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Laura Dawn - French Polynesia Log 5: Tuamotos



Wow, what an opposite to the high peaks and ridges of the Marquesas. We arrived in Fakarava in the Tuamotos early on Thursday morning and came through the north pass in about 15 knots of wind and a slight ingoing current. The pass was a bit like Poole Harbour entrance on a choppy day, but we were through in no time and headed to the village to anchor, minding the coral heads that pop up along the way. The island is on coral and is just a few hundred feet wide strip lying in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, rising to the height of a palm tree. The atoll itself is miles long and a concrete road can take you down about 6 miles of it, creating a huge lagoon, and it seems crazy that so many people live here going about everyday life: I wasn't expecting cars, or an airstrip!

Walking through from the lagoon side to the Ocean takes just minutes. Although a reef protects the atoll on the Pacific side, it makes you realize how protected from the wind and waves you are in the lagoon. We took advantage of the clear blue water with some snorkeling out at the cardinal marker for a large coral reef and taking some time to relax after hull cleaning, dangling our feet in the water off the swim platform after some more (attempted) back flip dives. The only problem with such clear water is that you can see all the sharks (don't worry, no great whites here - mostly well fed black tip reef sharks). We had quite a family of little ones that seem to like hugging the hull of the boat. I'm told they are more scared of us and they certainly don't seem to have troubled us so far...

We are currently in Fakarava south, having headed south yesterday, and are planning to head to the famous South pass in the next couple of days for a drift snorkel and maybe a dive. Jacks making a spear in preparation for catching our next dinner.. we've requested Tuna :)

LD: 9th March 08:35

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