, producing one of the most beautiful gems nature has created. Sam looks at me with a proud smile as I thank him for showing me his world. The team sits together around the fire, talking about the next harvest, how it will be more plentiful, more beautiful than the last. float in the lagoon water. This prevents the shells from overheating which would eventually cause their demise. Part of the team starts cleaning them from organic growth such as barnacles, sponges and other living organisms. This process facilitates the handling of the oyster and is an important step towards a healthy growth. The oysters mouth is then opened with a wooden pin and placed onto a wooden tray ready for the quick operation to extract the stunning Black Pearl. The technician's table resembles a dentist s workbench, with all the tiny long handled stainless-steel tools that are needed to harvest the pearl from the oyster s pearl sack called gonad. The oyster is placed onto the shell stand and opened with a wooden wedge shell opener. A small insertion is made and then the technician removes the black pearl with the pearl ring. Using the nuclei inserter, he then replaces the black pearl with a new similar sized nucleus to prompt the oyster to continue covering the now new pearl with its natural black nacre from the mantel tissue. An interesting side note on the nucleus used in pearl farming is that they are actual fresh water pearls. They come from the Mississippi region and can only be produced there. The industry has tried all sorts of other material but has not yet found a substitute. A black oyster can go through up to four breeding cycles of 12 months so each time the pearl gets a little bigger to a diameter of up to 14 mm. This explains why the big round pearls are more expensive than the rest. Though it is worth the wait as they are a result of true dedication and love from the farmer as it takes a period of seven years or more to produce one single 14 mm Black Pearl! We are heading back to Sam's seeding house located in the village of Tukao. The boys explain to me that Tukao translates into stand and grow. I find this meaning ESCAPE 43

5 Black Pearls are worn around the world. The pearl has become a symbol of wealth, power and the purest form of beauty. Creating Beauty But there is more, there is always more. Manihikians are very resourceful, probably because they cannot just pick up the phone and call the guy. Here in the far north people have to help themselves and this is exactly what the community does at all times. In this aspect, it was just a matter of time before the local pearl farmers started adding value to their product by producing stunning jewellery. Black Pearls are worn around the world. The pearl has become a symbol of wealth, power and the purest form of beauty. For us voyagers and visitors to these beautiful islands they are a means of taking a little piece of paradise home with us as a reminder that this lush tropical life really exists. It is out there that the dream continues. My black pearl reminds me of Manihiki s beauty and I lose myself looking at its lustre and sheer perfection. The next morning, I meet Mama Nga in her family home, surrounded by her grandchildren. She is sitting under the sunroof, overlooking the lagoon. In front of her, she has a large white velvet cloth on which are spread pearls of different sizes and colours. The layers of nacre in the Cook Islands Black Pearl creates iridescent colours in various shades of black, purple, green, silver, gold and white. The particular necklace she is working on is an order from the Cook Islands government as an official gift to the people of Samoa. The Prime Minister will present this necklace to Samoa s First Lady on the upcoming state visit. This necklace is the apex of Manihiki craftsmanship and shows in one piece how remarkable its peoples skills are. It reflects on a strong tradition of resourcefulness, sustainability and culture that is rooted in the past and ready for a bright future. Nga s grandchildren are seeking an education overseas but they are very eager to learn. They are closely observing their grandmother s craft. In my opinion, Nga has created a true piece of art: the traditional rito necklace with its white cream colour is the perfect canvas for the black keshi pearls she is using on the outer rim, leading the view to the centre piece, a cluster with 14 black pearls. This piece of jewellery is worthy of a queen! This is one of the many gifts from Cook Islands people to the world! When you want to get yourself a little souvenir from the Cook Islands you ll find a number of fine jewellery shops in down town Avarua, around the harbour area and Saturdays at the Punanga Nui market. The Cook Islands Pearl Association is the umbrella organization for Black Pearls in the Cook Islands and when you buy a pearl from one of their retailers it will be issued with a certificate of authenticity to verify that you are buying a real gem of the north from Manihiki. Take a little piece of this paradise home and let it guide you through the cold winter days, looking at the black pearl, dreaming of the long white sandy beaches of your favourite tropical getaway. Aere ra see you next time. For more information on Manihiki and how to get there: Cookislands.travel Airrarotonga.com Azurecoconut.blogspot.com 44 ESCAPE