Terrestrial fauna
The fauna of New Caledonia, particularly rich and varied for the marine environment, is more restricted on land.
Cagou - Rhynochetos jubatus. The cagou is a rare and protected species. If you come across it, you will probably be surprised by its cry, similar to a bark. As big as a partridge with long coral legs, it wears a hoopoe on its head that rises when it is afraid or angry. The cagou can live up to 30 years, but, not being able to fly, it is an easy prey for dogs. It makes nests where the female lays a single egg, one of the reasons for its vulnerability. It is the emblem of New Caledonia, and you may see it in the Blue River Park, where several hundred still exist. Famously, the sportsmen representing New Caledonia in sports competitions are called "cagou".
Russa deer - Cervus timerensis russa. Introduced in the last century, they have multiplied in large numbers mainly on the western lands. Caledonians pronounce the "f" of deer. Deer are now a real problem for farmers and cause serious damage to vegetation. The Caledonian government is trying to remedy this.
Raven - Corvus moneduloides. This crow makes tools with pandanus leaves and twigs to hook and cut its food.
Coconut crab - Birgus latro. This animal is a victim of its gastronomic success! The coconut crab is easily recognizable: it has a blue and brown carapace, and is known as the largest arthropod (animal with articulated legs) on earth. In short, it is huge! In reality, it is a large hermit crab that no longer lives in a shell. This species lives in seaside forests and on limestone soils, such as cliffs. The species is mainly found on the Loyalty Islands and their islets, south of Grande Terre, on the Isle of Pines and in other parts of the Pacific. Its growth is very slow and it reaches 2 kg only at the age of 30 years. It loves the pulp of coconuts and it is this greediness that costs it dearly, since the locals use this Achilles heel to capture it. The trap is simple: half a coconut is planted on a stick, itself sunk into the ground. We wait for the crab attracted by the smell of the coconut to capture it.
Snails. The bulimes make the fame of the Isle of Pines, they are giant snails that are protected there.
Margouillats. Also called geckos. They cling to walls or ceilings with their little suction-cup legs and watch for the insect that will pass in front of them in a halo of light. The presence of these little creatures will be of great help in your fight against mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes. In insignificant quantities, they are quite bearable in Noumea. On the other hand, elsewhere, they become aggressive at nightfall. It is better to protect yourself to avoid painful itching and especially to avoid catching dengue fever or other related diseases (Zika...). The prevention policy is well developed and the risk remains low.
Notou - Ducula goliath. If you hear cooing in the rainforest, you are in the presence of a notou, the largest tree pigeon known. It is now a protected species, but the species has suffered greatly from hunting.
Ouvéa parakeet - Eunymphicus cornutus uvaeensis. It is superb with its green, yellow and red plumage. Unfortunately, it is one of the twenty most endangered psittacids on the planet. The collectors tear off it and thus incite to the traffic.
Dogfish. This pretty red bat feeds on fruits and fruit nectar during the night. It is said that our red bat gets drunk while sucking the flowers of the false ash tree and ends up falling on the ground. Bats are the only mammals able to fly. The fruit bat hunts at night. During the day, it sleeps in caves, hollow tree trunks, mine shafts or foliage in which it hides.
Bancoule worms. The Bancoule worms are actually the larvae of an insect that lives in the forest. They fatten by tasting soft wood, such as that of the bancoulier tree, hence the origin of their name: the Bancoules or wattias in Melanesian (the pagan language). They are used in traditional dishes and are eaten raw or cooked.
Marine snakes
There are about a dozen marine snakes in New Caledonia. They are all extremely venomous, but not aggressive. It is mainly the striped tricots that you will come across! They have fangs connected to glands containing a deadly venom (their bite is equivalent to ten times that of the king cobra). Don't worry, they don't have enough jaw opening to attack humans. These striped snakes come in two forms: yellow and black(Laticauda colubrina) and bluish black(Laticauda laticaudata). They are the only snakes to be amphibious. They can stay in apnea from twenty minutes (in movement) to one hour (at rest).
Seabirds
Osprey or sea eagle - Pandion haliaetus. You will see its majestic and soaring flight over the islets or the shore. It lives in couples and builds an imposing nest, proportional to its size, made of tree branches and dead corals.
