Apolima Strait

View of Apolima island (left) and the tip of Savai'i (right) from the ferry crossing the strait.

The Apolima Strait is about 13 km[1] wide and separates the two largest islands of Samoa: Savai'i to the northwest, and Upolu to the southeast.

Three small islands lie in the strait. Two of them, Manono and Apolima, have small village settlements. Manono is about 3 miles off the west coast of Upolu. Apolima lies near the middle of the strait. The third, Nu'ulopa is a tiny, uninhabited, rocky outcrop with palm trees, which is surrounded by a natural turtle habitat islet.[2]

The main means of transportation between the two larger islands - passenger and vehicle ferries operated by the Samoa government - run through the strait between Mulifanua wharf on Upolu and Salelologa wharf on Savai'i.

The ferry crossing takes about 90 minutes.

  1. ^ "Apolima". Oceandots. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  2. ^ Rottman, Gordon L (2002). World War 2 Pacific island guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 88. ISBN 0-313-31395-4. Retrieved 27 January 2010.