After the bombing, the Rainbow Warrior was given a final resting place at Matauri Bay, in New Zealand’s Cavalli Islands, where it has become a living reef, attracting marine life and recreational divers.
Tangata whenua of Matauri Bay, Ngati Kura, generously offered to provide a final resting place for the Rainbow Warrior, and on December 2, 1987, the ship was scuttled to form a living memorial at 34°58.5’S 173°56.0’E – a short distance from this spot. It is now a popular dive spot and a fish sanctuary.
The building of the memorial The Rainbow Warrior memorial was created by sculptor Chris Booth between 1988 and 1990. It was commissioned by Ngati Kura and New Zealand China Clays. The sculpture was dedicated by the Governor General, Sir Paul Reeves, assisted by the Reverend Nuku Stewart.
The memorial was designed to represent a black rainbow of mourning. All materials for the sculpture were sourced locally. Funding also came from some generous local support and from some of the reparations money the French Government was ordered to pay as a penalty for carrying out the bombing.
Read more about the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior
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When was the Rainbow Warrior Bombed? A Timeline of Events
The Rainbow Warrior bombing took place on July 10, 1985, but it had been in the planning for months, and had repercussions that would last for years.
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The investigation of the Rainbow Warrior bombing
On 11 July 1985, news spread of dramatic explosions on the Auckland waterfront. Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior had been sunk while moored at Marsden Wharf. One crew member, Fernando…
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Why did the French bomb the Rainbow Warrior?
The French government saw its nuclear testing programme as essential for France’s security. But negative publicity about the testing would put pressure on the French government to stop its programme. It wanted to stop the Rainbow Warrior’s upcoming anti-nuclear protest.
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Who was Fernando Pereira?
Fernando Pereira joined the crew of the Rainbow Warrior to bring his pictures of French nuclear testing to the world. A man who dedicated his life to peace. A determined photographer, a family man, a Rainbow Warrior – he will always be remembered.
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Where is the Rainbow Warrior I now?
After the bombing, the Rainbow Warrior was given a final resting place at Matauri Bay, in New Zealand’s Cavalli Islands, where it has become a living reef, attracting marine life and recreational divers.
