There are 150 species of marine wildlife here, belonging to more than 60 different families. About one-quarter of the world’s species of marine fauna are found only in Rapa Nui.
Recent studies show that in ancient times Rapa Nui had much greater plant diversity than is the case today, inluding many species native to the island. Variations in the climate and the intense volcanic activity recorded some 12,000 years ago seriously affected the vegetation. However, the most violent impact was felt when humans arrived in the 5th century A.D.
The introduction of invasive species and over-exploitation caused trees and bushes to die out or be reduced to a minimum. This is the case of the toromiro (Sophora toromiro), the Easter Island palm (Paschalococcus disperta), sandalwood (santalum sp.) and toi (Alphitonia zizyphoides).
The totora (Scirpus californicus, native to America) grows in the water reserves of the volcanos, having managed to survive for thousands of years. The reed is used a good deal for clothing. The same is true of mahute (Broussonetia papyrifera), a shrub used for making fabrics, and ti (Cordyline Terminalis), which has colorful pigments used to dye them. Introduced species include the sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas), banana and squash.
There have always been more marine birds and animals than species of fauna on land. Among the birds you are most likely to see are the house sparrow (passer domesticus), tiuque (chimango caracara or Milvago chimango), Chilean tinamou (Nothoprocta perdicaria), the great frigate bird (Fregata minor), the white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) and the red-tailed tropicbird (phaethon rubricauda). The latter three are migratory species.
There are 150 species of marine wildlife belonging to more than 60 different families. The isolation of the island has contributed to the high level of autoctonous species: one in every four species is found only on the island.
The sea surrounding the island features some of the most transparent waters in the world, enabling views down to a depth of 50 meters (164 feet) for easy appreciation of much of this exuberant marine wildlife.
TOROMIRO (Sophora toromiro): THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
Some 3 meters (10 feet) high, toromiro is a plant autoctonous to Rapa Nui which was first discovered by Europeans on Captain James Cook's expedition in 1774.
The wood is strong and resistant and as a result, these small trees were systematically felled to provide wood for houses and domestic and ceremonial items. Intensive livestock farming, especially of sheep, finally caused the tree to become extinct in 1956.
That same year, the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl collected some toromiro seeds from the crater of Rano Kau, which he took to Europe. There the seeds were sown and two plants were successfully grown. From these two plants, more examples were cultivated and during the 1990s, attempts were made to reintroduce toromiro to the island. However, these attempts were unsuccessful.
There are still a few examples of toromiro in gardens in Chile and Europe. Explora offers amazing Easter Island travel to discover all of the amazing flora and fauna
