Sailing De Novo

Hanapaaoa Kaoha Nui , dear friends and family, We are currently in Mo'orea, a spectacular stop in the Societies' Windward Islands, our third island group of French Polynesia. As we wait out an afternoon of heavy rain, I figured I would finally write about our first island group, the magical volcanic islands of Marquesas. In order to catch you up, though, I'll need to start from the beginning.  The absolute beginning.               Around five million years ago, the volcanic hotspot under what is now the Marquesas Islands started to do what volcanic hotspots do. The mantle plumes brought all the nutrients to the surface. As molten lava cooled, seabirds used the islands as pit stops, depositing plant seeds and other nutrients in their waste. Soon prevailing currents brought other land animals such as turtles and crabs, and voilà, you have an archipelago. With verdant valleys and plenty of resources, the Marquesas Islands were ideal for human settlement.            Around 1000