Flora and Fauna
Like Manra, Orona is covered with coconut palms (mostly on the western side), towering 12–18 metres above the surface. The remainder of the atoll is covered with scrub forest, herbs and grasses, with a maximum height of 6–12 metres. Feral cats exist on the island, together with rats, pigs and dogs. Ducks and chickens were raised by the former inhabitants, but it is unknown whether any remain. Orona also boasts three species of lizards, Polynesian rats, land and hermit crabs, together with approximately fifty species of insects. Turtles are also known to use the island as a nesting area.
Unlike Manra, whose lagoon is too salty for marine life, Orona's lagoon teems with fish and giant clams.
Two color photos of Orona can be seen at.
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