Gulls-Larusnovae hollandiae.as in metropolitan France, they are braying and adapt perfectly to your presence. They build rudimentary nests on the ground behind bushes. At Canard Island, near Noumea, do not venture near their nests, because they are then very aggressive.
Brown Noddy - Anous stolidus. You will recognize them by their large tapered beak and their black plumage. They are wild and shy away from human investigations in the islets.
Shearwater - Puffinus pacificus. This species is very vulnerable, as shearwaters dig a one meter tunnel in the sand to nest. When walkers walk in an area colonized by shearwaters, they cause the collapse of the galleries. Each pair can raise one chick per year, which they leave alone all day and only return to at nightfall with shrill cries. Shearwaters are migratory birds coming from cold arctic regions. The Sèche Croissant reserve was conceived to preserve these birds, it is located in the heart of the triad constituted by the île aux Canards, the îlot Maître and the îlot Larégnère.
Tern - Nereis sterna nereis. They leave to nest on the islets. If you camp there, you will remember your sleepless night for a long time because they are so noisy. They lay their eggs directly on the ground during the warm season. Good to know: eggs and chicks laid on the ground will blend in with the sand and you may run over them without seeing them. Remember that a bird that is too disturbed does not feel safe anymore and abandons its clutch...
Reef fauna
Did you know that? Coral is an animal and not a plant. Corals are the main part of the underwater landscape. In reality, they are madrepores that slowly build underwater structures. This is a bioconstruction. In New Caledonia, you are in the presence of several dozen distinct madrepores specimens. They are organized in colonies and live in symbiosis with micro-algae and zooxanthellae. They reproduce once a year, a few nights after the first full moon of summer, often between November and January. Did you know that a colony of faviidae (ball coral) grows only one centimeter in diameter per year? So you can conclude that a ball of one meter in diameter is about a century old.
Acropora. They are hard gracile corals whose elegance characterizes the underwater bottoms when they are composed of 90% of them. They can take the shape of fingers (digitiform) and present large polyps at the end of the finger. It is the color of the polyps that makes it possible to say that the corals are blue, yellow or mauve. Acroporas develop in shallow, sheltered and sunny bottoms.
Fluorescent corals. The Noumea aquarium has a dark room where madreporas receive ultraviolet light which accentuates their fluorescence. In reality, only the living parts of the animal react to the lighting: the calcareous skeleton does not produce any fluorescence. The range of fluorescent colors emitted by corals varies from dark green to bright yellow to red and orange. You will not see the fluorescence of corals during a night dive with a normal light. Remember: from the first few meters of depth, the yellow, orange and red radiation of the natural light spectrum is stopped and only the blue, green and ultraviolet light persists. To observe fluorescence, you need more than just ultraviolet light. Also, during the day, your trained eye can distinguish a fluorescent coral from another.
Soft corals - Alcyonaires. They have a predilection for currents. So you can find them near the passes and along the outer walls. They form erect colonies with a fleshy consistency. They are made up of a hydroskeleton, i.e. they inflate with water. Some sites, famous for their alcyonaires, can be explored only when the current is incoming. Indeed, as soon as the current goes out, the alcyonarias empty themselves of their water and their polyps close up: they look like deflated baudruches.
Black coral - Antipatharia. You will have trouble understanding why it is called black coral when you see these dense, brown bushes with reflections comparable to those of a fir tree covered with frost. In reality, their skeleton is black and they are made into highly prized jewelry.
Sponges. Sponges or sponges are among the most primitive species of the animal kingdom. They have no organs: they are simple aggregates of cells delimiting a very branched network of tubes where sea water circulates.
Fungia. When you meet a round or elongated mushroom coral, you will not forget it. Each coral is in fact a large and unique polyp that is not attached to the substrate (except at a very young stage). The fungia leads an autonomous existence and is free to move on the bottom. It is striated in stars of sharp ridges. You will notice purple zones which mark its growth. To move, it rises on its tentacles.
Gorgonians. They form branches with a skeleton and tissue around. They are branched out in a fan in a single plane. Some are unbranched, like the sea whips. They have the shape of brooms drawn up towards the surface and large stems resembling a thick unrolled wire. Others spread out in more or less large fans, offering pink, yellow or orange variations. Be careful with your palms, because these colonies deteriorate very easily.
