[Zero]

French Polynesia is one of the best known destinations of the South Pacific, partly because of the alluring tale of Mutiny of the Bounty and the exotic paintings of Paul Gauguin . With its palm trees, crystal waters, volcanoes and lush forests, all your South Sea fantasies are made real. You can visit here on a cruise, but French Polynesia is best experienced on a longer visit, where you have time to relax and enjoy the amazing sights and stay in an overwater bungalow. The destination is famous for luxury and is one of the most desirable places in the world for honeymoons. The food is great too – thanks to the French influence, you can enjoy fine wines and European cuisine with a local flavour, although you should try the barbecued sucking pig at indigenous-style buffets. here

[blurden]

read our detailed guide to Samoa Islands

[ehaileyyatesn]

read our detailed guide to New Caledonia
[links]

[xxswedcc]

Vanuatu’s colonial name was the New Hebrides – although what these sunny Pacific islands have to do with the original Scottish Hebrides is anyone’s guess. Vanuatu is a particularly popular short-haul destination for Kiwis, but families, couples and honeymooners of all nationalities will enjoy these wonderful islands. For those who want to get away from screaming kids, for whatever reason, then there are a number of child-free hotels. The Vanuatu people are particularly friendly and love visitors, although their own cultural values remain very important in rural areas. Vanuatu shares much of the same cuisine as other island nations in the region, but is particularly noted for its meat – the local steaks are highly recommended.

[jayrod]

Covering a total land area of 240 sq. km, the Cook Islands are scattered over 2 million sq. km in the Pacific Ocean. Located on the northern part of Rarotonga Island, in the southern group of Cook Islands is Avarua – the capital and largest city of Cook Islands. It is also the principal administrative and commercial center of the island nation. here

[fkuro27]

As can be observed on the map above, the northern islands are mostly low-lying and sparsely populated coral atolls; and includes the islands of Manihiki, Nassau, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, and Suwarrow. The southern group generally consists of much larger higher islands that are volcanic in origin and more densely populated. The southern island group includes Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Manuae, Mauke, Mitiaro, Palmerston, and Takutea. The distance between the two island groups is enormous. The highest point is Te Manga that rises to 652m on the Rarotonga island. The lowest point is the Pacific Ocean (0m).

[mhatta]

Regional Maps: Map of [links]

[parallel]

Covering a total land area of 240 sq. km, the Cook Islands are a group of 15 small islands that are spread over 2 million sq. km in the South Pacific Ocean. The 15 islands are geographically divided into the Northern and Southern island groups.

[Gatsu]

The largest island of Rarotonga is lush green and is ringed by white-sand beaches. Along with the stunning coral atoll of Aitutaki (with its blue lagoon and rich marine life), they epitomize the beauty of the Cook Islands and the entire Polynesian group.

[Cyril]

Add 'Search on Flickriver' to your browser's search box. Works with Firefox and Internet Explorer. Install search plugin here

[robotmonkey]

You can place your badge on your Flickr profile, Blog or Website.

[kedur31]

Also, allows quickly viewing any Flickr photo on black background in large size. [links]

[comboy]

Use Flickriver Badge Creator to create a badge linking to your photos, your group or any other Flickriver view.

[Zero]

Flickriver widget for iGoogle or Netvibes can display almost any Flickriver view - most interesting today, by user, by group, by tag etc. Once added to your personalized homepage, just edit widget settings to select your desired view.

[enhytgb]

While Hauser credits the whale for protecting her, she acknowledges she can't know what the whale was thinking.

[lysacor]

She suffered some bruises and scratches from the encounter, but was otherwise unscathed. She said that after she swam back to her boat, the whale surfaced nearby as if to check on her.

[elavernenasho]

Her research companions turned off an underwater video drone, fearing she was going to be mauled to death. But Hauser kept her video rolling.

[DevoJinx]

The encounter took place in October, but Hauser didn't upload the video until Monday. It quickly spread via social media. more

[Differance]

She's heard on a video telling the massive mammal, "I love you!"

[miranda]

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- A marine biologist believes a humpback whale shielded her from a 15-foot tiger shark in the South Pacific. Nan Hauser said she didn't understand the actions of the 25-ton whale that she met face-to-face in the Cook Islands. Then she saw the shark.