but without entering Mohotani. He describes the island as follows. In the cartographic sketch of William Wales, astronomer aboard the Resolution, Mohotani is marked with the name "Onateayo", probably the name given to it by the inhabitants of the island of Hiva Oa. In 1992, it was declared "Motane Island Nature Reserve" (réserve naturelle de l'île de Motane) to protect its endangered ecosystem. The reserve extends to Terihi islet, which is home to colonies of seabirds such as gannets, terns and frigate birds. Geography Mohotani is located 17 km south and southeast of Hiva Oa, 21 km east of Tahuata and 47 km north of Fatu Iva. With an area of 15 km2, it forms an open crescent to the east, about 8 km long from north to south and 2 km wide at most from east to west. It is a high island, with its highest elevation (520 meters) in the south, and its overall shape resembles the back of a whale. Terihi At 300 meters to the southeast is Terihi, a rocky islet of 0.150 km2 with a very steep coastline and a total perimeter of 3.4 kilometers, which is part of the same volcanic complex. It rises 245 meters above sea level. The flora is sparse and consists mainly of the hardy grass Eragrostis xerophila and the slow-growing nightshade Nicotiana fragrans var Fatuhivensis, a species endemic to Fatu Hiva and Mohotani. Geology Mohotani corresponds to the west-southwestern part of a collapsed caldera, which belonged to a much larger volcano, about ten kilometers in diameter. This volcano was born from the presence of a hot spot in this part of the world, several million years ago. The island was formed in two phases, the most recent of which dates from about 2.2 million years ago. It is composed mainly of basalt. Flora and fauna Mohotani has been protected since 1971 (French Polynesia Sites Commission, Order No. 2559 of July 28, 1971). Hunting is regulated and requires a permit, but the remote island is also visited without a permit. In addition, trees are illegally cut down to obtain wood for the souvenir industry. Effective management and monitoring of the protected area is still lacking. Sheep introduced by French settlers from Hiva Oa in the second half of the 19th century have run rampant and cause erosion by grazing low vegetation. Flora Mohotani can be divided into three vegetation zones: