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Most interestingattractions and landmarks in

American Samoa

Gatis Pāvils, 11 December 2011No.3. http://www.wondermondo.com/AmericanSamoa.htm

Image: Pola Island.Tavita Togia, Wikimedia Commons, public domain

American SamoaThis small island country offers breathtaking scenery and interesting natural and

archaeological landmarks.

Natural landmarksAna Pe'ape'a – Eastern District, southern shore of Tutuila. Small cave, the only known natural deposit of prehistoric vertebrates in American Samoa. Found remnants of reptiles and birds who lived on the island 900 BC or later – most of them live here also today. It seems that by this time human presence already formed the present faunal composition in Samoa.

Faga'alu Waterfall – Eastern District, Tutuila. Beautiful, veiled waterfall in natural jungle.

Laufuti Falls – Manu'a District, Tau Island. Spectacular, intermittent waterfall with four cascades, 13.7 to 131 m (third cascade) tall. Total height exceeds 200 m. After the fall the stream flows for a short distance through a spectacular canyon with more than 100 m tall, vertical cliffs.

Ma'ama'a Cove – Eastern District, Aunu'u Island. Interesting coastal formation which makes spectacular splashes of the ocean waves.

Natural arch in north-east of Aunu'u -Eastern District, Aunu'u Island. Slanted stone arch formed by the sea waves.

Pola Island (Cockscomb) – Eastern District. Small, narrow (max 130 m), elongated island with up to 100 m tall cliffs.

Tau coral colony – Manu'a District, southwest of Tau Island. One of the largest and oldest known hermatypic (reef-building) coral colonies. Coral species – most likely Porites lutea. Colony is 7 m tall, 41 m in circumference, healthy.Colony may contain some 200 million polyps. The colony might be more than 800 years old.

Vailulu'u Eel City – ocean near Manu'a District. A hydrothermal vent in the summit of enormous submarine volcano which rises 4,200 m from the ocean floor. The Nafanue volcanic cone in the centre of the 400 m deep caldera contains a group of hydrothermal vents inhabited by numerous eels (Dysommina rugosa). This is unusual – in general vertebrates do not live near hydrothermal vents.

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Featured: Vailulu'u Eel City and „Moat of Death”

Dysommina rugosa eels in Nafanua Eel City. NOAA / public domain.

There is an unique place east from the easternmost Samoa island. Deep under the sea a summit of new volcano is quickly rising towards the surface and thousands of rare eels are living on the summit of this volcano.This is the weird Vailulu'u Eel City.

Wonder mondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions / landmarks in the whole world.

Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pāvils.

Man made landmarksAtauloma Girls School – Western District, Tutuila. A historical building, constructed in 1900. Locals avoid it out of fear of ghosts.

Fitiuta petroglyphs – Manu'a District, Tau Island. Two prehistoric petroglyphs – a king of fishook with a ring of small holes and a group of small holes.

Pala Mud Lake – Eastern District, Aunu'u Island. Dangerous red colored mud (mostly inundated). According to local legends people here are pulled to the underworld by lost souls. Lake is full with eels.

Papaloa petroglyphs (Leone) – Western District, Tutuila. A group of 67 prehistoric petroglyphs, mainly rings of small holes, but also turtle, octopus.

Saua footpath – Manu'a District, eastern Ta'u. Ancient raised footpath along the sea, built of stone. Around Saua are foound numerous archaeological monuments.

Tafuna star mounds – Western District, Tutuila. In total in Tutuila island are known more than 80 star mounds (tia 'ave) – possible pigeon snaring facilities. Tafuna plain contains several such mounds, due to their proximity to inhabited centres they are the best known in the island. Age is unknown.

Tataga – Matau Fortified Quarries – Western District, Tutuila. Prehistoric basalt quarry. Stone tools from here are spread to the far Pacific islands. Large basalt grindstones – stones with deep hollows – found near the quarry, towards the Vailotai. Fortified by earthworks and natural cliffs.

To'aga ancient settlement – Manu'a District, southern coast of Ofu. Remnants of ancient settlement, continuously inhabited for 3000 years. Here found also remnants of Lapita ceramics created 1700 – 1300 BC.

Zion Church in Leone – Western District, Tutuila. Magnificent church, built in 1900 in the site where a missionary John Williams landed in 1832. Church has beautifully carved ceiling.

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