Undersea coconuts

During more than 30 years, I have traveled many Pacific Islands to describe and collect old coconut varieties created by Polynesians and Melanesians over past centuries.

This coconut encrusted with shells was found under water. It comes from the mouth of a river of the Samoan archipelago.

It really have strange eyes ! when I was shooting the pictures, I just did not see its amazing kind of pupils. I was very surprised when I came back home and see the picture.

I wish people would remember me as one who went to pick coconuts even into the depths of the sea ...

Mother and progeny

These two pictures were taken in Africa, on the Assinie Beach, South East of Côte d'Ivoire. We conducted in 2009 a scientific survey to check that the Lethal Yellowing Disease, wich is killing many coconut palms in Ghana, was not present in Côte d'Ivoire

Coconuts fall on the sandy ground and germinate in the beach, a place where only a few plants can grow...

Mother and progeny, Coconut Palm, R. Bourdeix 2009



Mother and progeny, Coconut palm, R. Bourdeix, 2009

Tsunami

I went to Manono, a small island of Samoa, on the March 10th 2010. I spent a nigth there. We brougth coconut seedlings to villagers and make lectures in the villages..

A church destroyed by the Tsunami

A courageoius old man breaking the remaining of its church destroyed by the Tsunami.
Nine years later, somebody from Manono (Falaula) told me his name is Tuilaepa Fuava.

Coconut palms on the beach very near the church were more resilient

Coconut blues

The coconut generally evokes images of exotic beaches and peaceful tropical holidays, like this nice place in Upolu Island, Western Samoa.

But the reality may be much darker, like on this island in the archipelago of Tuvalu.



Coconut blues, a sad song to comfort those who, this winter, will not travel to warmer countries...

A coconut palm gracefully bent over the turquoise waters of a tropical lagoon, what a standardized dream!



But the fight between the palm and the so-called "Pacific" Ocean often becomes ruthless.


The uprooted coconut palms, pioneers in the fight against marine erosion, resemble dying soldiers massacred on a forgotten battlefield.

Coconut fruits, when they are young, show rather cheerful colors, ranges in color pale yellow, orange red, green or brown.





But in this forgotten rainforest of Fiji Islands coconuts gnawed by time and covered by mosses exhibit a much more disturbing aspect.

A strange mix of coconut palms and skulls was found in this remote area of Tuvalu Archipelago. It seems that the skulls are fruits fallen from the palms.

Nobody wanted to tell us what happened here.

Here comes the end of our Coconut blues, a sad song for those who will not travel to warmer countries.

Thus, if it exists now a Coconut blues, we never met a blue coconut palm.

This one is just an electric dream, don't worry about it.