A lagoon is a calm, sheltered patch of sea that is enclosed or partly enclosed by land or a reef. Marovo Lagoon is extraordinary because it has not just one ring of islands protecting it, but two — an outer barrier and an inner barrier — making the water inside incredibly calm and clear. You can sometimes see 40 metres down to the coral below.
Inside the lagoon, hundreds of coral reefs shelter fish of every colour: parrotfish that crunch coral with their beaks, clownfish hiding in sea anemones, and enormous Napoleon wrasse fish with humps on their foreheads. Sea turtles glide between the coral gardens, and dolphins often leap alongside the traditional canoes.
The people who live around the lagoon have fished these waters for thousands of years. They know exactly where the fish gather and which corals are healthy. Local communities are now working together with scientists to protect the reef, making sure it stays as bright and alive for the next generation as it is today.
Marovo is also famous for beautiful wood carvings. Local artists carve detailed scenes of ocean life — fish, sharks, and crocodiles — into dark ebony and rosewood. These carvings are known all over the world and are a way for people here to share their connection to the sea.