Niau Lagoon

Niau is one of the rare closed atolls in the Tuamotu Archipelago, meaning it has no navigable ocean pass connecting its lagoon to the open sea. This landlocked lagoon characteristic makes it geologically distinct from the vast majority of atolls in French Polynesia, which typically feature one or more natural channels.

Niau Atoll can be reached by air via a small airstrip on the atoll, or by small boat, since there is no navigable pass through the reef for larger vessels. Its remoteness and limited access in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia have helped preserve the lagoon's relatively undisturbed ecosystem.

Because Niau's lagoon has minimal water exchange with the surrounding ocean, it develops unique ecological conditions including variations in salinity and temperature compared to open atoll lagoons. This isolation has created a distinctive enclosed environment within the Tuamotu Archipelago.

Niau Atoll has a small population of inhabitants who live on the ring of land surrounding the enclosed lagoon. The community sustains itself through traditional activities including copra production and fishing, as is common among the smaller Tuamotu atolls.