Vatoa
Vatoa is an outlier of Fiji's Lau Group.
History
Vatoa was the only island of present-day Fiji visited by James Cook. The island was sighted on 2 July 1774. The next day, a Sunday, the Master and some of Cook's crew went ashore: Cook's chart shows the name Turtle Isle.Geography
Vatoa has varied rainfall and is usually cool because of trade winds.The island has an area of and rises to more than above sea level. It is composed wholly of limestone, probably Late Miocene in age. A single village has a population around 300. Interesting old fortifications occupy the highest part of the island.
Government
Viliame Naupoto, a noted son of Vatoa, is currently Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. He once served as Director of Immigration and Deputy Commander of the Republic of Fiji Navy.Shipwrecks of Vatoa and associated reef Vuata Vatoa
Vatoa and its associated reef, Vuata Vatoa, have a surprising number of shipwrecks, given the closest island to the north is and to the south is, but Vatoa with an elevation of only can easily be missed. Some of the wrecks are listed below:- 1825: Oeno, whaler, Vuata Vatoa
- 1840: Shylock, whaler, Vuata Vatoa
- 1942: SS Thomas A. Edison, cargo ship, Vuata Vatoa
- 1943: USS Grebe, minesweeper, Vuata Vatoa
- 1962: Ragna Ringdal, cargo ship, Vatoa