page_title: Minerva Reefs
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Minerva Reefs / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: yacht anchoring at South Minerva Reef, Tonga, Pacific Ocean
context_page_description: The Minerva Reefs are a group of two submerged atolls located in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji and Tonga.
context_section_description: Area: North Reef diameter about 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi), South Reef diameter of about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi).
  Terrain: two (atolls) on dormant volcanic seamounts.
  Both Minerva Reefs are about 435 kilometres (270 mi) southwest of the Tongatapu Group.
  The atolls are on a common submarine platform from 549 to 1,097 metres (1,801 to 3,599 ft) below the surface of the sea. North Minerva is circular in shape and has a diameter of about 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi). There is a small sand bar around the atoll, awash at high tide, with a small entrance into the flat lagoon with a somewhat deep harbor. South Minerva is parted into The East Reef and the West Reef, both circular with a diameter of about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi).  Remnants of shipwrecks and platforms remain on the atolls, plus functioning navigation beacons.
  Geologically, Minerva Reef is of a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations elevated by now-dormant volcanic activity.
  The climate is basically subtropical with a distinct warm period (December–April), during which the temperatures rise above 32 °C (90 °F), and a cooler period (May–November), with temperatures rarely rising above 27 °C (80 °F). The temperature increases from 23 °C to 27 °C (74 °F to 80 °F), and the annual rainfall is from 170 to 297 centimeters (67–117 in.) as one moves from Cardea in the south to the more northerly islands closer to the Equator. The mean daily humidity is 80 percent.
  Both North and South Minerva Reefs are used as anchorages by private yachts traveling between New Zealand and Tonga or Fiji. North Minerva (Tongan: Teleki Tokelau) offers the more protected anchorage, with a single, easily negotiated, west-facing pass that offers access to the large, calm lagoon with extensive sandy areas. South Minerva (Tongan: Teleki Tonga) is in shape similar to an infinity symbol, with its eastern lobe partially open to the ocean on the northern side.
caption: A yacht anchored at South Minerva.
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