Skip to content
POHNPEI
OCEAN CRUISE
EN / JP

MANGROVE FOREST

The Forest That Stands in Water

A world of silence begins where the engine stops.

Nearly all of Pohnpei's coastline is fringed by mangrove forest — a strange woodland that roots itself in seawater and lives by the rhythm of the tides, a green corridor lying between island and sea.

Slip into a narrow channel by boat and cut the engine. The sound of waves, so close a moment ago, vanishes — replaced by dripping water and birdsong. The quietest place on Pohnpei is probably deep inside this forest.

Cut the engine.

All that remains is water, and birdsong.

SCENES OF THE FOREST

Scenes of the Forest

Four moments waiting down the channels.

A kayak bow gliding into a green mangrove tunnel
The boat slips slowly into a tunnel of green.
Red mangrove prop roots lining both banks of the channel
Roots like octopus legs, standing in the sea.
A kayak on a mirror-still channel reflecting the forest
On a windless morning, the water becomes a mirror.
Young mangroves dotting the shallows, seen from above
From the sky, the forest stands upon the water.

Footage from a canoe tour through the channels.

A jungle waterfall and pool waiting at the end of the mangrove channel

KAYAK TOUR

By Kayak, Deeper into the Forest

With nothing but a quiet hum of the engine.

The narrow mangrove channels might as well have been made for our engine-powered kayaks. Where larger boats cannot go, you glide on — deeper and deeper into the forest, carried by nothing but a quiet hum of the engine.

Life jackets are provided and the kayaks are engine-powered, so first-timers are welcome. Looking up at the green tunnel from water level is a completely different experience from the boat.

At the end of the narrow channel waits a beautiful waterfall. Let its sound wash over you, or swim in the pool below — the choice, and the pace, are entirely yours.

The scenery changes with the tide — leave the departure time to your guide

View our toursAsk about the kayak tour

LIFE IN THE FOREST

A Cradle of Life

Mangrove Crab

The great crabs raised in the forest mud are Pohnpei's signature delicacy — simmered in coconut milk, a taste you will not forget.

A Nursery for Fish

The maze of roots shelters tiny fish, which grow here before setting out for the reef.

A Roost for Birds

Herons and many others rest their wings in the forest. In the early morning, you may even meet birds found only on Pohnpei.

See the endemic flora & fauna

To the quietest Pohnpei of all.

Time with no waves, no engines — only water and green. It is this island's other luxury.

By boat or by kayak, we read the day's tide and take you down the most beautiful channel.

View our toursContact us