Bora Bora and its lagoon, South Pacific, French Polynesia
© Frederick Millett/Shutterstoc
Born on fire, held by water. International Day of the Tropics
Observed each June 29, the International Day of the Tropics spotlights a vast region stretching between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, where warmth and rainfall shape daily life. This zone covers about 40% of Earth's surface area, yet supports around 80% of global biodiversity, making it central to planetary health and culture.
In French Polynesia, Bora Bora offers a clear snapshot of that complexity. The island is the eroded core of an ancient volcano, its dark basalt peaks—Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia—rising from shallow turquoise waters. Around it, a barrier reef encloses calm water, forming a lagoon as volcanic rock slowly subsides and the reef grows upward. Locally called Pora Pora in Tahitian, meaning 'firstborn,' the island reflects both geological time and living culture, where language, ocean systems and landforms remain closely linked.
Related Images
Caribou swimming across Alaska's Kobuk River during fall migration
Salcombe Harbour on the south coast of Devon, England
Mount Fuji and twin rocks (Ushitukiiwa) in Matsuzaki, Japan
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Bioluminescent sea fireflies along the shore of Okayama, Japan
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands
Montreux and Lake Geneva in Switzerland
The April full moon, or pink moon, rises over St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England
Bing Today Images
