Guardians of the Pacific

The 15 moai of Ahu Tongariki are silhouetted in the light of a summer sunrise on the southeastern corner of Easter Island, Chile. The 220m long ahu was positioned by the Rapa Nui so that the sun rose directly above their ancestor statues on the summer solstice. Internecine warfare resulted in the toppling of the moai and a tsunami in 1960 swept the giant stones inland. The restoration was completed in 1996, although a fire in October 2022 blackened the moai. Despite all these challenges, visitors can now stand in awe of the guardians of the Pacific as they welcome in the dawn.