Montipora. You will certainly be seduced by these flattened colonies in the shape of gigantic vases whose petals spread artistically around the "heart". The polyps on the surface sometimes form "goose bumps". Other montiporas look like big salads with overlapping leaves. The edge of these leaves is jagged and irregular as if an army of slugs had attacked them. The colors vary: brown, green, cream, white, pink..
Fish
Sharks, tazars and jacks pass through the passes, helped by the tidal currents to arrive in the lagoon, then they come out to the ocean. The fish in the lagoon are concentrated around the coral spats. Between the coral islets of the lagoon, mullets and surmullets wander. The trumpet-fish and the needle-fish pass in bands or isolate themselves between two waters. In the mangrove swamps up to the lagoon passes, many kinds of picots are a delight for fishermen.
The specimens present in New Caledonia are very numerous, here is a non exhaustive list:
Picasso triggerfish - Rhinecanthus aculeatus. The triggerfish has a rough and hard skin. You will notice the colors and drawings of its livery: they could be the work of a child. This fish has a curved spur at the top of its back, which rises up in case of danger. You can understand why it is called a triggerfish! The Picasso triggerfish often prowls in the lagoon, not far from the reef.
Hunchback. You can find it underwater or on the market stalls in Noumea. It evolves in the bays, in the passes and along the outer reef.
Diagramme or castex loche - Lethrinus nebulosus or miniatus. In reality, it is called sea perch. Its facies reminds the profile of the loaches, a distant cousin, with a lippa mouth. The perch lives in lagoons and outside the reef.
Lobster. The term comes from the Latin word labrum (the lip), because the wrasse has a mouth with thick lips. The males have more shimmering colors than the females. They can change their sex and livery to become adult males.
Blood loche - Cephalopholis sexmaculatus. Also called Old, it is a photographer's delight because of its color, orange and scarlet with small blue spots. It turns around the madrepores in the lagoon. It is curious and comes out of its hole easily.
Marbled loche, foul loche or camouflage grouper - Epinephelus microdon. You will recognize it at first sight: it is brown with irregular beige spots. The marbled loche colonizes the shallow waters of the lagoon and the oceanic side.
Mother-of-pearl - Epinephelus lancealatus. It is a kind of giant grouper that often burrows in the recesses of a cave where it has made its home or in a wreck. It is rather placid and curious and delights all divers. We avoid fishing it, it becomes rare.
Celestial grouper - Cephalophisargus. It is characterized by pretty blue spots. It often prowls around the coral spats in the lagoon, near the passes and along the oceanic drop-offs.
Javanese moray - Gymnothorax javanicus. It is usually found in shallow coral reefs. You will find it almost entirely buried in a hole, its mouth open and its throat contracted to the rhythm of its breathing. It has a brown color with darker spots.
Undulating moray - Gymnothorax undulatus. Also leopard moray, it wears a brown speckled coat on a white background. The undulating moray eel lives in shallow waters. It can be a bit sneaky, seemingly harmless, seemingly uninterested in you, but keep your distance!
Napoleon wr asse - Cheilinus undulatus. It is THE star of New Caledonian waters. It is by discovering the enormous hump that it displays that the French decided to name it napoleon. The humphead wrasse can reach record sizes (2 m). It is a very respected fish, its fishing is regulated.
Angelfish. The juveniles do not wear the livery of the adults and they feed on parasites that they take from other fish, as well as on worms. Adults feed on sponges, soft corals and algae. These fish are born female and end up male, so they are hermaphrodites.
Six-banded angelfish - Pomacanthus sexstriatus. It looks like it has been grilled or exposed to the sun for too long through bars.
Balloonfish - Canthigaster valentini. Its snout, resembling a long nose, is used to find crustaceans in crevices. Its flesh is edible, but its liver, gonads and skin concentrate a deadly poison, tetrodotoxin. It is very territorial.
Surgeon-fish. It owes its name to the surgeon-like scalpels (of the type Homo palmus) that it carries at the base of its tail. You will meet surgeon fish in the passes exposed to the swell and around the coral spuds.
