Rapa Nui's rocky shoreline and sparsely vegetated headlands are typical of Pacific islands.
Masked Boobies fly along the coast just past comfortable binocular distance.
Originally, the great stone statues included reddish caps of a softer stone.
The stone hats are over two meters/yards tall.
These restored Moai face away from the sea, as they would have done originally.
Every Moai is distinctive.
Statues can be seen littered along the slopes of the quarry.
This statue has not been completely cut away from the stone.
This statue is almost entirely buried.
The statues are more beautiful than pictures convey.
A few of the hundreds of status around the quarry site.
Despite its evident size, most of this statue is probably underground.
Stone heads at Rano Raraku.
Stone head at Rano Raraku.
Stone heads in at Rano Raraku.
The outline of a ship can be seen on the front of this statue.
The design of this statue is unique, found nowhere else on Rapa Nui.
Chimango Caracaras Milvago chimango are common and widespread on Rapa Nui.
Every Moai is distinctive.
As much work went into the elaborate bases as into the heads themselves.
Rapa Nui is so far from any mainland its skys are very clear.
These Moai have had their tufa caps restored.
A close-up of a pair of Moai.
Even the backs of the status are decorated.
The bases the Moai rest on required at least as much construction effort. Sometimes, you can see designs on the facing stones.
A small head used as a stone.