- Rurutu (Austral Islands)
Infobox Commune de France|nomcommune=Rurutu
région=Collectivités d'outre-mer
département=Polynésie française
insee=98744
cp=98753
maire=Frédéric Riveta
lat_long=coord|22|27|10|S|151|20|23|W
alt mini=0 m
alt maxi=385 m
hectares=2900
km²=29
sans= 2 189
date-sans=2002
dens=75|Rurutu is the northernmost island in the Austral archipelago of
French Polynesia , and the name of a commune consisting solely of that island. It is situated 572 km (355 miles) south ofTahiti .Geologically, Rurutu was initially formed 12 million years ago by the
Macdonald hotspot , a hotspot associated with theMacdonald seamount . Over the next 10 million years, erosion shrank the island until it was almost anatoll . Then, just over a million years ago, Rurutu passed over theArago hotspot , which lifted it roughly 150 meters (492 ft). Steep sea cliffs of ancient coral lifted by the event — called "makatea" — now largely encircle the island. These are riddled withcave s filled withconcretion s — indeed, Rurutu is largely unique among islands in French Polynesia in that its historic inhabitants were cave-dwelling.Because it is endowed with a fringing reef, Rurutu has in recent years become known for
whale watching:Humpback whale s come and reproduce here between July and October within easy sighting distance from the beach.Although its tiny community still subsists primarily on fishing and basic agriculture, tourism has been a growing industry, especially since
François Mitterrand 's visit in 1990. Whale watching season sees the bulk of tourists, but the largely untouched native culture, the white sand beaches, and the lush tropical flora draw small numbers of tourists year-round.ee also
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Rurutu Airport
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