Clownfish. You will enjoy the spectacle of the clownfish swimming between the tentacles of the anemone. It is then protected from its enemies. The tentacles of the anemone are however covered with stinging cells and its venomous secretions are fatal to other fish. These two species live in perfect symbiosis: the clownfish, in exchange for the protection of the anemone, provides it with bits of food.
Knife fish - Aeliscus strigatus. This is one of the curiosities of the underwater world of New Caledonia, because it swims upside down and, as a coward, it takes refuge between the quills of a black sea urchin against whose venom it is immune. The knifefish has a long thin band along its side which allows it to pass unnoticed between the spines of sea urchins.
Butterfly fish. The reef comes alive with butterfly-fish, their curious shapes, their bright colors, their jerky movements... They have a tubular snout and very small teeth. You will see them everywhere where the coral is abundant and healthy, in the lagoon and outside the reef.
Parrotfish. It illuminates the underwater world with its beautiful colors. Equipped with a beak, the parrotfish tears off the corals and grazes on the algae films or coral polyps that cover the coral. Its teeth grind the food to recover as much nutrients as possible. You can approach them by snorkeling at the Islet Canard.
Stonefish. It is immobile in the middle of the coral formations, a little buried in the sand. It shows only the top of its head and its dorsal spine, impossible to distinguish its mouth. Its dorsal fin, which appears like a cock's crest, can be dangerous. Each bulge hides a spine, about thirteen in all, connected to two tiny vesicles full of poison. In case of contact, the thorn comes out of the bead and the venom spurts out. An instantaneous violent pain, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness are the first clinical signs of this encounter with the stonefish. So be careful! To counteract these harmful effects, you should approach a heat source as close as possible (cigarette). The pain due to the venom is then neutralized.
Tazard or wahoo - Acanthocybium solandri. It moves very commonly around Grande Terre, particularly on the drop-offs of the reef. It has a very pointed snout and hydrodynamic shapes.
Yellowfin tuna - Neothunnus albacora macroptery. It is known for its speed and makes great migrations. Its passage can be spotted by observing schools of seabirds hunting the same prey.
Turtles
Their capture and sale are absolutely forbidden. As its name indicates, the sea turtle lives and mates in the water. During the laying season, the females come out of the water and drag themselves on the sand of the beaches where they were born, to lay their eggs in a large nest that they have laboriously dug. Each turtle lays 50 to 150 eggs, before filling up the hole and trying to return to the sea; some die of exhaustion. It is only after 7 to 12 weeks that the eggs will hatch. The small turtles then carry out the course of the combatant while trying to release themselves from the nest and to join the sea. Predators are watching them and do not hesitate to improvise a feast: frigate birds, herons, gannets, crabs and many other species... 3 for 1 000, it is on average the number of young turtles, taken out alive from the egg, which will return as adults on the beach of their birth.
If the turtles are protected, it is partly because the females reach their sexual maturity between 20 and 40 years and cannot reproduce before. Note that a turtle can live up to 50 or 60 years! New Caledonia is located on their migratory route between Polynesia and Australia. They come here to feed and reproduce. As surprising as it may seem, turtles are part of the reptile family. They have lungs and are therefore obliged to come to the surface to breathe.
Bighead turtle - Caretta-caretta. Its carapace has the shape of a heart. It is up to 1.25 m long and can weigh up to 150 kg. It is easily recognizable thanks to its imposing head, which gave it its name. It has a powerful beak and is not known for having a good temper. This species can be seen in the open sea, in river estuaries and near sandy areas. The big-headed turtle is a great traveler who makes long migrations and comes to lay eggs along the Caledonian coasts between November and January.
Green turtle - Chelonia mydas. It can measure 1.25 m and weigh more than 140 kg. Its name does not come from the color of its brown-green shell, as one might think, but from the color of its fat. It is not uncommon to meet green turtles in New Caledonia. This species feeds on grass, but also on crustaceans, sponges, sea urchins or mollusks. Its reproduction and egg-laying period extends from October to March.
Good hawksbill - Eretmochelys imbricata. This small turtle measures only 90 cm in length for 80 kg, which makes it the smallest of the marine turtles. Its dark brown carapace is covered with overlapping scales. It has a small narrow head and a very sharp hooked beak. This species lives mainly in coastal waters and lagoons.
