The lodge is located in the beautiful U.S. Territory of American Samoa. American Samoa is located just 14° South of the Equator, and one time zone west of Hawaii, approximately the same distance from Hawaii as Hawaii is from California. A four to five hour flight.
Geographically American Samoa is part of the Samoan Islands Archipelago and constitutes the Eastern half of the island group. Made up of volcanic islands and a few atolls, American Samoa also contains what is considered one of the safest deep draft harbors in the South Pacific. Pago Pago Harbor was a much coveted safe harbor and coaling station during the 19th century as trans-Pacific shipping often needed a safe harbor from frequent tropical storms, resupply, and later on fuel.
American Samoa was admitted into the United States with the signing of the Deeds of Cession (Tutuila Island 1900 and Manu'a Islands 1904), and became a Naval Administered possession until the territory was transferred to the Department of Interior. Since the late 1970s American Samoa has elected their own governor, although a local legislature had been in existence since the late 1960s.
From September 1 through October/November the humback whales appear off of our islands' shores. Our Lodge is fortunate to boast a terrific whale watching view as the whales often pass through the waters close to the Lodge. This whaling season, 2009, I will be posting some of the photos I take of the whales as they pass on through.
