Cool Rocks In Tahiti

Recently, In real life, was lucky to travel to Bora Bora and found the Geology very interesting.   My buddies and I go diving in very cool places.   Geology is a big part of Bora Bora and Tahiti.   Here are some rocks just offshore (you can see in the first picture, this photo is from general images about Bora Bora and is better than the picture I took of the same thing), these rocks continue underwater with a stunning array of coral and sea life!   The islands are a combination of old volcanic activity and of course reef growth, erosion and rebirth over many many years. Old volcanos erode quickly in tropical climates above the water line.  Below the water line they erode slowly, which allows reefs of coral to form, thus preserving and building up an island.   I am a diver, so I found Bora Bora and the surrounding Tahiti islands to be fascinating.  Bora Bora sits surrounded by a large lagoon as well as a barrier reef. (You can see this in the second picture, this photo is from the travel website for Bora Bora).  The center of the island is an extinct volcano that has two peak about 2,300 feet high.  (You can see one of the peaks in the third picture, I took).   Bora Bora is small (about 12 square miles).   This was an independent nation until 1888.   During WW2, the US used Bora Bora as a supply base, and installed a runway and power system.   The lagoon is so large and deep it could hold the entire pacific fleet at one time.   The island never saw combat and was closed in 1946 as a US military base.   Bora Bora is part of the Leeward Islands and is part of French Polynesia, overseen by France.