Rays
Rays are flattened sharks whose bodies have been modified to live on the sea floor. The manta ray, the largest of all, can reach 8 m. Their pectoral fins, similar to large wings, give the impression that they fly when they swim. The gill slits are located under the body. The vents, widely opened, allow them to breathe once at the bottom. If they are armed with a stinger on their tail, these gentle giants are nevertheless peaceful. Unless they are stepped on, they never attack. However the risk is frequent and the sting is painful and takes time to heal. In an emergency, put the foot (it is often the ankle that is affected) in very hot water to eliminate most of the pain. You should then consult a doctor.
Sharks
A long-awaited encounter for some or a worst nightmare for others. However, many divers come to New Caledonia in the hope of encountering them. In New Caledonia, sharks are numerous and coexistence is generally not a problem.
Near the reefs, grey sharks (1 to 2 m) with black or white tips are almost familiar, you just have to avoid having freshly caught fish with you to avoid making them too curious. Dungeness and lemon sharks are frequent, you should leave them alone.
Further in the lagoon, mako, tiger or bulldog sharks are potentially dangerous, accidents are very rare. Nevertheless, they are sometimes attracted by human waste in harbors and marinas, and you should never swim there. Unfortunately, several fatal accidents have occurred in recent years - with tiger and bulldog sharks, notably in the bay of Nouméa. Tiger sharks have been seen several times at the level of the pontoon of the Islet Maître.
Whitetip shark of the lagoon - Trianodon obesus. The "obese" shark is small, about 1.50 m long. It is not uncommon to come across this small and shy shark. Dark gray on the top of its body, it has a white spot on the top of its dorsal fin as well as on the top part of its tail. This shark likes the large coral plateaus with bright waters. It swims at a depth of about twenty meters outside the reef barrier or burrows to rest on the bottom of crevices and caves.
White tip reef shark - Carcharhinus albimarginatus. You can see it outside the reef because it spends most of its time at a depth of several hundred meters. Its size is around 3.50 m, its coat is a nice moiré gray and its fins have a white spot as on the tips of all fins and on the lobes of its tail.
Grey reef shark - Carcharinus amblyrhincos. It is about 2.50 m long and has a uniformly dark gray coat with a whitish belly. Its fins are bordered of black as well as its caudal. It seeks to surprise its preys: it rushes into the schools of fish too tightly packed. It attacks wounded fish that it detects at 200 m distance thanks to its acoustic system sensitive to low frequency vibrations.
Blacktip shark - Carcharinus melanpterus. It is noticeable by its brown color and the black markings on the tips of all its fins and especially on its caudal fin. It will be difficult to ignore it: sometimes you will meet a solitary one wandering in the middle of the crevices, sometimes a couple hunting near the reef. The small ones (1 m) are more reckless than the big ones (2 m). As a rule, they are shy and prefer shallow lagoons and passes.
Hammerhead shark - Sphyrna mokarran. It is impossible not to recognize it: it has a hammer-shaped head and a particularly developed dorsal fin. It can easily reach 3 to 4 meters in length. The hammerhead shark is particularly fond of the passes and the outer slope of the reef.
Lemon shark - Megaprion acutidens. We rarely meet it and it is so much better! It is of the false calm type, it can become aggressive. In general, it patrols the passes and sometimes in the lagoon. He pretends to ignore you... Do the same!
Bull shark - Carcharinus leucas. It haunts the outer reefs and the estuaries of the rivers that it can swim up. Its tapered and curved teeth and its massive size (2.5 to 2.8 m) give it an aggressive look.
Sleeper shark - Nebrius condolor. It lives in the lagoon and sleeps most of the day in submerged caves. Its daily meal consists of crustaceans, sea urchins and mollusks.
Leopard shark - Stegostoma varium. It wallows on the sandy bottom. When you approach it, it gets up, swims 10 meters and goes to rest further away. No fear: it only eats mollusks and crustaceans.
Marine Mammals
Humpback whales - Megaptera novaeangliae. They are the highlight of the maritime show in New Caledonia, evolving from the Woodin Channel to the Isle of Pines, off Hienghène and Poindimié and around the Loyalty Islands. Humpback whales are a respectable 15 m long and can weigh between 25 and 35 tons. They make long migrations from tropical waters to the Antarctic regions. The lady whale gives birth to a calf of 3.50 m which weighs already 1 ton, after 12 months of gestation. It will be weaned one year later.
