Tema Reef

Tema Reef
	Interactive map of Tema Reef
Geography
Location	South Pacific
Coordinates	11°36′S 165°22′W / 11.6°S 165.37°W
Archipelago	Cook Islands
Adjacent to	Pukapuka; Nassau
Length	370 m (1210 ft)
Width	550 m (1800 ft)

11°05′S 165°38′W / 11.083°S 165.633°W / -11.083; -165.633

Tema Reef, also called Tima Reef, is a submerged coral reef in the northern island group of the Cook Islands, 23 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of Pukapuka coral atoll.

History

Legend has it that Tima, an Aitutakian warrior sailed to Nassau, but was chased away by Ngalewu, a chief from Pukapuka. On his return to Aitutaki he passed the reef nearby and named it Te Toka-O-Tima, the Stone of Tima.^[1]

The reef was sighted by Commodore John Byron on June 21, 1765. Captain William Williams of the missionary ship John Williams sighted the reef on May 15, 1864. It was again examined by HMS Alert in 1880.^[1] The reef was named in 1887 by Thomas Capel Tilly.^[2]

Geography

Tema Reef is a sub-surface platform reef.^[3] No coral or rock shows above water, but the sea breaks heavily over the reef. On clear days, the reef can be seen from up to 9 miles (14 km). It lies about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of its location on maps.^[4] Tema Reef measures about 400 by 600 yards (370 by 550 metres), covering a shallow but submerged area of 0.16 square kilometres (0.06 square miles).^[1]

References

1 2 3 "16. Tima Reef - NZETC". Nzetc.org. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
↑ Coppell, William George (1973). "About the Cook Islands. Their Nomenclature and a Systematic Statement of Early European contacts". Journal de la Société des Océanistes. 29 (38). Société des Océanistes: 23–56. doi:10.3406/jso.1973.2410.
↑ Spalding, Mark; Ravilious, Corinna; Green, Edmund P. (2001). World atlas of coral reefs. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-23255-6.
↑ "THE LINE ISLANDS, THE COOK ISLANDS, THE SAMOA ISLANDS, AND THE TONGA ISLANDS (INCLUDING OFF-LYING ISLANDS AND REEFS)" (PDF). Permanent.access.gpo.gov. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

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[Nzetc.org-1-1] 1 2 3 "16. Tima Reef - NZETC". Nzetc.org. Retrieved 2 May 2017.

[2] Coppell, William George (1973). "About the Cook Islands. Their Nomenclature and a Systematic Statement of Early European contacts". Journal de la Société des Océanistes. 29 (38). Société des Océanistes: 23–56. doi:10.3406/jso.1973.2410.

[3] Spalding, Mark; Ravilious, Corinna; Green, Edmund P. (2001). World atlas of coral reefs. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-23255-6.

[4] "THE LINE ISLANDS, THE COOK ISLANDS, THE SAMOA ISLANDS, AND THE TONGA ISLANDS (INCLUDING OFF-LYING ISLANDS AND REEFS)" (PDF). Permanent.access.gpo.gov. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

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v t e Cook Islands
Northern chain	Manihiki Nassau Penrhyn Pukapuka Rakahanga Suwarrow Tema Reef
Southern chain - Nga-pu-Toru	Atiu Mauke Mitiaro
Southern chain - other	Aitutaki Mangaia Manuae Palmerston Rarotonga Takutea Winslow Reef