Vatia Tidal Pools

     The north coast of Tutuila, American Samoa, has many bays and coves.  Only a few are accessible, and most of those by boat only.  The mountains descend steeply into the sea, and the waves (having built up over a few thousand miles of ocean) crash into shore.  Few villages are here; its not hard to imagine this as just the way it was a thousand years ago.  A stretch of coast and mountainside has been acquired (leased, mostly) by the National Park Service to form a part of American Samoa National Park.  A few sections are accessible by car and footpath.  The tidal pools near Vatia are among them, but it isn't easy.  First you must drive up a steep road, across the spine of the island's mountains via a pass right under the Rainmaker Mountain north of Pago Pago Harbor, then descend almost to the tiny village of Vatia.  A small hut and sign mark the trail down to the coast, very rugged and steep, though thankfully only about a half mile long.  You are rewarded by views toward Vatia and then the Cockscomb, a steep rock formation which is a bird sanctuary now.  The point on which you stand has some tidal pools, down a poor, very steep and rocky trail right to where the waves hit.  At low tide you can cross over and swim in the pools.

     Here are some photos of our recent day trip:

View to East from atop the cliff

NPS descriptive sign

View from atop cliff to the west; the Cockscomb

Crashing and swirling waves below

     We met with my co-worker Joe and his wife Sarah.  Her parents had flown out here for a week, so they came along as well.  Jerry Spring is a retired airline pilot, and Joan is still flying as a flight attendant.  Great people and new friends.  All of us went down the slippery path through the rain forest, coming out on a rocky point which we descended to reach the pools.  Here's what we saw on the way:

View east from down below

Village of Vatia, to the west

Shoreline with cave/grotto.  Can't get to it!

Your blogger climbing down

The group preparing for the tidal pools

     To get to the pools from this point you must clamber over some slippery rocks and coral, very sharp.  Coral can cut you up quickly.  These pools can only be accessed at low tide, the waves are too strong otherwise.  We cut it almost too closely, as you will learn.  Here, at last, are the pools.  The photos make them look small, but each of the larger ones is the size of a room, and quite deep.  There are fish, other sea life in them.  We brought along our snorkels to see it all with.  All in all we spent about an hour paddling around in these pools:

First pool, very deep, enter left.  About 30' above here.

2nd, 3rd & 4th.  Yet another is just past these.

Same, pan to the right

Another shot, looking east

      Some videos will follow, these give a better idea of the wave action.  The only access to the pools is a narrow rocky shelf where the waves come in - and over, except at low tide.  We dallied a bit too much; as Cyndi tried to judge the waves for her climb out, she got blind-sided by a rogue wave that knocked her back into the first pool, all the way to the far end.  She was cut up by the coral somewhat, her swimsuit torn, and she got some bruises.  But thankfully no serious injury and she was able to climb out on her own.  All in all a lucky break.  The rest of us were far more careful and definitely more respectful of the wave power.  Next chore, the climp back up to our car:

The climb back up

Samoan friend wanted his photo taken.  Cyndi was happy to oblige!

     Jerry had an underwater camera, so watch for future notice, I'll post some of his photos when I can get them in.

     Here is also a video panorama of the scene from just atop the tidal pools.  Anyway it was spliced to be a panorama but longer videos won't upload so I have to leave it in three segments:

This starts to the far left, Vatia is across the bay under the mountains, and continues past the Cockscomb to end looking straight north across the ocean.  There is nothing that direction for thousands of miles except maybe a couple small scattered islands, up to Alaska.

The next video starts where the above left off, and pans around toward the east:

The last video shows the pools and the access point, as we started out.  When we left the waves were coming in higher and stronger:

So now you have seen the Vatia tidal pools.  When I get photos from Jerry and Joe I'll put up a notice and add them in.  Keep checking in!

Future posts will show my village, Leone; a sampler of Samoan churches from across the island; flowers and other visual delights; a walk along the coast; and much more.