Lighthouses of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian nation located in the central part of the tropical South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Fiji. It is the only Polynesian monarchy that survived the colonial period intact, although the kings of Tonga did accept a British protectorate from 1900 to 1970. The islands of the country stretch in a north to south line about 800 km (500 mi) long and are separated into three groups: the Vava'u Group in the north, the Ha'apai Group in the center, and the Tongatapu Group in the south. Tongatapu is the largest island and the location of the capital, Nuku'alofa. The inhabited islands are generally low coral limestone or sandy islands, but in the west of the country there are several high volcanic islands. The population of the country is about 100,000, with the majority living on Tongatapu.

No traditional masonry-style lighthouses were ever built in Tonga. The country's navigational aids are generally mounted on skeletal towers like the one at right. The Directory lists only the taller towers.

Tongan and English are official languages in Tonga. The Tongan phrase for a lighthouse is maama kamo; motu is an island, hakau is a reef, and taulanga is a harbor.

The Ports Authority Tonga is responsible for navigational aids in Tonga.

None of the lights of Tonga are listed by ARLHS. Admiralty numbers are from volume K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 111.

General Sources
World of Lighthouses - Tonga
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Tonga Islands and Minerva Reefs
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Tonga Physical Map
A useful map posted by Ezilon.com.
Navionics Charts
Navigational chart for Tonga.


Tongatapu Narrows Range Rear Light, Tongatapu, August 2011
Lightphotos.net photo by El Baklan; permission requested

Vava'u Group (North Tonga) Lighthouses
Foeata (Foiata)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 59.5 m (195 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available and Google has only an indistinct satellite view. This light acts as a landfall light on the west side of the Vava'u Group. Located atop the island of Foeata. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4624; NGA 3180.

Ha'apai Group (Central Tonga) Lighthouses
Muitoa Point (Ha'ano)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2016. 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available; the shadow of the light is possibly visible in Google's satellite view. This light marks the northern extremity of the Ha'apai Group. Located on the northern tip of the island of Ha'ano. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4629; NGA 3182.
Makuata (Hakauata) Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a tiny island about 25 km (15 mi) west of Pangai, the principal town of the Ha'apai Group. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4636; NGA 3194.2.
#Kito Island
Date unknown. Destroyed in 2022. This was a 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available. Bing has an indistinct satellite view but Google's more recent satellite view shows the islet swept clean by the tsunami that followed an underwater volcanic eruption in January 2022. Located on a tiny island about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the high island of Tofua and 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Pangai. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ex-Admiralty K4638.5; NGA 3198.5.
Nukulai Island
Date unknown. Apparently inactive but listed by NGA with focal plane 24.5 m (80 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 4 s on, 3 s off. 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available and the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. This sector light guides (or guided) vessels approaching a reef system southwest of Pangai. Located on a tiny island about 50 km (30 mi) southwest of Pangai. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ex-Admiralty K4639; NGA 3200.
Tokulu Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. The tower hides behind a tree just to the right of center in Michelle Marshall's photo of the island, there is a photo taken from atop the tower (halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a tiny island about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the high island of Tofua and 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Pangai. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4639.5; NGA 3204.
Muifuiva (Numuka Iki)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) square skeletal tower. Frank Taylor's photo is at right and Bing has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on a tiny island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of the village of Numuka Iki, in the southern part of the group. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4640; NGA 3208.
Muifuiva Light
Muifuiva Light, Ha'apai Group, November 2010
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Frank Taylor; permission requested

Tongatapu Lighthouses
Niu 'Aunofo Point
2014. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); white flash every 15 s. No description provided; Google's satellite view of the listed location apparently shows a tall mast. Located on a ridge at the northwestern tip of Tongatapu. Site status unknown. Admiralty K4644; NGA 3211.
Maria Bay Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. This is an entrance range on the northwest side of Tongatapu. Located on the islet of Tufaka about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Nuku'alofa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4646.81; NGA 3214.5.
Malinoa Range Rear
Date unknown. Inactive since 2016. 9 m (30 ft) square skeletal tower. The north face of the tower is covered by a daymark painted white with a red horizontal band. Ken Hellewell's view from the sea is at right but the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located on Malinoa, a tiny island about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Nuku'alofa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ex-Admiralty K4644.51; ex-NGA 3216.
Tongatapu Narrows Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower. A photo is at the top of this page and Google has a satellite view. The usual entrance to Tongatapu is from the east through the Piha Passage (next entry); ships then make a sharp northward turn to follow this range through a narrow passage between coral reefs north of Nuku'alofa harbor. The front light is on a 5 m (17 ft) square skeletal tower. Located about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Nuku'alofa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4651.51; NGA 3235.5.
Piha Passage Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the islet of Makaha'a about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Nuku'alofa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4651.1; NGA 3234.5.
Malinoa Range Rear Light
Malinoa Range Rear Light, Tongatapu
photo copyright Ken Hellewell; used by permission
Mui Hopohoponga
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 15 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the water's edge on the easternmost tip of Tongatapu. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4655; NGA 3233.

Minerva Reefs Lightbeacons
[North Minerva Reef (4?)]
2011. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) square skeletal mast. The light is not seen in Google's satellite view. The Minerva Reefs are two small, nearly awash atolls 435 km (270 mi) southwest of Tongatapu. Ownership of these atolls is disputed between Tonga and Fiji. A light tower is said to have been built on the south reef by Americans during World War II; nothing is known of this tower. In 2007 Tonga placed lights on steel masts on the north and south reefs; not long after, Fijian naval forces arrived and destroyed the lights. Tonga replaced the light on the north reef, only to have it destroyed again in 2011. The light was replaced again, and apparently it still stands. Located on North Minerva Reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4658.
[South Minerva Reef (2?)]
2012. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white flash every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) square skeletal mast. A 2008 photo of the original light is available but Google's satellite view does not show this reef. Located on South Minerva Reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K4659.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Samoa | East: Niue | West: Fiji

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Posted April 21, 2014. Checked and revised October 18, 2023. Lighthouses: 13. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.