Long-beaked dolphin. Its long beak will amaze you. This dolphin is about 2 m long and has three colors, dark gray, light gray and white. It can be very playful and do triple somersaults. You may be able to see it at Bouraké Point or if you are lucky under the pontoon of the Bodega del Mar in Noumea.
Dugong or dugon. It belongs to the sirenian genus, but it is not a manatee. The dugong has a caudal fin similar to that of the dolphin. It is the only sirenian to live completely at sea. In fact, it is a sea cow that can reach 3 m in length and live until the canonical age of 70 years. At the time when it was not yet in danger of extinction, it lived in herds. The protection of this species dates back to the 1960s. The dugong is used to graze placidly in coves and estuaries and it is possible to see a specimen during a boat trip around Noumea. The dugong gives birth to one calf at a time and gives birth in shallow lagoons. There are only about 100 left in New Caledonia. Poaching and the deterioration of sea grass beds (its daily snack) are seriously harming it.
Shellfish and crustaceans
Rolling clam - Hippopus hippopus. The clam filters its food and lives in symbiosis with zooxanthellae, small algae present on the surface of the animal's mantle. The latter produces the organic matter necessary for the clam's development. In exchange, the clam serves as a support. Light is essential for the photosynthesis of zooxanthellae, which explains the presence of clams in warm and shallow waters. This species is protected by the Washington Convention. You will need a permit to take a clam shell out of the territory.
Nautilus - Nautilus macromphalus. When you meet it, you are transported 350 million years back in time... It is a living fossil which evolves between 200 and 600 m deep. The nautilus evolves slowly, in the three dimensions thanks to a movement of impulse of water. It captures the crustaceans using short tentacles coated with a viscous liquid. It then crunches them with its parrot-like beak. The caretakers of the Noumea aquarium were able to observe that nautiluses are fond of lobster molts.
Porcelain lobster. This crustacean molts from time to time and must then hydrate before changing its carapace, the main component of which is chitin. The animal gets out of its carapace in a few minutes and camouflages itself until it renews itself. It happens that badly prepared lobsters miss their moult and die suffocated... Then the nautilus feast.
Flora
Araucariaceae (Kaori agathis lanceolata). They are spectacular conifers, present in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Their trunks reach important diameters. There are five species in New Caledonia. This conifer colonizes mineral-rich soils. Its wood is resistant, without knots and easy to work. You will find them in the Koghis mountains, but the highest and most majestic of all is the one in the botanical circuit of the Blue River: it reaches 40 m high.
Niaouli (Melaleuca leucadendron). Emblematic tree of the West Coast. Wherever the fire has raged, the niaouli has taken the place of other species. It is a characteristic tree of New Caledonia. Also called "the skin tree", it has successive layers of bark that make it very resistant to flames. The essential oil of niaouli is a powerful antiseptic and antiviral. You can recognize the niaouli tree by its twisted trunk and its white, shiny bark that peels off in wide strips. The name "niaouli" comes from the distortion of the word yauli in the language of the Belep archipelago. This tree does not grow above 500 m of altitude. You will see the most beautiful specimens on marshy grounds, they adorn themselves with pretty white flowers in May.
Columnar pine(Araucaria cooki). It characterizes New Caledonia. The columnar pine grows on the Loyalty Islands, the Isle of Pines and on Grande Terre. These pines can reach 60 m in height. Of the 19 species listed, 13 exist only in New Caledonia. This tree likes limestone cliffs and colonizes rocky soils, especially when exposed to prevailing winds. In Kanak culture, this pine tree embodies man and signals taboo places, but it also finds its place near houses. The Kanaks used it to make their dugouts.
Seaside vegetation
Breadfruit tree. It has existed in the South Pacific islands for a long time. It is a rare and appreciated commodity in New Caledonia. Its fruit is delicious. To taste it, put it in the oven as it is for forty-five minutes. Depending on its size, the skin swells and takes on a reddish hue.
