South Pacific Cruise 2025 Part 2: Tonga to Cook Islands

 

Cook Islands Fruit Dove

Following our visit to Fiji we set sail on the next leg of our 19-day South Pacific cruise on December 18, 2025. Near the Lau Island group – 19.47392S, 128.77838E – I saw the first Tropical Shearwaters of the trip – quite a few more were seen at sea in days ahead. At least 5 or 6 were among a large flock of feeding Red-footed Booby, Brown Noddy, Wedge-tailed Shearwater and Bridled Tern. On 19/12 we arrived at Nukualofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga on Tongatopa Island for a day visit.

King's residence in Nukualofa

Around the town were good numbers of Polynesian Starling and the impressive Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove.

Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove

On 20/12 we were moored off Neiafu on Vava'U Island in northern Tonga for our first tender transfer of the cruise from ship to shore. We caught a cab for the short drive to Talau National Park, the stronghold for one of Tonga's two endemic species – the Tongan Whistler. Well-maintained forest tracks and information notices were testimony to how warmly the local community has embraced the bird. Lookouts on the trail gave fine views over surrounding forests and bays.

View from Talau National Park over Vava'U Island

It wasn't difficult to track down several Tongan Whistlers, male and female, in short order.

Tonga Whistler (male above, female below)

We walked back down to the town, admiring the sight of the cruise ship, the Riviera, moored offshore.

Cruise ship Riviera off Neiafu

More whistlers were present in sometimes scrappy habitat, while Polynesian Triller showed. Other birds included Eastern Wattled Honeyeater, White Tern, White-throated Pigeon and Many-coloured Fruit Dove.

Polynesian Triller

We were sent on our way in the late afternoon with a traditional dance by islanders on the wharf (below).

Offshore were sizeable mixed flocks of Brown Noddy and Black Noddy.

Black Noddy (above) & Brown Noddy 

At sea early in the morning of 21/12 off the coast of Samoa were the first Brown Boobies of the trip and a couple of Red-tailed Tropicbirds, which appeared sporadically on sea days later. I had been to Samoa before and had time to look for two species I'd missed previously by visiting the Malolo'Lelei Watershed Reserve after berthing at the capital, Apea. A lookout in the reserve offered pleasant views over Apia to the north.

View over Apia, Samoa

I heard a couple of Mao calling clearly from the valley below. This large honeyeater was one of my targets along with Samoan Triller, which didn't show. What did show were a pile of nice Samoan birds including good numbers of White-throated Pigeon along with the distinctive races of Many-coloured and Crimson-crowned Fruit Doves.

White-throated Pigeon

Also in the mix were Polynesian Starling, Samoan Starling, Samoan Whistler, Flat-billed Kingfisher, Blue-crowned Lorikeet and Samoan Myzomela.

Flat-billed Kingfisher

Samoan Starling

Eastern Wattled Honeyeater was abundant. 

Eastern Wattled Honeyeater

White-tailed Tropicbirds soared around the steep forested slopes below the lookout.

White-tailed Tropicbird

A late afternoon departure and more fine tropical coastal scenery.

Samoa coastline

On 21/12 we visited the American-owned territory of Western Samoa. Nothing to add here other than the trip's first Wandering Tattler. After crossing the International Dateline, at sea on 22/12, I was surprised to see a Bulwer's Petrel at 17.60528S, 165.48023W. Although the species breeds on many Pacific islands, this site is well south of where it is usually encountered. During the morning of 23/12 I saw a single Herald Petrel at 21.04237S, 160.01713W. 

An afternoon shore stop at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, a New Zealand dependency, on 23/12 allowed a visit to the Takitumu Conservation Park in search of three of the islands' endemic species. The park is well-known as the site where a concerted effort brought one of these, the Rarotonga Monarch, endemic to Rarotonga Island, back from the brink of extinction.

Numbers of the species had plummeted to 29 in 1989 due to nest predation by the introduced Black Rat. Then landowners joined forces to create the 150-hectare Takitumu reserve. Poisoned bait stations were positioned throughout the reserve. More than 500 monarchs live there today with overspill populations elsewhere on the island. A transfer of birds to Atui Island as an insurance policy was also successful. The Te Ipukarea Society (te.ipukarea.society.inc@gmail.com ) does an excellent job in maintaining rat control in co-operation with local birding legend Ian Karika – who joined us for the last part of our visit - and Takitumu Conservation Area landowners. The reserve has become a major tourist attraction. I was transferred to and from the ship by the society for a modest fee and enjoyed a highly informative visit with my guide Kelvin Passfield.

With Kelvin Passfield (centre) at Takutumu Conservation Park

We found three adult Rarotonga Monarchs, including one sitting on a nest. What became obvious during this visit - the first of several remote south-east Polynesian islands for the last stage of the cruise - was the paucity of birds in the rainforest. Many introduced species abound but there are just three native land birds, all Cook Islands endemics, on Rarotonga.

Rarotonga Monarch

We enjoyed spectacular views of the second of these, the beautifully adorned Cook Islands Fruit Dove, which can be easily missed during short tours like this one.

Cook Islands Fruit Dove

Another easily missed - and usually difficult to phogoraph - is the impressive Rarotonga Starling, but again we had outstanding views.

Rarotonga Starling

Outstanding views also of the forest reserve from a lookout (below).

As well as along the coast as we continued our journey westward in the late afternoon.