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This
year's palolo rising in Savaii occurred exactly as
predicted, that is, seven mornings after the full moon in
October, preceded by a very wet and windy night.
The
palolo (Eunice viridis) is a thin, segmented worm and is
considered a culinary delicacy throughout Samoa - the caviar
of the South Pacific. It's about 45 cm long and lives deep
in the coral reefs. Twice a year it releases its 'tail'
which contains its eggs or sperm (the males being reddish
brown and the females moss green). The worm itself returns
to the coral to regenerate a new reproductive tail. The
rising of the palolo is a natural almanac that keeps both
lunar and solar times, and has a fixed day of appearance -
even if a hurricane is raging - and has never failed to
appear on time for over 100 years.
This
Tuesday 9 October, from 1.00am onward, the reef off the
village of Safotu in Savaii was alive with various boats and
seafaring craft ranging from alias, to paopao's down to floating
(barely) rafts, all carrying dozens of people, with scoops at the
ready. There were hundreds more eager palolo
veterans adorning the shoreline and shallow reefs, as far as
the eye could see in all directions.
The
palolo didn't actually appear this year until just on
daybreak, with the sun breaking through, which is unusual as
it will usually rise much earlier than this and dissolve
quickly soon after sunrise.
Even before the last of the boats returned to shore about 7-7.30am
after a successful catch, the palolo was quickly bundled up in packages
and could be found for sale up and down the main road in Safotu, as well as a sizeable portion
making its way by ferry to Apia.
This
is one of the most bizarre curiosities in the natural
history of the South Pacific, (the only other place it
occurs is in Fiji) and apart from Safotu, Falealupo is the
other known palolo haven in Savaii and, a month later, the
villages of Salamumu and Saleapaga in Upolu are the most
likely places to get lucky.
And
the best way to sample palolo? You ask me and I'll say, fresh and fried
with plenty of butter & onion and served on toast.
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