Langa Langa Lagoon or Akwalaafu is a natural lagoon on the West coast of Malaita near the provincial capital Auki within the Solomon Islands. The lagoon is 21 km in length and just under 1 km wide. The "lagoon people" or "salt water men" live on small artificial islands built up on sand bars over time where they were forced to flee from the headhunters of mainland Malaita. The islands in the lagoon are renowned for their shell money minting process, their "shark worship" beliefs, their shipbuilding skills and tourism. The most popular and well known of this islands is Laulasi which had a thriving tourism industry dating back to the early 1970s and was the subject of the worst civilian casualties during a bombing raid by American bombers during World War II.
Read more about Langa Langa Lagoon: Etymology, History, 1800–1900, 1911 – Author Jack London, Cultural Practices and Beliefs, Economy, Shell Money, Boatbuilding