Bancoulier - Aleurites moluccana. The Bancoulier is a common tree on the Sunda Islands, in India and in southern China. Its leaf looks a bit like the maple and its nuts like small pairs of butts... Its nuts are eaten roasted. It is also cultivated for its nuts from which an edible and abundant oil is extracted. The infusion of bark of bancoulier would have therapeutic virtues.
Banyan (Indian fig) - Ficus indica or Ficus prolixa. Melanesians associate it with death rituals. The banyan is a majestic tree, remarkable for its multiple roots plunging into the ground. Each tree gives birth to a large quantity of trunks and forms an inextricable wood.
Coconut tree - Cocos nucifera. It is widespread in the territory, particularly on the east coast, in the northern islands and in the Loyalty archipelago. The Ouvéa coconut grove covers an area of 3,400 hectares and produces approximately 200 tons of copra per year. Copra is used in the manufacture of oil and soap. All the parts of the tree have a use: the veins of the leaves are used to make brooms, the coconut fibers are transformed into fishing nets or are used for Kanak money. Good to know: to make coconut milk, grate eight coconuts, pour three glasses of boiling water over the pulp, let the mixture drain and then dilute with a little cold water. Take a clean cloth and squeeze the mixture to recover the milk in a container.
Tree fern - Cyathea intermedia. This beautiful fern gives a Jurassic Park feel to the sites it colonizes. New Caledonia is proud of these ferns, which are classified among the largest in the world (20 m). Nicknamed the "scar plant", it grows on the edge of dense forests or in clearings opened by the disappearance of a large tree. Often, it develops after a moderate deforestation. You will observe the most beautiful specimens in the center of Grande Terre. The wood of the trunks is used by sculptors.
Gaïac or gayac - Acacia spirorbis. The guaiac is a common tree that can be found on all types of land. It is covered with elongated leaves and has small yellow flowers like the mimosa. Its wood, very hard and rot-proof, is very appreciated by sculptors. The guaiac resin is used as a reagent in medicine to detect blood in stools. This property allows its use in criminology.
Houp - Montrouziera cauliflora. Its yellow wood is considered precious because it is rot-proof. It grows slowly and gives pretty red flowers. It is widespread in the primary forests of New Caledonia.
Yam - Dioscorea. The yam is both a staple food and a symbol. In Kanak culture, it seals the bond of loyalty and gratitude to the Great Chief. The yam festival, with its rites and ceremonies, takes place in March during the harvest (it is planted in November). Its cultivation regulates the tribe's calendar.
Cassava. The tubers are the edible part of the plant. Cook them as they are, or reduce them to flour after drying. Tapioca, used in soups or desserts, is extracted from manioc.
Mangrove. The term mangrove refers to all plant formations that grow on salty soil. The mangrove is therefore the intermediate zone between the land and the sea. In New Caledonia, it covers nearly 50% of the coastline. For example, it extends over 1,400 hectares around Noumea, of which 800 hectares are composed mainly of mangroves. This ecosystem plays an undeniable physical role and filters sediments. It is also a very protected environment where fish fry and crustacean juveniles develop in large numbers.
Intoxicating pepper tree - Pipermethystcum. A small shrub with large, heart-shaped, very elongated and pointed leaves, the intoxicating pepper plant plays a key role in Melanesian culture. Mainly cultivated in Vanuatu, the plant, with its roots, is exported throughout the Melanesian area. It is indeed from its rhizome and its roots that a drink with analgesic, anxiolytic and intoxicating properties is produced: kava. Associated with mortuary rites and central element of care in the traditional Melanesian society, it has analgesic, anxiolytic and antibacterial properties. Western pharmacopoeia has recovered the essence of kava and combines its molecules with homeopathic antidepressant treatments. Paradoxically, the American Food and Drug Administration classifies it as a narcotic, because kava would provide peace and serenity. It is drunk when the night begins, in the nakamals, these kava bars that you will find everywhere in New Caledonia. The zen effect is obtained after two bowls of the drink.
Taro or tuberous colocase. It is the staple food of millions of people. Its starchy roots are eaten like potatoes, boiled, baked, mashed or fried. They are made into flour and food for infants. Taro grows in the humid and fertile soil of the Pacific islands. The plant reproduces by cuttings. Sometimes you will hear it referred to as "elephant ears" because the leaf is huge and wide. In Kanak symbolism, it is a female plant.
