Aitutaki
Cook Islands

A beautiful atoll in the Cooks...

Personal experience

I have been here several times with various expedition ships.

the atoll

Aitutaki is a triangular shaped atoll. It is famous for it's shallow lagoon and blue waters.

After settlement by Polynesians, the first European to discover the series of islands was Bligh on Bounty. It was used as a military base by the United States of America and New Zealand in WW2.

Today, it is most famous for it's stunning sand beaches, regularly cited as some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Most day tours into the lagoon stop at an island that has a population of breeding red-tailed tropic-birds.

Many of the best coral reef sites are located in developing countries. Therefore, the locals hunt the fish for food. Thus fish in these areas are often easily 'spooked' and difficult to approach for close photographs. However, this site in the Cook Islands is one of the most 'fish friendly' sites I have been to. There are many areas where fish are feed, and thus habituated, and therefore easy to photograph

(Giant Trevally, Aitutaki, Fiji)

Back to the page on coral reefs

About the author

me-lake-king

Written by Damon Ramsey. All photographs by author (unless credited otherwise). This is not AI written. Images and information are added to this website continuously as of 2026. Feel free to copy photographs for educational purposes, but please acknowledge with: www.ecosystem-guides.com.  Ecosystem Guides posts pretty shots on Instagram and some sillier photos on Facebook.  Contact Email: damon@ecosystem-guides.com

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